losing $$$$

[jbruno 14]

Here is a project I got involved with for a friend! $600 for house wash, and deck strip/stain... would ahve benn easy money if she told me she had 4 layers of stain and some latex paint (i think, it was like armor) on it. Striped it once and took off 2 layers, then tried to sand but the boards were so bad I couldn't get the sander fush to the wood. So I flipped all but 3 boards! Took 4 hours to pull nails/flip and screw down 5 lbs. of screws, and I still need more!

[jbruno 14]

two more pics

[PressurePros 248]

I don't give discounts to friends or family. My reasoning is this.. I do this for a living. I will come over and help a friend till his yard and pull tree stumps all day. That's a favor. Friends are friends and helping them out is fine but everyone knows, my rates for professional work are my rates that goes for anyone including family. James you learned a valuable lesson about doing test spots on strip jobs. I got bit in the behind a couple of times assuming something was going to be easy.

[Washaway 64]

Ken you pulled the words right out of my mouth.

How dare you steal my philosophy!??!

[PressurePros 248]

::laughing:: Good to know I am not the only one.

[Mike Williamson 198]

I don't give discounts to friends or family. My reasoning is this.. I do this for a living. I will come over and help a friend till his yard and pull tree stumps all day. That's a favor. Friends are friends and helping them out is fine but everyone knows, my rates for professional work are my rates that goes for anyone including family. James you learned a valuable lesson about doing test spots on strip jobs. I got bit in the behind a couple of times assuming something was going to be easy.

For me, it depends on the family. I don't charge my parents or sister for work I do for them, just as my Bro-in-law didn't charge me when he brought his 72" mower (he does lawn care) over and cut my back lawn. That, to me, is just what family does.

[John T 744]

I also do my family free of charge thats the least I could do for them especially my parents. As for Friends I'll give them a nice discount but they will have to wait untill I can squeeze them in. If there demanding about getting it done by a certain date then they get charged the same as my customers do..This is there choice.

[CLASSICPW 14]

Immediate family pays for all material and labors the job, Aunts and uncles and such get a discount, friends get a little less then full price. Then again 80% of my friends do something that benefits me. IE. I washed my friends house, he wired my whole basement, I love trading labor, it works great

[Thad 135]

I have an older friend that has helped me out on numerous occasions.

When I saw that his siding was getting a little green I was happy to wash his house for him. When I got out there he kept mentioning paying me, even though he would never accept anything whenever he helped me with major stuff like installing a deep well pump. He even brought his own fittings!

He has been a true friend in every way and has never needed anything from me. So when he asked what my regular price was so that he could pay me, I told him, "The price is either free or a thousand bucks. Choose quick!"

Then I made him run the surface cleaner.

I was very happy to do it but I'm sure a lot of the reason is that he never would have asked me. He was also extremely relieved when the green mildew came off because it was exactly the same color as the paint on his boat. He thought he had overspray on his house and was dreading when his wife noticed it, since they were getting the house ready for his grandaughter's graduation party.

:)

[PressurePros 248]

Bartering for services and doing things for free are different. Mike W, your example, at least the way I am reading it, is an exchange of services. Nothing wrong with that.

By the same token I have some professionals in my family that offer medical, legal and accounting services. I would never assume to ask any of them for free or overly discounted services.

Perhaps I should clarify my hard line and John T's point is a good one. I will discount services a bit for family or friends but it would have to be when there is nothing else I have to do that pays full revenue. Here is where experience will help you though and I'm sure some people know what I am talking about. People forget you are discounting services and will either complain or badmouth you if you don't live up to their expectations on finsihed project, completion time or scheduling issues. I'd rather just book them in as paying customer's and everyone is happy. People forget discounts but rmember forever that something took two weeks longer than it should have. James now has a situation where he is losing money and his competency may be called into question by an unknowing friend.

[jbruno 14]

I just had a great post that I lost because I'm a little drunk! so here it goes again.

I posted this because I thought it was a COOL project, and It has become a learning process. And no my competecnay isn't in question because I told my friend his deck was a nightmare and drastyic measures may be involved.

But I did this 'flip' for a few reasons 1. because I wanted to see what it would take to do such a job, in case I had to resort to it in the future, and 2, because I couldn't just "cover and run" even knowing that they would have been fine with that aproach. I don't really care that I'm losing money, I wanted to make sure my integrity wasn't compromised and that I was learning throughout this process. Sometimes the best learning comes at your own expense, because I won't make that mistake twice!!

[jbruno 14]

here is the finished product. 2 coats of Benjamin Moore Mahogany (solid)

P.S. that is OLD stain on the vinyl, I got a lot of it off, but it's probably been there for 10 years or more!

[Mike Williamson 198]

here is the finished product. 2 coats of Benjamin Moore Mahogany (solid)

P.S. that is OLD stain on the vinyl, I got a lot of it off, but it's probably been there for 10 years or more!

Looks great, Bruno!!!

Looks like that roof could use a cleaning too! ;)

[Washaway 64]

Bruno I respect your willingness to complete the project regardless of what setbacks is may cause.

We all make mistakes now and then, wether it be underquoting a job or something else. It happens to the best of us.

ie: last year we had a commercial job that we one but I don't know how. Our bid was about 33% of what my competitors bid and realisticly what I should have charged aswell, was it not for a huge mathematical mistake on my part. (when I say our price was low I mean we nearly were not awarded the contract) The problem was that I didn't realize until it was too late and everything was signed. What did we do? I ate the loss and completed the project with 100% accuracy and quality.

After completion I notified the respective parties about our pricing mistake and next year we charge what we should have. (and we're talking thousands of $)

I will tell you this, I am their contact when in need of pressure cleaning.

[jbruno 14]

I probably losta copule hundred dollars. No where to the tune of thousands. But I'm positive I will pick up work from this job as well as it being a friend. Plus here brother (the cop) does a lot of favors for me!!

[Washaway 64]

Drive without your cement shoes and you won't feel indebted.

:)

[Tom DeFrancesco 23]

Nice job James. I just put myself in the same situation a couple of days ago with a good friend in Monroe. I only told him he had to pay for materials but now I think I made a BIG mistake. It is a second story w/ 8 steps and a smaller deck @ his above ground pool. (By the way, How do you apply and wash around an open pool ??? ) Really never payed to much attention to it for this exact reason. Says he has only been putting clear sealer on it but want's to color stain it now. I already know I will be stripping it. This is going to be time consuming and will take me away from other projects. Any suggestions on how to change my tune ?????

[jbruno 14]

yeah, He changed his request. change your price or tell him to wait till the end of the season when he closes the pool. If the kids (or whoever) are still using the pool, you'll have a hard time getting it to dry. I have done some work around pools, and the chems I use haven't harmed any pools yet. plus there's a couple thousand gallons of water diluting the chems (some will argue not to do it) I do tell the owner that there might be a little 'debri' in the pool, but I try not to do pool work during the busy swimming season. Usually I do them in the spring right when they open and the re chems aren't adjusted anyway, or the pool is still a little cloudy or dirty, or I wait till they close them up.