Oy. So much for cheaper labor.

[Gracie]

I called a guy I found on Craigslist to come out and give me an estimate on doing some minor work in my front yard. He did not answer the phone..his wife did, cuz he is still learning english. Nice people, but DAYUM! To move some river rocks against my ice plants and use them to surround my juniper bushes, and do some weeding (by hand) an area no bigger than 18 x 15 feet, they gave me an estimate of 150 bucks! I said to his wife, so she could translate, "it won't take but half an hour!" and he said ok..he would do it for 100 bucks. I said no thanks, thanked them for their time, and Mr. Gracie and I did it ourselves. Took us 20 minutes to move the rocks, pull some weeds in the seasonal "creek", re arrange the little bridge, sweep up the weeds we pulled and clip the walkway. 20 minutes. And this guy wanted 150 bucks then agreed to bless us with his labor for 100 bucks. Oh hayell no.

 

[Gracie]

And the really sad part is...I could not find one college student or high school student to do it even though I advertised I needed someone. IF the guy would have said 50 bucks, I would have hired him (the original guy). If a student would have agreed to do it for 50 bucks, I would have hired him or her, too. But none wanted to do it. Even called the inlaws grandson that has TWO new babies, lives with his mother and not with his girlfriend or his kids, doesn't work, bums cigs from everyone, plays nintendo all day and always complains he has no money...and he never showed up. He was in the middle of his "game". No worries though....welfare is paying for his kids food, his girlfriend lives with HER mother, and OUR tax dollars are going for all their upkeep. Eye roll.

 

[Moonglow]

You live to far away for me to do it....

 

[FA_Q2]

And the really sad part is...I could not find one college student or high school student to do it even though I advertised I needed someone. IF the guy would have said 50 bucks, I would have hired him (the original guy). If a student would have agreed to do it for 50 bucks, I would have hired him or her, too. But none wanted to do it. Even called the inlaws grandson that has TWO new babies, lives with his mother and not with his girlfriend or his kids, doesn't work, bums cigs from everyone, plays nintendo all day and always complains he has no money...and he never showed up. He was in the middle of his "game". No worries though....welfare is paying for his kids food, his girlfriend lives with HER mother, and OUR tax dollars are going for all their upkeep. Eye roll.

That is the new entitlement age for you. People now expect rather than attain.

 

[Moonglow]

None of my kids are on welfare, they work, as I did....even my 12 year old wants to get a job..Just like I was when I was 12...

 

[JoeB131]

Fifty bucks? That's kind of cheap. the problem here isn't that it took 20 minutes to do, it's that it would have taken that person maybe half an hour to get to you and half an hour to get home and they'd have to displace other jobs.

 

[Iceweasel]

It took two people 20 minutes so I do not understand how one guy was supposed to do it in 20 minutes. $150 sounds high but you are asking for free estimates so that's two trips. If they aren't licensed then you are looking to pay under the table so the edge cuts both ways.

The other thing to consider is that the scope of work is a bit indeterminate, it's you who will say when the job is done. Anyone with any sense will need to bid to accommodate the worst case scenario. If I bid on something the price is twice what I think it will take.

 

[Gracie]

Fifty bucks? That's kind of cheap. the problem here isn't that it took 20 minutes to do, it's that it would have taken that person maybe half an hour to get to you and half an hour to get home and they'd have to displace other jobs.

Wrong. I asked specifically where he lived BEFORE asking him to come give an estimate. I did not want someone too far away just for that reason..gas money, and time to get here. He lives 1/4th mile away.

 

[HenryBHough]

When works costs more to get done than the value of the "product" then there is no work.

 

[Gracie]

I guess you had to be here to understand what I am complaining about. It took 2 old people 20 minutes to move some river rocks around a juniper bush. The area was stated in the OP. The weeding area was about the size of my bathroom floor. Why did I want someone to do it for me? My wrists have a hissy due to the RA and my back cannot do the up and down thing with lifting medium size rocks and there were about 25 of them. So yeah...it took a 62 year old and a 67 year old to do it in 20 minutes, but 5 years ago, it would have taken me alone, 8 minutes.
And the point is...DAYUM! That is STILL a high price!

 

[Ravi]

An average bathroom size is 10 x 10 not 18 x 15.

Methinks this OP is taking just another cheap shot at immigrants.

 

[FA_Q2]

I guess you had to be here to understand what I am complaining about. It took 2 old people 20 minutes to move some river rocks around a juniper bush. The area was stated in the OP. The weeding area was about the size of my bathroom floor. Why did I want someone to do it for me? My wrists have a hissy due to the RA and my back cannot do the up and down thing with lifting medium size rocks and there were about 25 of them. So yeah...it took a 62 year old and a 67 year old to do it in 20 minutes, but 5 years ago, it would have taken me alone, 8 minutes.
And the point is...DAYUM! That is STILL a high price!

Most yard workers charge outrageous rates for even very simple work these days and I never really understood why.

The end result is that you are not going to get any jobs. Just to cut my grass would cost over a hundred bucks a month for 2 cuts. The same costs less than half and with more service in CA. It takes around 10 minuets to do the job - I am not spending that kind of money for a ten minute job and I doubt a whole lot of others are as well.

 

[Gracie]

The yard is looking fabu! And even though I collapse every night with gasps due to twinges in my back, I feel good that I am doing it myself, getting the exercise I need, and feeling the dirt in my hands as I dig away.

Plus, with that 150 bucks he wanted..I went to the hardware store and got some clippers, some gloves, a hand rake and the CUTEST little hula hoe that fits in your hand! Tiny, but it sure does the job!

It looks thusly:

Dude quoted himself out of a job. He needs to familiarize himself to what rates are going for to do such small jobs and get a clue. His loss. MY gain.

 

[Iceweasel]

Dude quoted himself out of a job. He needs to familiarize himself to what rates are going for to do such small jobs and get a clue. His loss. MY gain.

If he was too high why didn't you find someone else? It doesn't make sense. But like I said, when the customer is deciding when the job if finished you have to account for the worse case scenario or you'll likely get screwed. Find someone to work by the hour. If they aren't doing a good job in a hour call it quits.

 

[Gracie]

Dude quoted himself out of a job. He needs to familiarize himself to what rates are going for to do such small jobs and get a clue. His loss. MY gain.

If he was too high why didn't you find someone else? It doesn't make sense. But like I said, when the customer is deciding when the job if finished you have to account for the worse case scenario or you'll likely get screwed. Find someone to work by the hour. If they aren't doing a good job in a hour call it quits.

Did you not read the thread? I placed an ad in CL and could not find ANYONE. Oh sure..some called but they didn't do one time only jobs. And no students were interested. Why should they have to work when mommy and daddy support them in their need for new pc games? I'm telling ya...the days are long gone of some kid walking up and down the street asking to mow your lawn so he can have pocket money.

 

[Iceweasel]

Dude quoted himself out of a job. He needs to familiarize himself to what rates are going for to do such small jobs and get a clue. His loss. MY gain.

If he was too high why didn't you find someone else? It doesn't make sense. But like I said, when the customer is deciding when the job if finished you have to account for the worse case scenario or you'll likely get screwed. Find someone to work by the hour. If they aren't doing a good job in a hour call it quits.

Did you not read the thread? I placed an ad in CL and could not find ANYONE. Oh sure..some called but they didn't do one time only jobs. And no students were interested. Why should they have to work when mommy and daddy support them in their need for new pc games? I'm telling ya...the days are long gone of some kid walking up and down the street asking to mow your lawn so he can have pocket money.

Craigslist is your only option? No, and it isn't where you'll find the best people.

 

[Gracie]

It's a moot point now.

 

[FA_Q2]

Dude quoted himself out of a job. He needs to familiarize himself to what rates are going for to do such small jobs and get a clue. His loss. MY gain.

If he was too high why didn't you find someone else? It doesn't make sense. But like I said, when the customer is deciding when the job if finished you have to account for the worse case scenario or you'll likely get screwed. Find someone to work by the hour. If they aren't doing a good job in a hour call it quits.

Did you not read the thread? I placed an ad in CL and could not find ANYONE. Oh sure..some called but they didn't do one time only jobs. And no students were interested. Why should they have to work when mommy and daddy support them in their need for new pc games? I'm telling ya...the days are long gone of some kid walking up and down the street asking to mow your lawn so he can have pocket money.

Craigslist is your only option? No, and it isn't where you'll find the best people.

Why go further though? After not finding someone right away you might as well do the job yourself and it looks as though the reward of simple hard work was worth even more than the money anyway.

You are acting like finding someone was important. That does not seem to be the case. I still understand why she was shocked at the price though.

 

[Gracie]

Maybe I am living in wagon wheel days when a kid would mow a lawn for 20 bucks. But I don't have a front yard lawn. So getting a kid to pick a few weeds for 20 bucks. But that ain't happening either....new games cost 50 bucks and mommy will do it so why work?

 

[Ravi]

I guess you had to be here to understand what I am complaining about. It took 2 old people 20 minutes to move some river rocks around a juniper bush. The area was stated in the OP. The weeding area was about the size of my bathroom floor. Why did I want someone to do it for me? My wrists have a hissy due to the RA and my back cannot do the up and down thing with lifting medium size rocks and there were about 25 of them. So yeah...it took a 62 year old and a 67 year old to do it in 20 minutes, but 5 years ago, it would have taken me alone, 8 minutes.
And the point is...DAYUM! That is STILL a high price!

Most yard workers charge outrageous rates for even very simple work these days and I never really understood why.

The end result is that you are not going to get any jobs. Just to cut my grass would cost over a hundred bucks a month for 2 cuts. The same costs less than half and with more service in CA. It takes around 10 minuets to do the job - I am not spending that kind of money for a ten minute job and I doubt a whole lot of others are as well.

Costs me 75 per cut.