[Marsymars]

> and the pay sucks.

This is baffling to me from the homeowner's perspective.

I just checked the last invoice I had for electrical work - $300 for something that took <30 minutes and <$20 of supplies.

(And like, he did good work and I'd hire him again... but at those rates it's worth me doing anything I can myself even if it takes me 5x longer.)

[quickthrowman]

I said the pay sucks, not the profit. Owning a residential electrical company is lucrative because they pay their electricians substandard wages.

[rogerrogerr]

It’s not possible for the standard wage to be substandard.

[quickthrowman]

Fine, non-union residential contractors pay lower wages than union contractors.

[lotsofpulp]

Are you including travel time in the 30 minutes? Time to travel and provide free estimates? Sick/vacation time?

[danans]

> Sick/vacation time?

Don't forget health insurance for when they have to use that sick time to get treatment - so they can get back to work ASAP. Plus, during a bust if they get laid off, we don't have universal health insurance, so they have to factor that in as well.

[Marsymars]

I mean, obviously not. (Though no travel for free estimates, estimates are just done by phone.)

Obviously my electrician isn't making anywhere close to $30040 hours52 weeks = $600k+/year - and I don't begrudge my electrician making a good living.

But from my perspective as a homeowner, skilled trades are punishingly expensive, and my response was to a post specifically claiming that the pay sucks.

[lotsofpulp]

> But from my perspective as a homeowner, skilled trades are punishingly expensive, and my response was to a post specifically claiming that the pay sucks.

My post is a response to yours, showing that the provider’s pay can suck even if you find a service punishingly expensive.

Volatility of pay, body wear and tear, hours per day and flexibility of schedule, extensive travel greatly increasing morbidity/mortality risk, and other components go into whether or not pay sucks or not.