Thought I would share this.

[Dave McVey]

Two days ago I had an early morning estimate for a decorative overlay on a driveway scheduled.  The weather was cold and it was snowing really hard.  I didn't want to get out in traffic and drive across town, and I also didn't think I would be able to give a good estimate with snow on the driveway.  I was thinking of cancelling. 

 

Then it hit me.  I couldn't ask for a better day to estimate a driveway.  I knew if I took my snow shovel and shoveled his driveway I would have the job.   I also impressed him by showing up ontime on one of the worst weather days of the year.   It worked.  I walked away with the largest project of my career.  And, to make it even better, he's paying cash. 

 

I credit my good fortune to Dr. Wayne Dyer.  I have been reading a couple of his books and it enabled me to think about things differently.  Change your mind and good things happen.  

[Rich Holschuh]

I agree on the power of the written word to inspire change, if not downright provoke it. I also enjoy Dyer's outlook and have been nudged in a better direction because of it. I will dive back into it because of this discussion - the winter doldrums have been wearing me down a bit and a spark of positivity is a good prescription (if not "more cowbell"). Thanks to all.

[John Pelzers]

50% deposit is illegal in California under the State Contractors Licence Board rules...What State let you do this in?
Also...How many square feet was the $15K driveway (or how much per sqft did you charge?) and how many days did it take you? and how many employees did it take? (I know..a lot of questions)

cheers john

Paul Spurlock said:

Good job Dave!

I received a request on my website for an estimate for a decorative overlay on an exposed aggregate driveway.
I also impressed him by showing up on time after driving 60+ miles threw a windy, rainy storm.

We walked the job and discussed the problems with the existing driveway, cracks, lack of saw cuts, old looking exposed aggregate, The driveway sloped the wrong way at the front entryway to this 2 million $ lakefront & golf-front home. The brick steps had about 25% slope.

We discussed all of his problems and the methods required to correct them. We also discussed the decorative concrete contractor who measured his driveway 2 weeks before, and he still was waiting for the quote.

While looking over the driveway, I commented on the brand new Mercedes sports car in the open 3 car garage. After some chit-chat about the sports car, the client pointed out cracks in the garage floor, ask what could be done with the cracks. I explained the method used for crack repair would show and would need an overlay.

The client requested a quote for the garage overlay and a separate quote for the driveway overlay and asked how long it would take to give a quote.

My response! Well I wasn't about to take 2 weeks to give this client a quote. I told him he would have his quote before I left his home.

An hour later I rang the doorbell with 2 quotes in hand. Well I closed the $5,000 garage project with a 50% deposit and scheduled the $15,000 stamped concrete overlay to be installed 1 month later while they took a 3 week vacation.

While installing this driveway and garage project we gave 5 additional quotes in this neighborhood.

[dustinbraudway]

Are you kidding me! Cali has a law that won't let you get a deposit on a job! I know tons of fabricators in the stone industry there that get deposits. You would be stupid not too in this economy, not to mention everything we do is Custom!

[John Pelzers]

They allow a deposit, but it is either $1,000 or 50% whichever is LOWER.

cheers john

dustinbraudway said:

Are you kidding me! Cali has a law that won't let you get a deposit on a job! I know tons of fabricators in the stone industry there that get deposits. You would be stupid not too in this economy, not to mention everything we do is Custom!

[brad carlisle]

I would be leaving california or figuring out some way to get enough money upfront to garuntee no cancelations after i started .
br />




cite>John Pelzers said:

They allow a deposit, but it is either $1,000 or 50% whichever is LOWER.

cheers john

dustinbraudway said:

Are you kidding me! Cali has a law that won't let you get a deposit on a job! I know tons of fabricators in the stone industry there that get deposits. You would be stupid not too in this economy, not to mention everything we do is Custom!

[John Pelzers]

That is the Law as far as Contracting Work, as in the driveway job that was decribed.
Concrete Counter tops (precast, off site) can fall under the "artisan" rules or simply be a retail product that is special order and could be 100% up front as long as the installation fee is kept seperate...(and Sales Tax must be charged.)

Brings up another sticky situation, which is "workers comp". 80 to 90% of the concrete contractors around here have a workers comp exemption because they have "no employees". I have yet to see a concrete job hit the ground with only 1 person on the job site. In this economy it is impossible to run a 100% legit small concrete company, which would mean Contractors License, bond, general liability insurance, workers comp insurance, Warehouse or workshop (typically not allowed to run this type of business out of a residential area). etc..... of coarse this all pertains to "on site concrete work" and not prefabing cast or GRFC slabs.

cheers john