# Starting a union residential shop



## telsa (May 22, 2015)

There are so many roof-moneys out there that I can't imagine that the IBEW scale would make you at all competitive.


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## jchabot2012 (Apr 20, 2011)

Our local has a residential rate. But I myself would not want to work on a roof for anything less than full-rate inside wages. So I would price it out for full-rate anyways. Not being competitive because of union wages is one of my fears. When non-union can use cheaper labor to install panels. I personally feel solar is becoming bigger in the NE where we have high electrical rates and monopolistic utility companies increasing rates. But, If the numbers make it so I can't be a union shop then I'll just keep working with my tools and do the 40 and forget.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I think most locals have a residential rate and/or classification. It's still not all that common to have resi union guys. 

In my local it is known that the smaller resi contractors are going to be completely non-union, and the union even helps us along the way so that when we get bigger and go into commercial we go union.

You don't provide bathrooms for employees. For short jobs you either use the customer's bathroom or tell them to run out to McDonald's. For bigger and longer jobs, the GC provides them. 

Now I know you might be thinking "The union requires us to provide on-site bathrooms", but this is an example of a completely unrealistic requirement when it comes to small resi work, and why the union doesn't fit into it.

As for your numbers, you missed the biggest one- advertising. Where are you going to get all the business from? How are you going to get so many hundreds of calls for new work that you can charge enough to make profit while still paying union wages and benefits in the cut-throat solar world?


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## jchabot2012 (Apr 20, 2011)

Thanks for the reply. As for advertising, I would be using social media, word of mouth, local trade shows. I'd talk with local contractors doing roof installs for leads and just be available in the industry. This wouldn't take shape for a few years, but now would be the time to build my business plan and establish my name in the industry. I already have a portfolio of work I've completed. Can't give out all my secrets...


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Forget residential, go commercial, you'll have a better chance of getting paid.


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## Fist of lightning (Aug 15, 2019)

jchabot2012 said:


> I'm going to be getting my Master's soon and have been crunching numbers to see how much it would cost to start doing rooftop solar/cannabis cultivation facilities. I'm hoping to sell net-metering grid-tied solar packages. I'm located in the Northeast and will be using my home office to run the business. I'm 31 and I'll be starting as a one man shop as an LLC, but will have employees eventually.
> How do you provide bathroom's for your employees? Do you use the clients bathroom or use a bathroom Porta-John service?
> 
> List of things to price before starting:
> ...



Refreshing to hear someone that’s just starting out as a ec and wants to sighn a contract at the hall .

Means a lot that you want to pay your men a fair wage with healthcare and retirement it is appreciated.

✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Side note: Resi jobs the GC pay's for a Lua , er ... jobsite bathroom, and all the subs get to use it. If you are union, do you even know how to wire a house? I don't mean in theory, I mean have you done more than a hundred or two hundred of them. If you don't the non union guys are also gonna smash you on productivity, not only on wage scale. Large townhouse projects around here with lets say fifty or more units go union. Those guys are actually real damn fast. But the wire runs come pre-fabbed from the shops, there ain't no deviations other than a few can lights where none were on the plans and the like. Just wait till you get a homeowner job where the buyer has fanciful idea's on what he thinks he needs in his new house , like everything under the sun you can find in magazines, except he don't have near enough funding to pay for all that. ............ And then you still get to walk thru with them fifty times during rough to keep them straight on the path...


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Good luck buddy. I don't know from personal experience but I've heard that Solar is a tough niche to be profitable in. 

Honestly, any line of work where the workers make more off the job than the boss does, is not something that I would recommend pursuing. Try to hit jobs with good margins, not jobs that everybody else is chasing.


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## Tonedeaf (Nov 26, 2012)

I don't mean to piss on your camp fire.....

Solar is a looser for most small companies....the big guys are gobbling up more and more market share each year.

As far as IBEW goes...you need to have decently deep pockets and a good bit of work lined up......you sign personally for benefits and wages .....if your company fails and runs up a big tab on benefits....they will take you house and anything else they can to pay the tab....don't let a BA con you in when you business is hand to mouth you will fail.

If I were you I would get you masters....sell work...do jobs and and try and build up your company....

Good luck


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