Seattle May Day

[cbass]

We can blame the Govment all we want but the real problem lies in business practices.Business models have gone from I'm gonna build this company up to something my grandkids can run one day.To I'm gonna make as much money as possible as fast as I can.That and our ridiculous trade agrements with other countries.
Just like the housing crash you can blame all the banks and bad loans you want but the fact is when the market was really rolling and others saw people making money from building houses so they jumed in and milked it dry.
People that had know fucking clue what they were doing were all the sudden "builders".So you end up with all these over priced shitty built houses That are falling apart 10 years later and people can't afford to fix them. so they let them go back to the bank.

[Teleguy61]

We can blame the Govment all we want but the real problem lies in business practices.Business models have gone from I'm gonna build this company up to something my grandkids can run one day.To I'm gonna make as much money as possible as fast as I can.That and our ridiculous trade agrements with other countries.
Just like the housing crash you can blame all the banks and bad loans you want but the fact is when the market was really rolling and others saw people making money from building houses so they jumed in and milked it dry.
People that had know fucking clue what they were doing were all the sudden "builders".So you end up with all these over priced shitty built houses That are falling apart 10 years later and people can't afford to fix them. so they let them go back to the bank.

c you are right on the money.
An overall change in thought processes to go for the short term gain, not the long term return.
Bottom line and get outta here.
Don't improve your product if your customers aren't happy, improve your customer service.
Sell the sizzle not the steak.
Form over function every time.

Not that I'm jaded....................

[NickC]

We can blame the Govment all we want but the real problem lies in business practices.Business models have gone from I'm gonna build this company up to something my grandkids can run one day.To I'm gonna make as much money as possible as fast as I can.That and our ridiculous trade agrements with other countries.
Just like the housing crash you can blame all the banks and bad loans you want but the fact is when the market was really rolling and others saw people making money from building houses so they jumed in and milked it dry.
People that had know fucking clue what they were doing were all the sudden "builders".So you end up with all these over priced shitty built houses That are falling apart 10 years later and people can't afford to fix them. so they let them go back to the bank.

After WWII the federal government instituted national building code, which established the minimum requirements.

Prior to that, the good contractors took pride in the quality of their work. They built their reputations on that. Then the feds jump in with their muddy boots on. Returning soldiers needed civilian employment, the federal coffers were hungry for taxes, and folks started procreating again creating need for more housing. So lots of start-up home builders began competing against established and reputable contractors. How could they compete? On price. The new "minimum" code requirements were far lower than industry standard, so start-ups quickly figured where to cut corners and compete with lower prices. That pressured the quality contractors to follow suit in order to compete and survive. Quality of home builds declined. The consumer was not better off, because long-term maintenance associated with shoddy workmanship ended up costing more. The quality contractors were not better off; they had to compromise their integrity and lower their game. The only entity that marginally benefited was the federal government.

[cbass]

Ain't no codes here after you get of city limits.If your under three acres your septic system has to be inspected by the state other that that its anything goes pretty scarey really..
I've some fucked up shit on great big nice homes. Its a wonder more decks here havent collapsed nobody will shell out that 50 cents a joist hanger I mean that could add a whole 25bucks to the cost.
So when I bid on something its always higher cause I do it right.
I mean if I build a deck with 2x10 joists i cant really compete with a guy that making them with 2x6's
I get calls all the time to fix other peoples shit.
One in paticuarly I rember is a nice old lady that wanted a wheel chair ramp.The guy she had build built at about a 5/12 pitch code would be 1/12.Hell I couldnt have evn pushed a whell chair up it much less an old lady.
When I tore it down I grabed one side of it and shook it till it fell apart.