# How many of you work alone?



## KoleckeINC (Oct 22, 2011)

Just asking? I can but sometimes we all need help. Like at 5pm Friday on a corner house main line from inside over white carpet during a holiday party with the boy in a bubble watching.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

LOL! Yep. Lucky I have a buddy here who cleans on his own. We haven't had to ask each other for help yet, but equipment loaning and covering calls has helped us both.


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

I am usually the only plumber on site, but I'm usually never alone. I'm usually dealing with other trades in the house, which most times provides a willing body if I need help lifiting a heavy tub or a tank w/h, I'll usually buy their lunch that day for helping me.

For the past few months my dog has been by my side on every job. I need to get her a backpack to carry some tools for me.


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I too am usually the only plumber on site. I mostly do remodels and service. I rarely need help from other trades other than to hold a pipe or tub waste/overflow for 2 minutes. If I need help lifting a tub I can either get the generals guy to help or call someone from the shop to come give me a hand. On a regular basis I'm even the only person in the house because the customers will just leave the door open for me or leave a key for me. I just spent 1/2 a day water piping a new bathroom in an unfinished basement where the owners are gone for the weekend and they just left the door open for me. I have not even met the people before. 


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Key code or hidden key is common for us here too with only a phone conversation. 

We have some screwed up basement stairs in the older parts of town in what used to be the sticks out here. Last Monday I had a GC help me get my 300 around the corner to roll it down the stairs. Cut time for him and I. Obviously gave him gloves.


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

For awhile I was working alone, but now I have a helper. I'm not too fond of having helpers because more often than not, I have to do what they're told to do but can't. My opinion, if I have to do it myself anyways, why pay for a helper? It's very hard to teach someone something when they have no intentions of learning and are just there for the $$$.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Oorgnid said:


> For awhile I was working alone, but now I have a helper. I'm not too fond of having helpers because more often than not, I have to do what they're told to do but can't. My opinion, if I have to do it myself anyways, why pay for a helper? It's very hard to teach someone something when they have no intentions of learning and are just there for the $$$.


Exactly why I don't want an employee! I want my job done to the best of my ability. To do that you need to partner as good as you, and I don't want a partner.


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

I'm going to get a helper to carry my code book and fail stickers


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

I have worked alone for about 13 years. You find ways to do things by yourself.....a few months ago I invested in a good person, And I will train him to be a plumber...I just too damned busy....
Man it's tough though.....Lol


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Oorgnid said:


> For awhile I was working alone, but now I have a helper. I'm not too fond of having helpers because more often than not, I have to do what they're told to do but can't. My opinion, if I have to do it myself anyways, why pay for a helper? * It's very hard to teach someone something when they have no intentions of learning and are just there for the $$$*.




I work alone and my brother in law does too..... 
rarely do we need help...

We make more money being alone and I dont have to show up on time in the morning so the helpers can show up late

I dont think I could ever hire anyone again...
they really dont want to be there , 
they dont want to learn anything,
they eventually hate your guts for you just having
more initiative and brains than they have...

they will drive 2 hours out of their way just for a 1/2 hour lunch break.....

take away their smoke breaks and you have made an enemy for life..


we have not been missing much material around the shop over the past few years either....$25 rolls of solder dont vanish like they used to:whistling2:

this list can go on forever and ever.....

add to it if you want to...
..


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## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

I am 55 years old with bad knees a hernia & sciatica, I have mostly worked alone for the past 18 years, I only do service work, no remodels no new construction. Over the past few years I've had reduced the type jobs I take on because I can't physically do them.
I am now at a point where I will have to find a young man to help or close shop and find a job locally. Problem is finding a young man who wants to work with a plumber.......


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

One man shop here as well. Not busy enough to need help; just how I like it: enough work to make a few bucks, but not slammed.

A good plumber friend of mine here in FL had a young guy working with him for about a year or so. The kid claimed that he wanted to be a plumber. Yet my friend would often complain to me that the kid was not retaining what he was taught. I told my buddy well maybe the kid is dyslexic or maybe he met a girl and his head is in the clouds or he is still young.


So one day the kid crawls under a MH with some of my friend's tools in a bucket. My friend had given the kid channellocks in the bucket. The kid crawls out with the bucket and goes over to help my friend. My friend tells the kid 'give me the channellocks.' Kid says he doesn't have them and adds with a somewhat grumpy and annoyed tone that he "already looked on the truck and the channellocks are not there." My friend says 'I know they aren't in the truck, I put them in the bucket for you to use under the house.' The kid just stands there and says nothing for a few moments. Then the kid says well the channellocks must be under the house. My friend says, "Ah, yeaaaah." The kid just stands there again without saying anything. Then the kid finally says 'well I guess I have to go back under the house to get them.'

By this point my friend tells me that he is fuming. The kid is not happy. The kid says to my friend "There is something that I have been meaning to speak to you about." My friend says 'well let's speak instead of continuing on like this.' But the kid clams up and says nothing more. Then when they go to lunch, the kid says that he found another job working in a leasing office signing up tenants who are going to rent apartments.

My friend used to buy this kid lunch everyday. They would break off at lunch time, and go sit down somewhere to eat. My friend doesn't like fast food. He would never eat at Wendy's or McD's. Always a restaurant with a waitress. On occasions when he needed another plumber for the day, he would not only hire me at master plumber's wages for the day, but treat me to lunch as well. 

Good help is hard to find.


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## Oorgnid (Apr 5, 2016)

Plumbergeek said:


> I am 55 years old with bad knees a hernia & sciatica, I have mostly worked alone for the past 18 years, I only do service work, no remodels no new construction. Over the past few years I've had reduced the type jobs I take on because I can't physically do them.
> I am now at a point where I will have to find a young man to help or close shop and find a job locally. Problem is finding a young man who wants to work with a plumber.......


Nice weather down in Georgia? I'm ready when you are. :laughing:


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## The Dane (Feb 19, 2015)

I know that a lot of young people don't want to be plumbers and those that try are often not trying hard to do a good job because of a lot of reasons. But remember that the master that thought you probably also had issues like that to deal with before finding the good one (you). I firmly believe that every good plumber has a responsibility to make sure to pay it forward and train at least 1 more plumber even if it means going through a few bad and lazy ones first before finding the one that sticks with it. Remember you should not expect them to be exactly like you. If you want them to have as much ambition as you have then don't complain when they leave you after you trained them. My first master worked alone and I worked with him for a bit more than a year but often he would just take on doing simple things while I handed him tools or watched him work even though he knew that I could easily do it. Limiting my hands on learning experience and making it seem like I was not as helpful as I could be. So remember to also give them a chance to learn even if they are slow because only experience will make them faster. Oh and my first master and I are still friends and I have helped him out a time or two when he was busy. It is also harder for an apprentice to learn if him and his master always work together. It can be very good to get out in a van alone. 


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

I worked alone as a service tech for a company for quite a few years. I started my own business in 2010 and flew solo for a while. Another contractor and I would help each other out as needed on bigger jobs. About two years ago my brother (actually best friend since 3rd grade and we're 45 now) quit his job as a hvac installer and hired himself at my one man company. I'm teaching him the plumbing side but it's a slow process. It's nice having someone to help on on all calls. I'm breaking even on year totals because I make a lot on hvac installs but lose a lot on plumbing calls. I try and get him to join and participate in forums to learn plumbing but that's a lost cause. I've never been a teacher so I don't voice what I'm doing as I'm trying to figure out what I'm diagnosing and repairing. I'm sure he'll catch on soon. Not everyone has the same thirst for knowledge we on the forum have.


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