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Vent: Why I stopped running conduit for free after a talk with an old sparky

I was helping a buddy wire his basement and he kept asking me to add extra runs for future use, all for the price of a pizza. Then an older electrician at the supply house said 'don't work for exposure, work for cash' and it finally clicked with me. Has anyone else had a friend or family member expect you to bend over backward for nothing?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron19726d ago

Hit the nail on the head with that old sparky's advice. People think because you're doing a favor it should be free, but that's how you end up working weekends for nothing but a beer. I've seen guys burn themselves out doing side work for buddies who never appreciated it. It's not about being greedy, it's about respecting your own time and skill. Once you start valuing your work, other people will too or they'll stop asking. That's a win either way.

rivershah26d ago

@aaron197 nailed it. I had a buddy ask me to help rewire his basement a few years back, spent like 5 weekends on it. He offered me a six pack once and that was it. Then he complained when his other buddy charged him for a similar job. Some people just dont get it until you draw that line.

the_nathan26d ago

Man, right? @rivershah that six pack offer is basically the universal sign for "I don't respect your time." It's like they think you're just playing with wires for fun instead of actually knowing what you're doing. You gotta charge something upfront or you'll end up being the sucker who works for beer money while they complain about the next guy's rates.