Not a contractor
I have mentioned, several times, that I never became a contractor. This came up again in a reply to a recent post. A contractor is bound by rules that limit…
I have mentioned, several times, that I never became a contractor. This came up again in a reply to a recent post.
A contractor is bound by rules that limit the amount the maker can ask on any given project. In most states, this is capped at around ten percent.
I have never done a custom job without getting at least half the total cost in advance. As a manufacturer, I am allowed to do this. As a contractor, I would need to finance the entire job out of my own pocket.
This has always been unacceptable to me. I am not a banker or a lending institution. If someone needs to borrow money to pay for a project, it should be the customer, not the maker.
With the costs of materials, labor and the overhead of running a commercial shop being what they are, I cannot possibly finance someone’s kitchen remodel, nor do I want to.
There are certainly some advantages to being a contractor but, for me, the drawbacks outweigh them easily.
D.D.

David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.