Instant Side Hustle or Proof of $50k JOb

[tooqk4u22]

So i recently put a patio in my house.  Took me about 60 hours total and cost about $2000 in supplies......anyway, literally within an hour of completing it I had two requests to do something similar in other houses down the street....they were serious and said they were prepared to spend $6000.  I had figured that if I paid someone that it would have cost me about $7000. 

Keep in mind that my 60 hours was digging out and moving everything by and, so all manual labor and no machines - great workout.  Certainly I could rent some equipment and trim the time down considerably.

Anyway, lets say I did this for the other people, which I won't because I have a full time job, $50K a year is about $25/hour, or $1000/week, so even if I dug it by hand and billed myself at that rate I would be making the $50k except that I would also be making $3000 of profit on top of it for that week.

That is just based on doing a some hard work myself, taking the time to do it right, and letting the work speak for itself ....no marketing involved. This has happened many times...such as when I built a deck, did a patio at a prior house, renovated a couple of bathrooms, replaced windows, and the list goes on....AND I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTOR....I am self taught.  My wife is always trying to pimp me out and has many takers, but again I have a full time job, don't want to do this full time by need, and want to spend non-work time with family and friends.

But this will likely be my "Retirement" job.  I enjoy it and can do it when I want.  It shouldn't be that easy.

[willn]

Great job, very cool.

[ncornilsen]

Just be sure to be cognizant of any laws/permits/requirements for your area... in Portland, for example, I can do anything I want to my own house with the proper permits. But without a license for a particular trade (plumbing, electrical, mechanical) I cannot do that work for someone else for pay.  I hope that doesn't deter you, but paying fines seems unmustachian lol!

[DoubleDown]

Great job, now let's see some pix!

I also chose to do our own flagstone patios at our current house, and a previous home. I figured since it was mostly just dirt and rocks even I shouldn't be able to screw it up too badly. I was happy with the results too and I think could turn it into a business if I didn't mind all the hard labor (and it was hard).

Did you do a concrete base, or just sand or gravel? After reading all the pros/cons, I chose to just dig out the dirt, fill with gravel and sand, then stones on top. It's seemed to work out fine, only once or twice over the years have I had to tweak or reset a stone after some shifting. Seemed to be a great alternative to concrete.

[tooqk4u22]

Great job, now let's see some pix!

I'll see what I can do. Wish I would have thought about a before and after pic, unfortunately with everything I do I never think about the before until after ;)

.......all the hard labor (and it was hard).

Yep, way more than I envisioned, but like I said it was a good string of workouts.

Did you do a concrete base, or just sand or gravel? After reading all the pros/cons, I chose to just dig out the dirt, fill with gravel and sand, then stones on top. It's seemed to work out fine, only once or twice over the years have I had to tweak or reset a stone after some shifting. Seemed to be a great alternative to concrete.

I dug down 6-7", put in a crushed/mixed stone base and then compacted it, then used a good layer of stone dust to put the bluestone on (note to those that want to use natural cleft bluestone - leveling requires patience).  If you do it right it is as strong as concrete but with better drainage.

[tooqk4u22]

Just be sure to be cognizant of any laws/permits/requirements for your area... in Portland, for example, I can do anything I want to my own house with the proper permits. But without a license for a particular trade (plumbing, electrical, mechanical) I cannot do that work for someone else for pay.  I hope that doesn't deter you, but paying fines seems unmustachian lol!

Absolutely, if I were to do this on my own for other people I would get whatever licenses, permits, insurance, etc.....and report income to the IRS.  Absolutely not worth it to me to jeopardize whatever I have to take a few shortcuts.

[AlmostIndependent]

It shouldn't be that easy.

It (anything) usually isn't as hard as it looks initially. Once you figure out a few of the tricks stuff is pretty easy. The best part is that people not in-the-know will pay through the nose for your seemingly magical skills.

[Spork]

I also chose to do our own flagstone patios at our current house, and a previous home. I figured since it was mostly just dirt and rocks even I shouldn't be able to screw it up too badly. I was happy with the results too and I think could turn it into a business if I didn't mind all the hard labor (and it was hard).

Did you do a concrete base, or just sand or gravel? After reading all the pros/cons, I chose to just dig out the dirt, fill with gravel and sand, then stones on top. It's seemed to work out fine, only once or twice over the years have I had to tweak or reset a stone after some shifting. Seemed to be a great alternative to concrete.

Not trying to threadjack tooqk4u22's thread... but: how does it handle weeds?  I have plans for a walkway using flagstones... and I don't want to be weeding it all the time.

[AlmostIndependent]

Not trying to threadjack tooqk4u22's thread... but: how does it handle weeds?  I have plans for a walkway using flagstones... and I don't want to be weeding it all the time.

You can get weed barrier that you put down to prevent weeds from growing between the pavers.

[MoneyLifeandMore]

Definitely sounds like you found a good side job should you ever need some extra money, but like others said make sure you follow all of the laws of your local area and the tax laws of the country you live in. Unfortunately, when I do things like this they normally don't turn out too well. I still try my best though and learn a little bit each time I make a stupid mistake. I figure eventually I'll be able to get them right... maybe by retirement!

[tooqk4u22]

Unfortunately, when I do things like this they normally don't turn out too well. I still try my best though and learn a little bit each time I make a stupid mistake. I figure eventually I'll be able to get them right... maybe by retirement!

That is one of the reasons why I like DIY so much - learning and doing is fun for me and while I strive for perfection I also accept when mistakes happen they will delay me, cost me, or lead to less than perfect end product (typically not the case as most times I will spend the time and money to make it right although when I do leave errors they tend to be minor and while they stand out like a sore thumb to me most people wouldn't notice).

[hybrid]

It shouldn't be that easy.

It (anything) usually isn't as hard as it looks initially. Once you figure out a few of the tricks stuff is pretty easy. The best part is that people not in-the-know will pay through the nose for your seemingly magical skills.

I've found the same to be true with my side job doing home and small business computer work.  A lot of folks are willing to pay well to get something done because they truly have no idea how to get it done themselves.  MMMs latest thread about not needing a college degree to make good money rings true with me.  You just need a skill that is in demand, some go-getting, and some effective marketing to do it full time, and if you are like the OP often times the work finds you for part time work.  Admittedly that is a tall order for many, all the better for those who can.