April 23, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode, we chat with Jeremy Dewitt of Dewitt Endeavors, an actual contractor where we find out what he thinks contractors want to know from home owners, as well as some useful things you should ask your contractors! And believe us, when we say we learned a few things! Don't work on hiring a contractor until you've listened to this podcast!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (00:00):
Let's get this fucking shit show
(00:01):
started.
Got stuff to do today.
(01:05):
slow down Gail.
Slow down.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (01:09):
I just landed and.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (01:13):
Yeah, you and Katie Perry.
God.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (01:18):
Okay, so on today's episode, we are
very lucky to be able to have avery talented contractor with
us.
Of which Stewart has a wonderfulrelationship, and I'll let him
divulge all of that.
But in today's episode, wethought we would actually
discuss with a contractor, oneof those peoples that we always
wanna yell at, um, what, whatare the things that he wish as
(01:43):
either designers or specificallyhomeowners knew going into
working with a contractor?
I am prepared for this to beincredibly enlightening and
pissing me off.
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17-2 (01:55):
I'll try not to disappoint.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (01:57):
You will not disappoint.
Okay, everyone, please welcomeJeremy Dewitt.
Stu Yes, we are very excited.
Uh, Stewart, would you like totake it away from there?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (02:06):
So Jeremy owns a company called
Dewitt Endeavors, who has beendoing.
Mostly remodels and some flipsfor about the last nine to 10
years.
It's a family owned business.
brother is his right handperson.
his cousin works there as well.
pretty much all very skilledpersonnel are on site every
(02:29):
single day, so they're all veryexperienced in what needs to
happen.
as far as building a deck ortile on a floor.
there, there's a, a wide rangeof trades in his company, and
Jeremy is the, the lead.
He solves all the problems.
He creates some of them.
(02:53):
he runs all the errands, hepicks up all this shit.
He talks to the customers, hemakes the quotes.
So, um, so we'll just say hi toJeremy first.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:04):
Hey,
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17- (03:05):
Hello guys.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:05):
Hey, How well do you know uh, Jeremy
dewitt.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (03:12):
Well, pretty well, pretty well,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (03:14):
that?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (03:15):
so well, he's actually my husband.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:19):
Say what?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (03:21):
what?
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:22):
So how did you meet, said husband
and, and, uh, hook up with him?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (03:26):
Well, Lord have mercy.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (03:29):
he means hookup for work.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (03:31):
right?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (03:32):
No, I didn't think it was gonna be
easy.
Uh, we have told a, we have tolda story before about how I had
met a contractor on a, uh,client's job that they called me
in for design work because theyjust needed a little bit of push
with, um, not, not onlyselections but kinda.
(03:53):
Helping the contractor to dowhat they want.
And we got in a fight, Jeremyand I got in a fight tile and I
called the homeowner.
I said, who is this jackass thatyou have hired to remodel this
bathroom telling you you cannotput marble in a shower floor?
Well, and his reasoning, youknow, porcelain, it's a lot
(04:17):
easier to clean and I understandthat, but it's real cheap.
a marble floor doesn't need tobe cheap with people who clean
their house.
Marble's fine.
So we had this whole big debateabout this, and now since then,
three and a half years later,every shower that Jeremy has
(04:37):
done has a marble floor
jeremy-guest410_1_04- (04:38):
Including his own
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (04:39):
and, and including his own.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (04:45):
Oh, mercy.
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17-202 (04:46):
is is, which is the perfect example
of Marian.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025 (04:50):
persuasive, bougie gay Stewart.
You
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (04:54):
Always win.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (04:55):
you?
You
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (04:55):
Always
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (04:56):
to
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (04:56):
win.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (04:56):
I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (04:57):
I.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (04:57):
have to win.
It's kind of a goal.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (05:02):
down.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (05:03):
Now he wins at a whole lot of other
stuff.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:06):
So, um, share the audience before we
get into, guys are workingtogether on
jeremy-guest410_1_04-1 (05:12):
Projects also.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:13):
he does things independent, if I
get this right.
But you also are now kind ofteaming together to work on
projects and, uh, because youhave a diff different skillset
than he has, but you're goingto, you're ultimately look like
this design build Couple ofLexington now.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (05:30):
Yeah, we're waiting for HGTV to pick
us up.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (05:32):
Oh God.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:34):
What would you name the show, Jeremy?
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17 (05:36):
Double trouble.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (05:39):
Double trouble.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (05:40):
shit.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (05:42):
That's true.
Well, let's let Jeremy talk fora minute.
So the question it ha Jeremy,had you ever worked with a, a
designer before on otherprojects?
(06:05):
Right.
Gotcha.
So was there a learning curve towork with?
Yeah.
So would you, after you did thelearning curve, and I have to
(06:26):
assume it's, um, turned outpositive, um, would you say that
on some projects or a lot ofprojects, I like for the, uh,
homeowner to bring a designerin?
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
(06:54):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (07:04):
I always think that it's really
good for everybody to understandtheir roles.
I would imagine that that wouldbe true, especially for a
designer and a contractor.
Well, Jeremy, what is like thefirst thing that comes to mind
that you wish homeowners knewwhen they came to you?
I.
Like, what's the first thingthat every day you shake your
head and you're like, damn.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (07:43):
You know, one of the things that
happens when I work withcontractors, uh, they'll have
this, fairly extensive, List ofthings to get accomplished or
complaints or, goals.
And then they'll start spittingout stuff to me and I'm like,
even know what you're talkingabout.
It's like this Lulum goes inthis lulu, and this is this,
this, and this and this, and canyou get this across to the
(08:04):
customer?
And I'm like, I just, I, I justpicked out the faucet.
I just picked out the color.
I don't know actually how itgets applied.
To the fossil.
That's, that's my job is to pickit out.
You contractor, figure out howto make it work with your
approval that you said thiswould work.
Right.
And so, and the reason I saythat is I, I'm working on this
(08:24):
other project and this guy,wonderful contractor, I mean, I
really, really do like him alot.
He, he's very kind, so there'snothing bad, but he's like,
well, you need to tell thecustomer this, this, and this
and this.
And I said, I don't even knowwhat you're talking about.
And I said, how can I articulatethat to the client when I don't
know what you're talking about?
And he said, well.
Well, you gotta get her to knowthat.
I said, well.
(08:45):
Can't we do a group text or havea meeting?
I said, because you basically,it's like it gets misconstrued
when it's third person.
Right?
And it's like it needs to comefrom the contractor.
I can be there and be yoursupport system and guide you.
Have you ever run into that kindof thing?
And it's like, because mypushback was, well, I can't
explain it'cause I don't knowwhat I'm explaining, but it's
(09:05):
the same as, like you said,Jeremy, that it felt good that
you had this buffer.
Between the client, becauseultimately I wanna build the
cabinet, but you tell me thehardware and how, how big it
should be once we figure it out.
And the, the door style, youtell me that and I'll get it
painted, but I don't need tofigure all that out.
You just tell me.
But this idea of, how wecommunicate with all of us as a
(09:27):
group is one of the things.
And maybe how, how did youbridge that with Stewart?
And if that ever came up as anissue.
Okay.
(09:55):
Mm-hmm.
Or I don't.
I really don't.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
(10:18):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Gotcha.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (11:02):
Yeah, and I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (11:03):
I think.
I think
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (11:04):
a
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (11:04):
that's.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (11:05):
a good point to bring up that
especially, you know, Dwayne,you asked or Jeremy asked about
client's expectations.
Those expectations are generallywritten out word for word in
every one of Jeremy's estimates.
And it, you know, it includesit.
It includes a design service inthere.
(11:25):
It includes budget for lighting,budget for tile, you know, all
those things then that has to goback on me on these particular
jobs in budget.
And a lot of times I don't, I.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (11:42):
Okay, so let me ask you that you don't
stay in budget because thecontractor didn't really do his
homework and didn't give you bigenough budget, or like the
budget was fine, but then themore you get into it, oh, we're
just gonna bump it up a littlebit more.
Or is it some, somewhere inbetween?
Because a lot of times I'll findlike, I'll, I'll get a budget
for the contractor and like.
(12:04):
Most things are pretty dead onwhen it comes to the, the, the,
the, the window budget and the,the electrical budget.
But when it comes to a budgetfor how much to spend on tile or
for lighting,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (12:16):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (12:17):
always way low, way off.
And I'm like, how did you comeup with this number?
This is not even in the realm ofeven finding it at, uh, a big
box store to keep it on budget.
And so.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (12:28):
Well, and I think that's one thing too
that helps us working togetherthat, you know,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (12:33):
I'll review.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (12:34):
before it's sent out.
And sometimes I'll be like,Jeremy, I need more lighting
budget.
You know, so then we change itand go there, you know, also I,
I do find things in budget andthe homeowner's like, Hmm, no,
this is what I really want andthis is what it is.
I'm like, okay, well then you'regonna go over X amount of
(12:56):
dollars.
Like, I don't care.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (12:58):
So you're saying you do a, a
walkthrough all the preliminarygo through the numbers and get
that information before you everstart anything.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (13:07):
yeah.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (13:08):
I mean, no, that's not a common
sense thing because like I havepeople building million dollar
houses and they haven't read thecontract.
Nobody's gone over it with it,or they don't have a contract,
and then they get all thesesurprises, and so it's just that
whole thing that Jeremy saidabout communication and
expectations.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (13:27):
Jeremy, I think it's important to tell
how you actually people.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (14:05):
Hmm.
Bastards.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (14:49):
because they're, they're paying for the
last seven or 10 days of workthat they've.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (14:57):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (14:58):
Yeah.
And that is not what I've ex,that's not what I've, like I've
experienced for the most part.
It's usually a thirds, yeah.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (15:04):
Right now
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (15:06):
No.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (15:07):
might be writing 25 different checks
during a project, but you knowwhat each
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (15:13):
Hmm.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (15:13):
one of those is going for.
So,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (15:16):
Then if they, they do change, but
it's there.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (15:47):
I, I, this sounds like a dream to
me compared to like, what,especially when there's, you
know, well, there's a lot ofstress, right?
That goes into any remodel, anykind of construction.
Anytime you invite anybody intoyour home, that person, whoever
it is, there's always gonna be alevel of anxiety.
Right.
And I know like for the three,the three of us, like we always
(16:07):
try to.
Take what anxiety we can awayfrom the customer and try to be
very transparent and upfront.
Um, this is, this is interesting'cause I never knew that this is
how you work Jeremy.
Um, and this definitely, I knowfor some of my past clients that
this would, you know, definitelychange.
I.
How their anxiety was at theend.
Now, full disclosure, I've neverhad any issues as far as like
(16:28):
getting the work done.
Um, it might have lingered on,but it's just such to how it
goes sometimes.
I had an electrician once, thiswas actually at my personal
home, had an electrician thatwas here and I heard him.
I just happened to be home and Iheard him in the other room and
he was talking about, yeah, I'mgonna take off at one o'clock
today and I'm gonna go on downto the lake and go fishing.
I think I'm going, I'm gonna goon down there and finish this
(16:50):
up.
I don't know, maybe next week.
He only had like three morethings to do.
I mean, we shouldn't have takenany time.
Um, and even when I asked thecontractor about it and he was
like, oh, he says he's notavailable.
I was like, he's going to the lahe just left early.
It was three more things this'scould have gotten done, but
whatever.
Um, so, okay, here's a questionfor you.
The three of us I know haveheightened.
(17:12):
Our little spidey senses when itcomes to, like, when we first
meet a customer, trying tofigure out the rapport, um, how
we're gonna get along.
Do we need to work with thisclient?
I assume that you have the samekind of situation'cause you,
you've gotta figure out, you,you all, that you can work
together, right?
There's nothing worse than yougetting into it.
So what do you, what do you lookfor as far as like, not, I don't
(17:34):
wanna say red flags, but what doyou look for that, you know,
that's gonna be a great mix ofsomeone to work with.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (17:42):
Uh,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (17:43):
Well, thank you.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (17:43):
I've, I've learned a lot.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (18:00):
Yeah.
Almost go bankrupt, huh?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (18:18):
Is it Noelle, Dick?
No.
No.
Okay.
No.
She was talking about, Hey,Noel.
Yeah.
That's a red play.
Yeah.
(19:21):
It was like gutter mouth.
Wow.
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (20:07):
A little bit of cyber stalking.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (20:09):
Yes, I'm a lot more aware.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (20:12):
You know the,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (20:14):
It's sad that you have to do that,
but it's smart.
I, I, I don't know if Imentioned this, but I've, uh,
worked with this, uh, Amish, uh,cabinet maker I was, uh, saying
something about, you know,paying money and stuff like
that.
And he said, well, you don'thave to give as much.
And I said, no, no, it's fine.
It's fine.
Uh, I've, I've rather pay youmore upfront than not.
'cause I said, you're Amish.
(20:35):
I can trust you.
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (20:37):
oh my God.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (20:38):
What?
he didn't, no, he likes me.
He
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (20:41):
This is like the start of like one of
those lifetime murder movies.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (20:47):
he, he's not, and he's a, he's very
kind and, but this is, this iswhere I loved him in, in how
Connie was.
He said, yes.
He said, I'll never, never doanything.
He said, but, and I truly said,he said, not am all Amish are
the same.
They did and I thought, oh,okay.
(21:07):
I better not try.
I'm like, you, uh, Jeremy, Ikind of just take everybody for,
for face value.
Don't think much about it.
Uh, so, so I think if you'rehonest, you're all nice.
Apparently not.
So there you go.
So
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (21:18):
See,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17 (21:19):
Facebook stalking.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (21:20):
see, I must be much more scorned by
the world because I already knowthat people are assholes.
I mean, there's a lot of goodpeople, but there's a lot of
assholes out there.
But you know, my favorite thingthat I just learned from his
little statement was my, that Ithink my new nickname that my
mom was gonna give me.
Gutter mouth.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (21:34):
Got her mouth.
Yes.
That's what you learned fromthis conversation, your
nickname.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (21:39):
You know, we all learn different
things at different times.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (21:41):
car and she wants one of those
license plates, personalizedlicense plates on the front,
not, you know, like.
From the government, from the,and so she's like, what should I
put on it?
And I'm like, I, I don't knowyour initials, whatever you
want.
And I just had very flippant,sassy mama.
She said, what I want.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (22:00):
Oh Lord.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (22:00):
car to say sassy mama.
I just let it lay there for twodays.
And she called
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (22:05):
I know her Subaru
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (22:07):
And she's not
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (22:08):
never.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (22:10):
so she just told me last night
again, she said, I want that.
Where do I get that?
And I said, well, if that's whatyou really want, then I'm gonna
have it made for your Mother'sDay gift.
So if you got something betterthan Sassy mama for my mom, uh,
for her license plate, let meknow.
By the way, people Yeah.
What, uh, Jeremy, what wouldStewart's car say if he had a, a
(22:31):
personalized license plate?
Sassy mama.
Well,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (22:37):
He means a fic.
He means a fictitious one.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (22:39):
well, so his, his, his license plate
from the, the state says, uh,deser on it, so it's supposed to
mean designer.
So he's had this license platefor about 29 years.
Right.
And when he first drove up, hesaid, look at my, my license
plate.
What is, and I was like, well,what's a deener?
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (22:56):
Say, look at my license plate,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (23:00):
When you have a personalized license
plate, you not, might not, itmight not be said, but it's
implied to say, look at mylicense
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (23:08):
Yeah, I will agree.
I agree with that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (23:10):
fine.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (23:10):
That's implied.
Right.
But I was like, what the hell'sdeser?
He said, it's designer.
I'm like, yeah, that didn'ttranslate that, just done it.
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (23:21):
Well, he's,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (23:22):
if I, yes.
Oh,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (23:27):
Uh,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (23:31):
I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (23:31):
oh
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (23:32):
I love it.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (23:33):
my God, that's hysterical.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (23:34):
Okay.
Back on track.
Back
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (23:36):
Uh,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (23:36):
Um, what else, Jeremy, you want the
world to know?
What's another thing that you,uh, uh, is important to tell the
peoples?
You know.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (23:52):
what I hear, let me ask you this, I
think.
Uh, for me on this, when you'retalking about this, Jeremy,
'cause I think you're veryaccurate with this, but
homeowners do not understand atimeline for the most part if
they don't deal in constructionor remodel or whatever.
So I think it's really importantfor you to have a discussion
with the contractor about thetimeline and why it is the way
it is.
Don't you all think?
(24:13):
Because
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (24:14):
that's
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (24:15):
mean,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (24:15):
because at the very end of it, you've
spent more money than you wantedto.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:19):
mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (24:20):
in your face longer than you've
wanted to, that, uh, there'sthings that you've made
decisions on or the contractor'sdone that you second guess
yourself and wish you hadn'tdone
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:30):
Mm-hmm.
Always.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:31):
of, and you can't see the joy.
A
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:32):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:33):
see the joy of how 97% is good.
Don't fixate on the 3%.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:38):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:38):
You know, there's always something
that's gonna happen.
You don't look.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (24:40):
kitchen
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (24:41):
Is not gonna be,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (24:42):
new on.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (24:43):
that's right.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:46):
And at the, at the very end, it's
just dragging on they think.
Right?
And it's like, get, just getout.
And it's like you almost, you,you, the shiny new thing at the
very beginning as a contractor,but at the end of it, it's like,
God, I hate those people.
Just, I don't know why they'rehere at eight o'clock in the
morning.
It's like, well, they're here ateight o'clock in the morning so
they can get it done so you can,you know, have your kitchen in
(25:07):
time.
Uh, I had, I had a client, um,complain the fact that, uh.
So she had to have aporta-potty.
Well, do you want the, the, theworkers to
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (25:20):
all the people shitting in your
powder
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (25:21):
rot?
She said, well, I just don'tthink that's very, uh, uh.
Attractive.
I said, well, it is a portapotty.
I said, but you know, we arehumans and they do need these
restrooms.
And I said, other than havingthem come in your house, which
is fine with me because I thinkthat's even nicer.
No, I guess you gotta do that.
I'm like, well, don't you see,don't you see these people as
(25:43):
human?
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (25:44):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (25:44):
got frustrated with that when I got
really frustrated on thatconversation once and I was
like, Hmm.
turned out fine.
The long story is I, but I waslike, you know, you gotta go in
the bathroom.
I don't know to tell you, thething that I always feel like I
feel badly, uh, for contractorsand myself sometimes is it's a
realistic budget.
I don't think people understandhow expensive anything is
(26:07):
anymore, right?
I mean, like, you hear it, butwhen you really start putting
the numbers together and it'slike, Lord, that contractor's
taking me for a ride, and it waslike, no, no, I'm really not.
That's just how bad it is.
Jeremy, how much was a twobefore, let's say four years ago
or like post Covid?
And how much is a two beforenow?
Do you know that number?
(26:28):
Is it double, triple?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (26:32):
oh my God.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (26:32):
Wow.
That, that's what's scary ispeople, you know, I, I did a, a,
a bid or a quote for a a, abathroom, pre covid, and I say
that was, 35,$40,000.
you probably now$80,000.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (26:54):
oh Lord.
I'm never gonna remodel anythingin my home again.
jeremy-host556_1_04- (26:58):
Seriously, because the labor's gone up.
The materials is going up, thetile process is going up, the
stone is going up, you know, afaucet that was, uh, say$200 is
now$300.
And I don't know now what'shappening, you know, with
tariffs.
And I don't, I don't, haven't, Ihaven't gotten to deal with that
yet.
Yeah.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (27:16):
too to kind of segue into, I know,
um, I said earlier in theintroduction that Jeremy has a,
a team that is knowledgeable inall aspects, but.
Let's say this is a, a fullremodel or an addition, who do
you use to
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (27:36):
Help you.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (27:36):
what do you subcontract out even
though you're a sub, even thoughyou're the contractor?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (28:14):
You know, and that sometimes that's
what blows your, uh, schedule.
Like you'll have a scheduleworked out, like, and, but you
can't, like electricians arevery difficult to get.
Uh, I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (28:23):
They want to go to the lake.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (28:25):
they wanna go to a lake.
There you go.
But you like.
we need to get this projectdone, but I gotta wait on the
electrician and he can't be herefor two and a half weeks and
there's not a thing you can do.
Right?
You can sit there and scream.
You can holler, why is this notgetting done?
Why are they not coming?
It's like, well, this issomebody else I'm hiring'cause I
don't have this specialty and Ijust gotta wait for'em.
And I've gotten, uh, clientsthat get frustrated.
(28:45):
I'm like, with the contractor.
I'm like, well, but he doesn'thave control over this.
Ultimately, it's like you eitherhave to wait for the person that
he recommends.
Or it doesn't get happen.
I don't know what to tell you,so I've been in the middle of
that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (28:58):
It's important too, like during the
accepted.
Already starts putting thesepeople in line because he knows
it's gonna be three weeks beforeI can get an excavator out
there.
And then it's gonna take a weekto pour the concrete, and then
after that I can schedule theframer and then I can, he's
(29:19):
always working ahead on thosethings.
And then, God forbid it rainsfor four days,'cause then
everything's
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (29:26):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (29:28):
and then he has to reschedule
everybody again.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (29:58):
That needs to.
(30:45):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (30:46):
You know, we've mentioned multiple
times that communication isprobably one of the keys.
How, how often do you expect tocommunicate with the homeowner
or the designer?
Like, how often do you, like,what, what do you expect?
(31:32):
another question I have is foryou as a contractor who is in
getting all these, you know,people in to work on these
projects, what are the major redflags that you would suggest for
someone if they were workingwith another contractor.
So not necessarily you, but whatred flags would you say, Ooh,
this is not good.
Like, these are things youshould be like, we need to
(31:54):
communicate about this becauseof this issue.
Does, does that make, becausethat's, he has a wealth of
knowledge of how he likes forthings to go right, or how he
would prefer, prefer for thingsto go.
But I wanna know, like whenthings go off the wall or when
something's not right, like whatare those red flags for you that
like, okay, there could be aproblem here.
(33:16):
Hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (33:26):
Google
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (33:32):
Hmm.
I didn't know that about callingthe city to see if they were
licensed with.
Did y'all know that?
I mean, I'm sure Stewart did.
'cause he is, you know,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (33:38):
No.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (33:38):
yeah, that I didn't have a clue about
that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (34:05):
Yeah, that's you.
Learned that a
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (34:07):
A whole lot.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (34:09):
Jeremy does a lot of, a lot of decks
covered outside as well, and youneed more permits put on a deck
than you do to change powderroom out.
I mean, seriously, that thosecity inspectors will come out
and look at a deck 12 timesduring a job and they will fail
(34:30):
you if one nail is wrong.
So it's like if somebody who
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (34:34):
Okay.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (34:34):
the back of their pickup truck,
yeah, I can build that deck foryou.
Well, I'm, I'm sure you can, butcan I put my company on it when
you're done?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (34:44):
Oh Mercy.
You know, permits are always,seems like they're one of those,
uh, scary things for the, thepublic.
They always feel like the city'sout to get'em.
Um, that's not necessarilyalways the truth, right.
(35:57):
Well, if you had to sum it upwith one, the, the, the last
thing that you'd like forsomebody to know, Jeremy, what
would that be?
Lord don't make his head anybigger.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (36:11):
do you mean deser?
Hm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (36:20):
Oh, mercy.
Well, Jeremy, thank you so muchfor joining us today.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (36:23):
it easy, Jeremy?
This was easy.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (36:25):
Yeah.
See, it's just a, it is just a,a fun laid back conversation.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (36:28):
The whole permit thing is my pay
grade and didn't understandthis.
And that was, uh, I learned morethan that, but that's
fascinating.
That's the, if you can learnsomething from a conversation
every time, that's a, that's agood conversation.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (36:41):
Well, thanks for joining us.
We'll put Jeremy's contactinformation down in the, uh,
show notes below.
So if you are in our area andyou're looking for someone,
reach out to him, see what hecan take care of for you.
Don't forget new podcastepisodes released every
Wednesday.
Also, don't forget, you can joinus Wednesday nights for our live
sales in our app.
All the information is downbelow in our show notes.
(37:02):
And until next week, we, we'llsee you then.
End bye.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (37:07):
Thank you.
Let's get this fucking shit show
(00:01):
started.
Got stuff to do today.
(01:05):
slow down Gail.
Slow down.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (01:09):
I just landed and.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (01:13):
Yeah, you and Katie Perry.
God.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (01:18):
Okay, so on today's episode, we are
very lucky to be able to have avery talented contractor with
us.
Of which Stewart has a wonderfulrelationship, and I'll let him
divulge all of that.
But in today's episode, wethought we would actually
discuss with a contractor, oneof those peoples that we always
wanna yell at, um, what, whatare the things that he wish as
(01:43):
either designers or specificallyhomeowners knew going into
working with a contractor?
I am prepared for this to beincredibly enlightening and
pissing me off.
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17-2 (01:55):
I'll try not to disappoint.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (01:57):
You will not disappoint.
Okay, everyone, please welcomeJeremy Dewitt.
Stu Yes, we are very excited.
Uh, Stewart, would you like totake it away from there?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (02:06):
So Jeremy owns a company called
Dewitt Endeavors, who has beendoing.
Mostly remodels and some flipsfor about the last nine to 10
years.
It's a family owned business.
brother is his right handperson.
his cousin works there as well.
pretty much all very skilledpersonnel are on site every
(02:29):
single day, so they're all veryexperienced in what needs to
happen.
as far as building a deck ortile on a floor.
there, there's a, a wide rangeof trades in his company, and
Jeremy is the, the lead.
He solves all the problems.
He creates some of them.
(02:53):
he runs all the errands, hepicks up all this shit.
He talks to the customers, hemakes the quotes.
So, um, so we'll just say hi toJeremy first.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:04):
Hey,
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17- (03:05):
Hello guys.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:05):
Hey, How well do you know uh, Jeremy
dewitt.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (03:12):
Well, pretty well, pretty well,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (03:14):
that?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (03:15):
so well, he's actually my husband.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:19):
Say what?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (03:21):
what?
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (03:22):
So how did you meet, said husband
and, and, uh, hook up with him?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (03:26):
Well, Lord have mercy.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (03:29):
he means hookup for work.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (03:31):
right?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (03:32):
No, I didn't think it was gonna be
easy.
Uh, we have told a, we have tolda story before about how I had
met a contractor on a, uh,client's job that they called me
in for design work because theyjust needed a little bit of push
with, um, not, not onlyselections but kinda.
(03:53):
Helping the contractor to dowhat they want.
And we got in a fight, Jeremyand I got in a fight tile and I
called the homeowner.
I said, who is this jackass thatyou have hired to remodel this
bathroom telling you you cannotput marble in a shower floor?
Well, and his reasoning, youknow, porcelain, it's a lot
(04:17):
easier to clean and I understandthat, but it's real cheap.
a marble floor doesn't need tobe cheap with people who clean
their house.
Marble's fine.
So we had this whole big debateabout this, and now since then,
three and a half years later,every shower that Jeremy has
(04:37):
done has a marble floor
jeremy-guest410_1_04- (04:38):
Including his own
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (04:39):
and, and including his own.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (04:45):
Oh, mercy.
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17-202 (04:46):
is is, which is the perfect example
of Marian.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025 (04:50):
persuasive, bougie gay Stewart.
You
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (04:54):
Always win.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (04:55):
you?
You
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (04:55):
Always
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (04:56):
to
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (04:56):
win.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (04:56):
I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (04:57):
I.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (04:57):
have to win.
It's kind of a goal.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (05:02):
down.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (05:03):
Now he wins at a whole lot of other
stuff.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:06):
So, um, share the audience before we
get into, guys are workingtogether on
jeremy-guest410_1_04-1 (05:12):
Projects also.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:13):
he does things independent, if I
get this right.
But you also are now kind ofteaming together to work on
projects and, uh, because youhave a diff different skillset
than he has, but you're goingto, you're ultimately look like
this design build Couple ofLexington now.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (05:30):
Yeah, we're waiting for HGTV to pick
us up.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (05:32):
Oh God.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (05:34):
What would you name the show, Jeremy?
squadcaster-66a7_1_04-17 (05:36):
Double trouble.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (05:39):
Double trouble.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (05:40):
shit.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (05:42):
That's true.
Well, let's let Jeremy talk fora minute.
So the question it ha Jeremy,had you ever worked with a, a
designer before on otherprojects?
(06:05):
Right.
Gotcha.
So was there a learning curve towork with?
Yeah.
So would you, after you did thelearning curve, and I have to
(06:26):
assume it's, um, turned outpositive, um, would you say that
on some projects or a lot ofprojects, I like for the, uh,
homeowner to bring a designerin?
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
(06:54):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (07:04):
I always think that it's really
good for everybody to understandtheir roles.
I would imagine that that wouldbe true, especially for a
designer and a contractor.
Well, Jeremy, what is like thefirst thing that comes to mind
that you wish homeowners knewwhen they came to you?
I.
Like, what's the first thingthat every day you shake your
head and you're like, damn.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (07:43):
You know, one of the things that
happens when I work withcontractors, uh, they'll have
this, fairly extensive, List ofthings to get accomplished or
complaints or, goals.
And then they'll start spittingout stuff to me and I'm like,
even know what you're talkingabout.
It's like this Lulum goes inthis lulu, and this is this,
this, and this and this, and canyou get this across to the
(08:04):
customer?
And I'm like, I just, I, I justpicked out the faucet.
I just picked out the color.
I don't know actually how itgets applied.
To the fossil.
That's, that's my job is to pickit out.
You contractor, figure out howto make it work with your
approval that you said thiswould work.
Right.
And so, and the reason I saythat is I, I'm working on this
(08:24):
other project and this guy,wonderful contractor, I mean, I
really, really do like him alot.
He, he's very kind, so there'snothing bad, but he's like,
well, you need to tell thecustomer this, this, and this
and this.
And I said, I don't even knowwhat you're talking about.
And I said, how can I articulatethat to the client when I don't
know what you're talking about?
And he said, well.
Well, you gotta get her to knowthat.
I said, well.
(08:45):
Can't we do a group text or havea meeting?
I said, because you basically,it's like it gets misconstrued
when it's third person.
Right?
And it's like it needs to comefrom the contractor.
I can be there and be yoursupport system and guide you.
Have you ever run into that kindof thing?
And it's like, because mypushback was, well, I can't
explain it'cause I don't knowwhat I'm explaining, but it's
(09:05):
the same as, like you said,Jeremy, that it felt good that
you had this buffer.
Between the client, becauseultimately I wanna build the
cabinet, but you tell me thehardware and how, how big it
should be once we figure it out.
And the, the door style, youtell me that and I'll get it
painted, but I don't need tofigure all that out.
You just tell me.
But this idea of, how wecommunicate with all of us as a
(09:27):
group is one of the things.
And maybe how, how did youbridge that with Stewart?
And if that ever came up as anissue.
Okay.
(09:55):
Mm-hmm.
Or I don't.
I really don't.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
(10:18):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Gotcha.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (11:02):
Yeah, and I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (11:03):
I think.
I think
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (11:04):
a
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (11:04):
that's.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (11:05):
a good point to bring up that
especially, you know, Dwayne,you asked or Jeremy asked about
client's expectations.
Those expectations are generallywritten out word for word in
every one of Jeremy's estimates.
And it, you know, it includesit.
It includes a design service inthere.
(11:25):
It includes budget for lighting,budget for tile, you know, all
those things then that has to goback on me on these particular
jobs in budget.
And a lot of times I don't, I.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (11:42):
Okay, so let me ask you that you don't
stay in budget because thecontractor didn't really do his
homework and didn't give you bigenough budget, or like the
budget was fine, but then themore you get into it, oh, we're
just gonna bump it up a littlebit more.
Or is it some, somewhere inbetween?
Because a lot of times I'll findlike, I'll, I'll get a budget
for the contractor and like.
(12:04):
Most things are pretty dead onwhen it comes to the, the, the,
the, the window budget and the,the electrical budget.
But when it comes to a budgetfor how much to spend on tile or
for lighting,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (12:16):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (12:17):
always way low, way off.
And I'm like, how did you comeup with this number?
This is not even in the realm ofeven finding it at, uh, a big
box store to keep it on budget.
And so.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (12:28):
Well, and I think that's one thing too
that helps us working togetherthat, you know,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (12:33):
I'll review.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (12:34):
before it's sent out.
And sometimes I'll be like,Jeremy, I need more lighting
budget.
You know, so then we change itand go there, you know, also I,
I do find things in budget andthe homeowner's like, Hmm, no,
this is what I really want andthis is what it is.
I'm like, okay, well then you'regonna go over X amount of
(12:56):
dollars.
Like, I don't care.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (12:58):
So you're saying you do a, a
walkthrough all the preliminarygo through the numbers and get
that information before you everstart anything.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (13:07):
yeah.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (13:08):
I mean, no, that's not a common
sense thing because like I havepeople building million dollar
houses and they haven't read thecontract.
Nobody's gone over it with it,or they don't have a contract,
and then they get all thesesurprises, and so it's just that
whole thing that Jeremy saidabout communication and
expectations.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (13:27):
Jeremy, I think it's important to tell
how you actually people.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (14:05):
Hmm.
Bastards.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (14:49):
because they're, they're paying for the
last seven or 10 days of workthat they've.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (14:57):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (14:58):
Yeah.
And that is not what I've ex,that's not what I've, like I've
experienced for the most part.
It's usually a thirds, yeah.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (15:04):
Right now
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (15:06):
No.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (15:07):
might be writing 25 different checks
during a project, but you knowwhat each
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (15:13):
Hmm.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (15:13):
one of those is going for.
So,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (15:16):
Then if they, they do change, but
it's there.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (15:47):
I, I, this sounds like a dream to
me compared to like, what,especially when there's, you
know, well, there's a lot ofstress, right?
That goes into any remodel, anykind of construction.
Anytime you invite anybody intoyour home, that person, whoever
it is, there's always gonna be alevel of anxiety.
Right.
And I know like for the three,the three of us, like we always
(16:07):
try to.
Take what anxiety we can awayfrom the customer and try to be
very transparent and upfront.
Um, this is, this is interesting'cause I never knew that this is
how you work Jeremy.
Um, and this definitely, I knowfor some of my past clients that
this would, you know, definitelychange.
I.
How their anxiety was at theend.
Now, full disclosure, I've neverhad any issues as far as like
(16:28):
getting the work done.
Um, it might have lingered on,but it's just such to how it
goes sometimes.
I had an electrician once, thiswas actually at my personal
home, had an electrician thatwas here and I heard him.
I just happened to be home and Iheard him in the other room and
he was talking about, yeah, I'mgonna take off at one o'clock
today and I'm gonna go on downto the lake and go fishing.
I think I'm going, I'm gonna goon down there and finish this
(16:50):
up.
I don't know, maybe next week.
He only had like three morethings to do.
I mean, we shouldn't have takenany time.
Um, and even when I asked thecontractor about it and he was
like, oh, he says he's notavailable.
I was like, he's going to the lahe just left early.
It was three more things this'scould have gotten done, but
whatever.
Um, so, okay, here's a questionfor you.
The three of us I know haveheightened.
(17:12):
Our little spidey senses when itcomes to, like, when we first
meet a customer, trying tofigure out the rapport, um, how
we're gonna get along.
Do we need to work with thisclient?
I assume that you have the samekind of situation'cause you,
you've gotta figure out, you,you all, that you can work
together, right?
There's nothing worse than yougetting into it.
So what do you, what do you lookfor as far as like, not, I don't
(17:34):
wanna say red flags, but what doyou look for that, you know,
that's gonna be a great mix ofsomeone to work with.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (17:42):
Uh,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (17:43):
Well, thank you.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (17:43):
I've, I've learned a lot.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (18:00):
Yeah.
Almost go bankrupt, huh?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (18:18):
Is it Noelle, Dick?
No.
No.
Okay.
No.
She was talking about, Hey,Noel.
Yeah.
That's a red play.
Yeah.
(19:21):
It was like gutter mouth.
Wow.
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (20:07):
A little bit of cyber stalking.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (20:09):
Yes, I'm a lot more aware.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (20:12):
You know the,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (20:14):
It's sad that you have to do that,
but it's smart.
I, I, I don't know if Imentioned this, but I've, uh,
worked with this, uh, Amish, uh,cabinet maker I was, uh, saying
something about, you know,paying money and stuff like
that.
And he said, well, you don'thave to give as much.
And I said, no, no, it's fine.
It's fine.
Uh, I've, I've rather pay youmore upfront than not.
'cause I said, you're Amish.
(20:35):
I can trust you.
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (20:37):
oh my God.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (20:38):
What?
he didn't, no, he likes me.
He
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (20:41):
This is like the start of like one of
those lifetime murder movies.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (20:47):
he, he's not, and he's a, he's very
kind and, but this is, this iswhere I loved him in, in how
Connie was.
He said, yes.
He said, I'll never, never doanything.
He said, but, and I truly said,he said, not am all Amish are
the same.
They did and I thought, oh,okay.
(21:07):
I better not try.
I'm like, you, uh, Jeremy, Ikind of just take everybody for,
for face value.
Don't think much about it.
Uh, so, so I think if you'rehonest, you're all nice.
Apparently not.
So there you go.
So
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (21:18):
See,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17 (21:19):
Facebook stalking.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (21:20):
see, I must be much more scorned by
the world because I already knowthat people are assholes.
I mean, there's a lot of goodpeople, but there's a lot of
assholes out there.
But you know, my favorite thingthat I just learned from his
little statement was my, that Ithink my new nickname that my
mom was gonna give me.
Gutter mouth.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (21:34):
Got her mouth.
Yes.
That's what you learned fromthis conversation, your
nickname.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (21:39):
You know, we all learn different
things at different times.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (21:41):
car and she wants one of those
license plates, personalizedlicense plates on the front,
not, you know, like.
From the government, from the,and so she's like, what should I
put on it?
And I'm like, I, I don't knowyour initials, whatever you
want.
And I just had very flippant,sassy mama.
She said, what I want.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (22:00):
Oh Lord.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (22:00):
car to say sassy mama.
I just let it lay there for twodays.
And she called
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (22:05):
I know her Subaru
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (22:07):
And she's not
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (22:08):
never.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (22:10):
so she just told me last night
again, she said, I want that.
Where do I get that?
And I said, well, if that's whatyou really want, then I'm gonna
have it made for your Mother'sDay gift.
So if you got something betterthan Sassy mama for my mom, uh,
for her license plate, let meknow.
By the way, people Yeah.
What, uh, Jeremy, what wouldStewart's car say if he had a, a
(22:31):
personalized license plate?
Sassy mama.
Well,
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (22:37):
He means a fic.
He means a fictitious one.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (22:39):
well, so his, his, his license plate
from the, the state says, uh,deser on it, so it's supposed to
mean designer.
So he's had this license platefor about 29 years.
Right.
And when he first drove up, hesaid, look at my, my license
plate.
What is, and I was like, well,what's a deener?
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (22:56):
Say, look at my license plate,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (23:00):
When you have a personalized license
plate, you not, might not, itmight not be said, but it's
implied to say, look at mylicense
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (23:08):
Yeah, I will agree.
I agree with that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (23:10):
fine.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (23:10):
That's implied.
Right.
But I was like, what the hell'sdeser?
He said, it's designer.
I'm like, yeah, that didn'ttranslate that, just done it.
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (23:21):
Well, he's,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (23:22):
if I, yes.
Oh,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (23:27):
Uh,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (23:31):
I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (23:31):
oh
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_0 (23:32):
I love it.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (23:33):
my God, that's hysterical.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (23:34):
Okay.
Back on track.
Back
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (23:36):
Uh,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (23:36):
Um, what else, Jeremy, you want the
world to know?
What's another thing that you,uh, uh, is important to tell the
peoples?
You know.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (23:52):
what I hear, let me ask you this, I
think.
Uh, for me on this, when you'retalking about this, Jeremy,
'cause I think you're veryaccurate with this, but
homeowners do not understand atimeline for the most part if
they don't deal in constructionor remodel or whatever.
So I think it's really importantfor you to have a discussion
with the contractor about thetimeline and why it is the way
it is.
Don't you all think?
(24:13):
Because
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (24:14):
that's
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (24:15):
mean,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (24:15):
because at the very end of it, you've
spent more money than you wantedto.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:19):
mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (24:20):
in your face longer than you've
wanted to, that, uh, there'sthings that you've made
decisions on or the contractor'sdone that you second guess
yourself and wish you hadn'tdone
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:30):
Mm-hmm.
Always.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:31):
of, and you can't see the joy.
A
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:32):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:33):
see the joy of how 97% is good.
Don't fixate on the 3%.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (24:38):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:38):
You know, there's always something
that's gonna happen.
You don't look.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090 (24:40):
kitchen
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (24:41):
Is not gonna be,
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (24:42):
new on.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17- (24:43):
that's right.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (24:46):
And at the, at the very end, it's
just dragging on they think.
Right?
And it's like, get, just getout.
And it's like you almost, you,you, the shiny new thing at the
very beginning as a contractor,but at the end of it, it's like,
God, I hate those people.
Just, I don't know why they'rehere at eight o'clock in the
morning.
It's like, well, they're here ateight o'clock in the morning so
they can get it done so you can,you know, have your kitchen in
(25:07):
time.
Uh, I had, I had a client, um,complain the fact that, uh.
So she had to have aporta-potty.
Well, do you want the, the, theworkers to
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (25:20):
all the people shitting in your
powder
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (25:21):
rot?
She said, well, I just don'tthink that's very, uh, uh.
Attractive.
I said, well, it is a portapotty.
I said, but you know, we arehumans and they do need these
restrooms.
And I said, other than havingthem come in your house, which
is fine with me because I thinkthat's even nicer.
No, I guess you gotta do that.
I'm like, well, don't you see,don't you see these people as
(25:43):
human?
Right.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17 (25:44):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (25:44):
got frustrated with that when I got
really frustrated on thatconversation once and I was
like, Hmm.
turned out fine.
The long story is I, but I waslike, you know, you gotta go in
the bathroom.
I don't know to tell you, thething that I always feel like I
feel badly, uh, for contractorsand myself sometimes is it's a
realistic budget.
I don't think people understandhow expensive anything is
(26:07):
anymore, right?
I mean, like, you hear it, butwhen you really start putting
the numbers together and it'slike, Lord, that contractor's
taking me for a ride, and it waslike, no, no, I'm really not.
That's just how bad it is.
Jeremy, how much was a twobefore, let's say four years ago
or like post Covid?
And how much is a two beforenow?
Do you know that number?
(26:28):
Is it double, triple?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (26:32):
oh my God.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (26:32):
Wow.
That, that's what's scary ispeople, you know, I, I did a, a,
a bid or a quote for a a, abathroom, pre covid, and I say
that was, 35,$40,000.
you probably now$80,000.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (26:54):
oh Lord.
I'm never gonna remodel anythingin my home again.
jeremy-host556_1_04- (26:58):
Seriously, because the labor's gone up.
The materials is going up, thetile process is going up, the
stone is going up, you know, afaucet that was, uh, say$200 is
now$300.
And I don't know now what'shappening, you know, with
tariffs.
And I don't, I don't, haven't, Ihaven't gotten to deal with that
yet.
Yeah.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (27:16):
too to kind of segue into, I know,
um, I said earlier in theintroduction that Jeremy has a,
a team that is knowledgeable inall aspects, but.
Let's say this is a, a fullremodel or an addition, who do
you use to
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (27:36):
Help you.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (27:36):
what do you subcontract out even
though you're a sub, even thoughyou're the contractor?
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (28:14):
You know, and that sometimes that's
what blows your, uh, schedule.
Like you'll have a scheduleworked out, like, and, but you
can't, like electricians arevery difficult to get.
Uh, I
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (28:23):
They want to go to the lake.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (28:25):
they wanna go to a lake.
There you go.
But you like.
we need to get this projectdone, but I gotta wait on the
electrician and he can't be herefor two and a half weeks and
there's not a thing you can do.
Right?
You can sit there and scream.
You can holler, why is this notgetting done?
Why are they not coming?
It's like, well, this issomebody else I'm hiring'cause I
don't have this specialty and Ijust gotta wait for'em.
And I've gotten, uh, clientsthat get frustrated.
(28:45):
I'm like, with the contractor.
I'm like, well, but he doesn'thave control over this.
Ultimately, it's like you eitherhave to wait for the person that
he recommends.
Or it doesn't get happen.
I don't know what to tell you,so I've been in the middle of
that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (28:58):
It's important too, like during the
accepted.
Already starts putting thesepeople in line because he knows
it's gonna be three weeks beforeI can get an excavator out
there.
And then it's gonna take a weekto pour the concrete, and then
after that I can schedule theframer and then I can, he's
(29:19):
always working ahead on thosethings.
And then, God forbid it rainsfor four days,'cause then
everything's
jeremy-host556_1_04-17- (29:26):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (29:28):
and then he has to reschedule
everybody again.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-202 (29:58):
That needs to.
(30:45):
Mm-hmm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (30:46):
You know, we've mentioned multiple
times that communication isprobably one of the keys.
How, how often do you expect tocommunicate with the homeowner
or the designer?
Like, how often do you, like,what, what do you expect?
(31:32):
another question I have is foryou as a contractor who is in
getting all these, you know,people in to work on these
projects, what are the major redflags that you would suggest for
someone if they were workingwith another contractor.
So not necessarily you, but whatred flags would you say, Ooh,
this is not good.
Like, these are things youshould be like, we need to
(31:54):
communicate about this becauseof this issue.
Does, does that make, becausethat's, he has a wealth of
knowledge of how he likes forthings to go right, or how he
would prefer, prefer for thingsto go.
But I wanna know, like whenthings go off the wall or when
something's not right, like whatare those red flags for you that
like, okay, there could be aproblem here.
(33:16):
Hmm.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2 (33:26):
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-20 (33:32):
Hmm.
I didn't know that about callingthe city to see if they were
licensed with.
Did y'all know that?
I mean, I'm sure Stewart did.
'cause he is, you know,
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (33:38):
No.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (33:38):
yeah, that I didn't have a clue about
that.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (34:05):
Yeah, that's you.
Learned that a
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025_ (34:07):
A whole lot.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_0906 (34:09):
Jeremy does a lot of, a lot of decks
covered outside as well, and youneed more permits put on a deck
than you do to change powderroom out.
I mean, seriously, that thosecity inspectors will come out
and look at a deck 12 timesduring a job and they will fail
(34:30):
you if one nail is wrong.
So it's like if somebody who
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-20 (34:34):
Okay.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_090603 (34:34):
the back of their pickup truck,
yeah, I can build that deck foryou.
Well, I'm, I'm sure you can, butcan I put my company on it when
you're done?
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2025 (34:44):
Oh Mercy.
You know, permits are always,seems like they're one of those,
uh, scary things for the, thepublic.
They always feel like the city'sout to get'em.
Um, that's not necessarilyalways the truth, right.
(35:57):
Well, if you had to sum it upwith one, the, the, the last
thing that you'd like forsomebody to know, Jeremy, what
would that be?
Lord don't make his head anybigger.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (36:11):
do you mean deser?
Hm.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-202 (36:20):
Oh, mercy.
Well, Jeremy, thank you so muchfor joining us today.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025_ (36:23):
it easy, Jeremy?
This was easy.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (36:25):
Yeah.
See, it's just a, it is just a,a fun laid back conversation.
jeremy-host556_1_04-17-2025 (36:28):
The whole permit thing is my pay
grade and didn't understandthis.
And that was, uh, I learned morethan that, but that's
fascinating.
That's the, if you can learnsomething from a conversation
every time, that's a, that's agood conversation.
jeremy-guest410_1_04-17-2 (36:41):
Well, thanks for joining us.
We'll put Jeremy's contactinformation down in the, uh,
show notes below.
So if you are in our area andyou're looking for someone,
reach out to him, see what hecan take care of for you.
Don't forget new podcastepisodes released every
Wednesday.
Also, don't forget, you can joinus Wednesday nights for our live
sales in our app.
All the information is downbelow in our show notes.
(37:02):
And until next week, we, we'llsee you then.
End bye.
dwayne_1_04-17-2025_09060 (37:07):
Thank you.
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