Name: Scott Castle
Profession: General contractor
How did you get your start working as a contractor?
I’ve been a contractor for 41 years. I started when I was 15. My family farmed, and during the winter, we did construction. I’ve been an independent contractor that whole time. When it comes to building houses, I’ve done every aspect of the job imaginable. For the past 13 years, I’ve mostly been installing windows.
What is the most appealing thing about being a 1099 contractor for you?
The “independent” part is what I like about it. I like being able to decide what to do with my money in order to benefit me and the job at hand. Having to worry about someone else’s truck, trailer, and equipment isn’t for me, and neither is having to convince someone else what a job is going to need.
To take paid time off is something I haven’t experienced, but also I don’t have to answer to anyone if I do want to take off, and for me, that’s more important.
What makes a company good to work with?
Listening and communication are big. Like I said, I’ve done just about every part of house building there is, and I know what I’m doing. I’ve found it’s a lot easier to work with a company if someone there has done the work before, too. That makes them more likely to listen to what I’m saying a job requires.
Communication is important, too. A lot of people in this industry are terrible communicators. Responding to calls and emails and showing up when they’re supposed to makes a company a lot easier to work with.
What is the biggest challenge to being an independent contractor?
It’s hard to find people to hire. I’ve been working on my own for almost 10 straight years because I can get more done without having to worry about babysitting someone else. If I could find someone excellent to work with, I’d hire them in a heartbeat. Being an independent contractor, everything comes back on you, and I learned that it’s easier to do it all myself than to have to manage and rely on other people.
What do you wish you knew before becoming an independent contractor?
How to best spend my money. A big thing when a contractor gets started is not knowing exactly which tools to invest in and which tools to rent. Now I have the hang of it, but I bought a lot of things when I was just getting started that I didn’t really need. Now, my general rule is I don’t buy anything over $100 without really doing my research on it and being sure I truly need it. If I do, it’s worth it. If I don’t, I rent it.
I had to learn how to best spend the money I had coming in, whether it’s on employees, tools, or providing insurance. In 1997, I had 35 employees. We did just under $10 million in business, and as the business owner, I took home $30k. Five years later, I had three employees, raised our prices and did less work – and I quadrupled my salary. I’ve provided jobs and fed people for many years. But it took a while to learn how to let it feed me, too.
Do you have any words of wisdom for anyone that may want to become an independent contractor?
Here’s what I’d tell my own sons: when you’re young, you think that life is ahead of you and you have all the time in the world. But time slips by quickly. Don’t jump into anything. Do your research. Proceed with caution and know the business you’re getting into.
Following trends will get you into more trouble than it’s worth. Right now, there’s a rush to build homes, and I see guys decide they’re going to be a general contractor without the necessary knowledge and experience. Don’t take a job if you won’t be proud to put your name on it.
If you get hurt, you don’t get paid. So you’d better build a savings account to cover those periods when your truck breaks down or you break an ankle and you’re set up for six weeks. You need to design your life with those events in mind.
And always remember to set aside for taxes. I’ve been diligent about taking a piece out of every paycheck for the whole 41 years I’ve been at it, so I’ve never gotten caught owing money I hadn’t set aside.
I’ve made it 41 years in this business for two reasons: the Lord blessing me and hard work.