Project Costs Are Going Up

In this strange world we currently live in, many homeowners have been frustrated by their local trash, lawn waste and recycle service. For some the pickup is irregular and inconsistent. For others it has simply stopped.

The root issue here is drivers. With so many businesses hiring, it seems that there are many job options that do not involve driving a trash truck at whatever the prevailing wages are in that industry. Trucking, as an industry, is struggling for drivers. This is not an issue unique to Jacksonville, or even Florida.

As a local home improvement and remodeling company, we were filling a dumpster behind our office with project debris. Each week it was emptied, until one week it was not. We cancelled the service, and it then took them 2+ months to come retrieve their dumpster. They did not have enough drivers.

We purchased a dump trailer, as has the business next door and several others we work with. Weekly, we tow it to a county waste transfer center and empty it. Costs (the trailer, and weekly dump fees) and time (invested towing and dumping) have done up, and so have disposal fees charged to customers. This dynamic is playing out across the industry. Where homeowners might have previously just asked for debris to be placed at the curb for their trash service to pick up, there is now a risk that pile at the curb will just sit there.

The pay scale for truckers in general will eventually increase, jobs will be filled, and trash pickup will return to a regular schedule. The cost increases related to trash and disposal are unlikely to recede. With every business in almost every trade industry struggling to find the staff they need; wages are going up.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA.GOV), fuel prices are also on the rise. Gas prices hit a low of $1.94 per gallon in April of 2020 and have been on the rise ever since. The October 2021 average was up to $3.38 per gallon. We are now within $.75 of the US gasoline all time high price of $4.11 in June of 2008.

With wages, material (when you can get them), disposal and fuel costs increasing, consumers are paying more to get projects done around their home. This is something to be aware of for your ‘today’ projects, and that costs will likely continue to rise for your ‘tomorrow’ projects. While it certainly does not make sense to take on a project at your home before it is needed, if you have been procrastinating on a project whose time has come, keep in mind that prices are on the rise.

If you are ready to stop procrastinating, but need help with your project, know that Mr. Handyman is ready to help. If you have a home maintenance and repair, home improvements or home remodeling project that you don’t have the time, ability, or desire to take on, call Mr. Handyman – the company your friends and neighbors’ trust.