I'm new to the remodeling business, having just recently started my own company. Before that I worked as an attorney and accountant, so I knew about numbers, but I didn't know how they worked in the construction business. To learn about the real world of contracting, I asked two experienced contractors I know to lunch. As it happened, they had just worked together on the same project. Steve, a successful remodeling contractor with more than 20 years experience, did the foundation and structural work. Dan, the painting contractor on the job, has also become a "jack-of-all-trades" handyman to meet the needs of his loyal client base. As our lunch progressed, the topic of conversation turned
