I built my own house because almost every step was more expensive hourly labor than me writing software for an hour instead.

Even the lower rate such as concrete laborers wanted 100+ an hour.

I suspect the low pay of many of these trades is just a symptom of housing and construction being the number one money laundering industry and thus tradesman are always saying they're making nothing while simultaneously asking 100+ an hour cash and working full weeks.

Id bet the BLS income reports are off by like 50+%.

I think you mean tax dodging instead of money laundering there. Though, if they are really succesful dodging taxes, they might need to do some money laundering later, too.

It's a bit of both.

It's not too hard to get cash-only "customers" to buy services you don't have to actually perform.

It's also pretty easy to write two invoices, feign a mixup, and skim some off the top of a payment.

Where is your house? Those rates are not typical nationwide but I know a general contractor who is involved in construction on the islands near Bellingham and the rates there are like what you describe.

I agree that in my experience a lot of contractors would rather deal with cash and it isn’t exactly a secret why. I got a significant all cash discount on a new roof.

Pretty sure a DUI bars you from holding a CDL of any kind, not specifically a trucking license. I don't see a problem with that at all.

Wow, if true, that is harsh. If you made a mistake at 18 or 19 years old, then you are condemned for life to never hold a CDL (commercial driving license). That doesn't see fair.

I'm assuming that's if you get the DUI while you have a trucking license.

In WI, you lose it for a year on first offense. Second offense is life.

Source: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/dmv/shared/cdl-disq.pdf