Fed-up tradie sums up the frustration we are all feeling about the construction industry in epic rant: 'No one has integrity'

Daily Mail​

09-07-2025

A furious tradie has lashed out at the dire state of the construction industry, claiming it is 'nearly impossible' to run an 'honest building company' in Australia.
Richard Dargham claimed the cost-of-living crisis had ravaged the sector and pushed up prices of 'poor-quality materials', leading to zero profit margins.
He accused the government of sitting on its hands, claiming the only businesses that were able to survive were the ones that 'cut corners'.
Mr Dargham erupted into his foul-mouthed rant after he had been called out to a property on Saturday to fix a mistake made by his 'idiot boys' three years ago.
'No one wants to come out and fix anything because no one in this industry has integrity, right?' he said.
'You guys want to know why builders are not fixing anything? Because we're running on zero profit margins.
'None of the trades want to take responsibility for anything.
'Everything is hyperinflated and stupidly expensive and this is the situation that we're in in this country.'
Mr Dargham claimed supplies had become expensive because the government had not been cracking down on price gouging within the industry.
'How about if the government gets off its a**, stops protecting its rich mates and actually fix this for us?' he said.
'People don't have the money to pay your friends. They're making maximum profits - Bunnings Group, Coles Group, Woolies, all of these people, right - they're making the maximum amount of money while everyone in this country is suffering.
'Our leaders don't give a s*** about you or me.'
Mr Dargham said he was trying to 'run an honest building company, but it's nearly impossible'.
'I work 16 hours a day, six to seven days a week, and I have no money in the bank account,' he said.
'The only people that make money are the shifty b******s cutting corners.'
Mr Dargham complained about how prices had become ridiculously high for poor quality materials.
'Everything we're buying is rubbish material and they're going up in price,' he said.
Mr Dargham said it wasn't only builders being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
'And then in your freaking Coles and Woolies, the prices are going up and the packet sizes are going down,' he said.
'Come on, man, what is this? You need to earn $3,000 to $4,000 a week these days just to survive.'
On top of the increased overheads, the tradie added it was difficult for teenagers looking to enter the trades due to a lack of apprenticeship positions.
'Now my son wants to do a plumbing apprenticeship,' Mr Dargham said.
'Oh there may not be enough positions, we don't have enough teachers. What's the government doing about fixing that?
'Nothing. They're underpaying the teachers. None of the teachers want to do teaching.
'Everyone's underpaid. Nobody wants to do their job.'
All the ongoing problems with the building industry left the tradie with a dire conclusion: 'In this country, the only way to make money is to cheat, steal and lie.'
Social media users echoed the frustration of the tradie, revealing they were fed up with the cost-of-living crisis.
'This country is legit a scam,' one wrote.
'I've worked the hardest I ever have, making the most money I have ever made in my life, and I am the absolute brokest I've ever been. When is it gonna end?' another said.
'I feel your raw pain - this place has become too expensive. It's insane,' another wrote.