The Paper
Field notes from the licensed trades — every Friday.
What We Do
Tradesman Times is an independent publication for the people who keep the lights on, the air running, and the water flowing. We publish one new story every Friday morning — a mix of field stories, tactical advice, license renewal guidance, and honest comparisons of the products and services tradespeople actually use.
We write for licensed electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and the apprentices and journeymen working their way up. We don't write for homeowners, hobbyists, or DIY YouTube viewers. The content assumes you know what a breaker is and that you've held a multimeter.
There is no paywall. There are no display ads. We don't run sponsored posts. When we recommend products or CE providers, we do so honestly and with full disclosure (see below).
Our Writers
Mike Reyes
Master Electrician · 22 years in the trade · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Mike Reyes is the senior field writer for Tradesman Times. He spent four years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps before going through an electrical apprenticeship in 2003. He holds a Texas Master Electrician license and has worked job sites across Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma — residential, commercial, and a stretch of oil-field industrial work he doesn't like to talk about. He has a low tolerance for fools, no patience for theoretical advice, and a habit of saying 'that's not to code, that's to luck.'
Mike writes the field stories, code commentary, and tactical posts.
Cal Harper
Multi-Trade (HVAC, Electrical) · 8 years · Austin, TX
Cal Harper is the data editor for Tradesman Times. He spent his twenties working as a logistics analyst before walking out at 30 to apprentice in HVAC. He earned his EPA 608 Universal certification, then went back for an electrical license. Cal handles the comparison posts, the survey work, and anything that requires a spreadsheet. He believes the trades are underserved by serious data journalism and wants to fix that.
Cal handles the comparison posts, original surveys, and any post that involves a spreadsheet.
Editorial Disclosures
Mike Reyes and Cal Harper are composite editorial personas.
They are not single real individuals. The biographies above describe the kind of person whose voice we are using — and the experiences we share through them are drawn from real licensed professionals who contribute to or consult on our content. We chose composite personas for three reasons:
- It allows us to share real field anecdotes without identifying the specific tradesperson, their employer, or the customer involved.
- It gives us editorial consistency — a single voice readers can come to trust, rather than a shifting carousel of bylines.
- It protects the contributors who share their war stories from professional repercussions.
Every piece of technical guidance — code interpretation, license requirements, equipment specifications — is reviewed for accuracy by a licensed professional before publication. We will correct errors promptly and publicly. If you spot one, write us.
Affiliated Recommendations
Tradesman Times has an editorial relationship with AATCE, a Texas-based continuing education provider. When we write about CE providers, AATCE is one of several we evaluate — and we list it alongside its honest competitors. We disclose this relationship anywhere AATCE appears in our comparisons. We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or editorial direction from any other provider, vendor, or tool company.
How We Make Money
Currently, we don't — Tradesman Times runs at a loss. Long-term, we may add a paid newsletter tier for in-depth state-by-state license renewal guides and original data reports. We will never run display ads.
Reader Contact
Story tips, photo submissions ("not to code, to luck" candidates welcome), and corrections all go to the same place: hello@tradesmantimes.com. Anonymity is respected and the default when we publish reader-submitted material.