I'm a general contractor in Arizona, and tariffs have already caused me to lose business. There are too many unknowns.

Eduardo Barboza, right, instructs his employees on a project.

Courtesy of Eduardo Barboza

• General contractor Eduardo Barboza says pricing uncertainty caused by the tariffs have disrupted his business.
• Investors are choosing to pull out of renovation projects as costs have gone up.
• Barboza is paying his employees to work on his own to keep them busy through the downturn.

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with general contractor Eduardo Barboza, 41, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona.