The week I had to redo a $4,000 kitchen island because of a client's 'vision'

They approved the drawings, then showed up on install day and said they'd changed their mind about the waterfall edge after seeing one on TV. I ate the cost of the granite and three days of labor to rebuild the cabinet box. Anyone ever had a client try to pull this after the fact?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy2718d ago

Always get change orders in writing with a new signature before proceeding.

finleyw5818d ago

That's a great way to kill a job's momentum. Sometimes a client is right there, you talk it out, and they just want it done now. Stopping to print and sign a paper feels like you don't trust them. It can make things awkward. For small changes, a handshake and a text confirmation later has always worked fine.

bennett.finley18d ago

The problem is that a text later isn't a contract. A client's memory of a handshake deal gets fuzzy the second an extra charge shows up on their bill. What feels like awkwardness in the moment saves a massive fight later when they claim they never approved the extra cost. It's not about trust, it's about making sure you both remember the deal the same way tomorrow.