That client who said 'it's just a simple shelf' then gave me a 3 page contract

Last Tuesday I had a guy call me about putting up a basic floating shelf in his living room. He said it would take 20 minutes tops. Then he shows up with a 3 page contract about liability if the shelf falls and wants me to use these specific French cleats from Italy that cost $80 a pair. I just walked away. Has anyone else had a client totally downplay a job then turn it into a nightmare?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charlie1d ago

Had a guy call it "hanging a mirror" then showed up with engineering specs for the wall.

ray_miller411d ago

Man I had a guy tell me he was just "putting up a shelf" and he showed up with a laser level, stud finder, and a full blueprint for the wall load distribution. Took him like 4 hours to hang one basic shelf and he kept muttering about "tolerance levels" and "drywall anchor ratings." Meanwhile I'm just standing there holding the shelf for him like a moron. Felt like I was watching a science experiment more than home improvement. Some people really overthink this stuff.