My client in Dayton said my deck quote was 'just for boards and nails'

Honestly, this was about 8 months ago. I gave him a full price for a 12x16 foot pressure-treated deck, including labor, permits, and concrete footings. He looked at the $4,200 total and said, 'This is just for the wood and fasteners, right? I'll do the hard part.' Tbh, it showed me how many people don't get what goes into a pro job, even when you break it down. Has anyone else had a client completely miss the point of a detailed estimate?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah8291mo agoTop Commenter

So did you just walk away from that job, or try to explain the labor cost again? I always wonder if it's even worth the breath once they've decided you're just selling them a pile of lumber.

fiona_young1mo ago

Yeah, I walked. But it got me thinking, what's the actual breaking point for you? Is it when they start haggling over the labor line item, or is it that look they get when they're just waiting for you to finish talking so they can say no?

angela4161mo ago

Some clients just see the materials cost and ignore the skill it takes to build it right.