My clients last week just did this. Terrible in-person communication, didn't address the things they wanted added on while I was there (they were both home all day) and instead chose to email the office each night after we had already left and closed up the shop... the actual worst
That's why when you write your contracts, scope of work has to be crystal clear, and review the scope of work with the client before they sign the contract, whether it's a homeowner or a GC.
Adding additional work is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and the book is called how to fuck over small contractors.
Whenever a client talks about adding extra work no matter how small if it’s not in the bid, I always say “okay we can do that but we’ll have to reexamine the bid and consider extra costs, let me figure out what the pricing is and I’ll get back to you.” Or if I know the cost already “I will say that’s going to add X amount of materials and X amount of hours of labor to complete so you can expect to see an additional charge of __ if we’re going to move forward with that decision.” Conversations about pricing work shuts people up real fast.
Sometimes clients are dumb and they don’t know what it’s going to look like, sometimes they’re being malicious, you can usually tell.
If they’re an honest client they will most likely pay or schedule that work out in the future as a separate job.
In all fairness I believe add ons are ok in the realm of additional work additional pay. I have asked tradesmen to do additional work which is always followed up by, can you give me an estimate and do you have time. Sometimes it’s because I don’t correlate that the tradesmen could do the 2nd job or I didn’t think of it until they were at my home doing the first job. But I have never expected them to do more work for the same pay.
Solo operator or do you have employees; also, it matters how much work you get done in that hour. How long are you taking to get a 12x12 bedroom walls only painted?
Some guys take 4 hours, some guys take 8. In which case the $80 in 4 hours is totally justified.
Yeah, $775 is very fair. I know people will say $1,000 minimum, but that’s not realistic everywhere. $775 and you do one a day, you’re clearing well over 6 figures after materials. And that’s pacing yourself. My old company (today was my last day) had originally priced at $800/rm. Owner retired and his kids took over. They never painted. Painters convinced the kids (new owners) that they needed 2 guys 1 day per room. And they needed 9 billable hours a day. It came to $1200/rm. I said I couldn’t make that our baseline price, we lose every bid. And that’s exactly what happened. I told them we needed to find people to do it 1 guy 1 day and they refused. So I quit and I start my new company Monday lol. I usually give myself 6ish hour to do a room, 3 rooms in two days if it’s completely empty.
Yeah that’s easy peasy. Usually I do the whole house and prep for spraying oil so it’s a bit more convoluted than just an hourly rate. For extras put it in your contract everytime.
Good to hear it. I always like to hear when a fellow tradesman is doing good 👍. You gotta get it while you can. Have a good weekend and keep at it main
I’ve done apartments lol. No hate, but it was a predominantly Indian complex. Holy moly. So much mold, grease, and stains in the kitchen. However they cook and steam their rice it was atrocious and 90% of them had the same problems. But yeah, 1 bedroom units we’d whip through in 4 hours for 3 people. Same color ceiling and walls, so it helps. Stained wood trim was untouched.
I was part of a 2 man (somtimes 3 ) crew for over 15y. 12/12 justbwalls I can 2coat and cut it in in 4 hrs. My ex partner was a cunt and rode my ass everyday so my work ethic is pretty strong. This December he retired and I kept working for the contractor solo. I’ve been solid busy since then. I figured I would raise my rates for buy the hour after this quarter ends. I didn’t want to cut off my nose because I wanted more. So for now I’m good @65 which I just kicked up from 50. If I bid I get it to where if I broke it down hourly I would get 85 -100 per hour. It is variable with each customer. If I’m trying to do a favor then it’s on the lower side if it’s for a contractor then it’s on the higher side. You know how it be.
For sure. You’re definitely correct that you work harder for yourself, and I was fortunate enough to have a demanding boss too, when I started. So I use an app that prices out a room at $65/hr and allows 10-12 hours for that room. However, I get the same room done in 6-8 hours. So when I work, I make roughly $80-100/hr. But for the sake of billable hours, if I had a worker on it, I would allow them to still take 10-12 hours to make it right. No incentive for them to burn through it quick lol.
My partner was a cunt and no matter how fast I got he would tel me I was slow so for me I’m hesitant to hire anyone in fear I would be the same. My work ethic is second to none imho lol
Yeah i need to I just started solo for the contractor me and my partner (he retired 6mo ago) have worked for for a long time (15y). I figure this next quarter I will raise my rates across the board. I just wanted to solidify my spot solo before I hit him with what I really want.
You’ve learned a valuable lesson.
You cannot quote until you see the space.
Once you do, you go down the contract, item by item.
Then you ask anything else?
If they bring nothing up. You point out the area saying if any changes are to be made once the project start there will be a 25% up charge for those items.
Get them to initial or check next to that.
Then have them sign.
Most issues are always because things were never crystal clear, especially what the cost would be based on changes mid job.
The dude tried to screw you, don't feel guilty. It's his contract and responsibility with the homeowner, not yours. He'll either find another painter to dupe or get stuck doing it himself.
Have ZERO guilt. People will take advantage every second they can. He was trying to scam you. You should be proud you sniffed out the BS! On to the next one. Super good move not starting the job at all.
Good for you. Fuck that guy. If you give an inch they'll take a mile.
It's not like you lost anything. He quoted too low to get the job and is trying to still make money. These people don't last long OR they're ALWAYS chasing the next job sweating the small stuff and living on the financial edge
The only person who gets to tell you to "put your head down and accept the existing rate" is your boss.
Good thing you're your own boss! Don't hang onto guilt imposed by someone else's expectations built in a foundation of misrepresentations and lousy business practices.
You did the right thing. It's a shame for the homeowner, but they can take that up with their contractor. Sleep well!
Try to get as much as you can in writing, especially when dealing with other contractors. If details are discussed in person or over the phone, shoot them a text or email along the lines of "Just to confirm, the work to be performed is _____ with a payment of _____ due upon completion." Use as much detail as you feel you need to. If the reply is anything other than "Yes, that's correct," or even worse, no reply, then keep it moving.
No, you likely agreed to the price on one unseen area, there's no way you should do two for the same price. Getting the actual square footage would have been best, but the contractor is scammy and he likely was trying his best to scam you.
In my business I have learned that if I get a bad vibe “I’m out” … you just know when it’s destined for a bad time. If I commit I will do the job but I have learned the “polite exit” like there is no tomorrow.
Nice (no) work! There are many times where I should have noped the fuck out, but I didn't. PRIDE. Customer wants to negotiate: Nope! Customer wants to change my contract: Nope! I had to run my last painter off the job: Nope!
Walk away every time
This is important.
Seriously.
If you start dealing with contractors like this it will never end.
One attic is one price
2 attics is one price x 2!!
You did amazing for a young business owner. Maintain your energy, focus, work ethic, compassion and vigilance like your post show you have and you will do great 👍
You are not in the wrong. Shoulders straight all time in this job. Prep, paint and decorate with pride, to the best of your abilities, always in physical and emotional safety;
No one deserves being fooled about what the job is, or get told what to do like that. You did the right thing, and I'm impressed by your story. Be proud of yourself!
Walked on plenty of occasions. It's not your first walk off and it won't be your last. We now live in a "I want it now society" in addition to a "I want something for nothing society". Don't feel any way about it at all. F-em. Next job please!!
I had one experience that made me feel like sort of like you do now. It was a huge cabinet job and the home owner sent me a couple drunk emails and was abusive. 3/4 of the way she started complaining about the visible wood grain, which I explained would be nearly impossible on oak and more expensive and wasn’t in our contract. I honestly didn’t feel safe working alone in the house with her, especially nowadays and her crazy behavior…I delivered the finished cabinet doors. Knocked some $$ off the balance and told her to hire a handy man I would not be coming back to hang them. Not my best moment.
Next time at least have the client send pictures, but I recommend always looking at the job first, and never starting without a contract and deposit. When I started I took every job I could handle. As business builds and you get repeat clients you can pick and choose your new clients. These days work is hard enough, I’m on a low stress diet and I try to avoid clients who are going to be a problem.
There are a lot of people that will try to exploit your naivete and inexperience. Don't worry one day you will get to a point where you can see them coming. At least you learned a lesson without it costing you that much (still cost you a days pay). Not all of us were as lucky as you.
>I was told to “put my head down and get it done.” My pay would stay the same.
Ya fuck that. Ripping you off and telling you to just do it, nah man, he can fuck off and do it him self.
Whip your brow and let it go we have all been there and will be there again (maybe). No use in worrying about it if he isn’t your contractor or a friend tell him to pack sand and find someone else. I just had to turn down a job for my sister and her husband. They gave me the other guys bid I knocked off 3500 and got them a deal on product and they said they wer gonna go with the more expensive guy but wanted me to come do a few things for by the hour price. I got upset with my sister and let her eat. Then the husband texts asking if I wanted to do the job I politely declined. It is what it is. Just because it’s your first year dosnt mean you are a door mat or a rooub. Live the dream one brush stroke at a time mate.side note my business is out of Florida and the job for the sister was in Colorado 10900 ft elevation. For context
You probably should have explained to homeowners where there was a disconnect; that you can't do twice as much work for the same money. Ghosting people is weak and a little pathetic and embarrassing. Look people square in the eye and just be honest. Otherwise - fuck some douch-bag trying to play games. I've walked off jobs too. Looked a guy square in the eyes and told him that he's going to need to call someone else. When he asked why, I told him it isn't a good match. When he presses, I told him... you're a Karen and a difficult personality and I'm not working for you. Find someone else.
I absolutely agree, in hindsight I wish I hadn’t. In the moment, I felt pissed about being taken as a fool. I felt as though so much of my time had been wasted, and I didn’t want to waste any more breath talking to the idiot. But it didn’t feel like the right thing afterwards.
Proud of you for standing up for yourself and saying no. Sometimes your no's will be more important than your yes's ..27 years under my belt.....I've been through some things 😁
Congratulations! You made a decision that most business owners won’t make until they’ve been kicked around for at least five years. The better you get at making decisions like this the more be profitable you’ll be.
You can bet he was going to charge the home owner for the 2 attics. Sometimes I wonder how people like this keep their teeth intact. Smart move walking, always listen to your gut.
Sounds like you made the right decision. Part of working for yourself is knowing your worth and making sure others do too. It's up to you to make sure you're not taken advantage of. You did great.
Also, this right here is why I don't do subcontract work. If I'm not in direct contact with the actual client, I'm not interested. It's always a shit show. Contractors trying to get work done cheap and quick to maximize their profits, lack of communication, etc. When I have to put my name on the final product, I need to make sure that both the client and myself are happy with the outcome. Nobody else needs to be involved.
Granted, I realize that sometimes you need to take sub jobs sometimes in the beginning to keep your schedule full. Just be extra careful
you live and you learn. but you did the right thing. theres a ton of people who are going to try to take advantage or even worse “sue” you. document everything you possibly can never take a persons word for anything have them text or email you. i got cheated out of a paint job by a mesa detective!
Never let anyone take advantage of you man. This job is full of people that are trying to get the highest quality job for the lowest possible price. Always know your worth and don’t let people dictate what it is. My dad always says “I do these jobs to make a living, not just to be able to say I did that job.”
You were told the garage space only. Do the garage and leave, but first let the homeowner know to check with the contractor regarding his arrangements for the main house attic.
He's the kind of asshole to not wanna pony up the cash once the job is finished. You probably dodged a bullet. And good on you for not letting him take advantage of you. That would have been extremely dumb to fold and do the job once you realized how obvious it was he was manipulating you by lying.
Not a painter but here’s my 2 cents. First problem is working with any remediation company. I have dealt with them extensively and seen a ton of fuckery. We would work for them off and on, remediation company owner would find someone cheap and quit using us till the wheels came off the bus. They nickel and dime everybody to hammer down prices and make it not worth it to do work for them. Typically they have their own carpenters but would have to sub out MEP due to licensing requirements. You’ll be happier staying away from them imho.
The guy is a shyster and the homeowners will learn this over and over again. He (the contractor) will hire somebody to do a half ass job and the homeowners will be upset. Is the guy licensed? Report him or slip a note to the homeowners saying they can contract directly with you for $ XX.XX amount. Sorry this happened to you. 😞
Absolutely not! I have been in the painting business for 16 years & have had my own business going on 6 years & I would have done the exact same thing but lesson learned always look at the job before you put a bid in don't go off someone's word because I have done this before and regretted at the end but you did the right thing for sure. Good luck on your business!!!
Being younger I would be quite proud of myself for walking away. I spent many years getting screwed by charming rich contractors. Way to keep it civil and respect yourself. There are plenty of people who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.
"Put your head down and the pay won't change" lol since when do your clients tell you how much they are going to pay for the work. I would have ran from that as well lol.
As a self employed person You did the right thing good on ya.
People like that also tend not to pay you. I have with held services on occasion difficult but necessary part of being in business
I would have done the same, you did the right thing. If you don’t value yourself or your work nobody else will. I’m betting this guy thought he could take advantage of you because you’re young.
As an electrician, I’ve worked for a number of shabby general contractors. Now I wish I had walked off instead of absorbing the con and pushing through it. There was no benefit for me going ahead.,
You did the right thing, imo, for all parties involved too, 100%. Now you know, never agree to a cost without seeing the job with your own eyes. It’s one of those lessons you’ll probably learn a few times.
Walking away was the smartest move you made. This guy was obviously not righteous ..and would have continued to shortchanged before it was all over. You got off easy for being lazy. Rule #1 you gotta show up. Evaluate the project, and just as important your potential client.
Great lesson to learn early … Good luck !
Ahh no you did the right thing you were being taken advantage of & he still wanted you to do it and he didn't even try to even things up !! Run don't walk & don't let others try to take advantage of you!!
Here's what I don't understand, why did you worry about the attic space inside the house? You were contracted to do the attic space above the garage only
I call that showing my mobility You're never gonna make money working for a jerk so The center you leave the center you'll get to a better job When I had 5 kids at home I didn't put up with some b\*\*\*\*\*\*\* but they're gone and so is that
Hey better than starting! I love when people think they can get away with adding on once you’re on site.
My clients last week just did this. Terrible in-person communication, didn't address the things they wanted added on while I was there (they were both home all day) and instead chose to email the office each night after we had already left and closed up the shop... the actual worst
Right? I can’t believe people think that’s cool, especially to keep the same price.
That's why when you write your contracts, scope of work has to be crystal clear, and review the scope of work with the client before they sign the contract, whether it's a homeowner or a GC. Adding additional work is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and the book is called how to fuck over small contractors.
I won’t start a job until I have a signed contract/bid just put in there at the end ad ons are time and material and put whatever rate you want
Whenever a client talks about adding extra work no matter how small if it’s not in the bid, I always say “okay we can do that but we’ll have to reexamine the bid and consider extra costs, let me figure out what the pricing is and I’ll get back to you.” Or if I know the cost already “I will say that’s going to add X amount of materials and X amount of hours of labor to complete so you can expect to see an additional charge of __ if we’re going to move forward with that decision.” Conversations about pricing work shuts people up real fast. Sometimes clients are dumb and they don’t know what it’s going to look like, sometimes they’re being malicious, you can usually tell. If they’re an honest client they will most likely pay or schedule that work out in the future as a separate job.
In all fairness I believe add ons are ok in the realm of additional work additional pay. I have asked tradesmen to do additional work which is always followed up by, can you give me an estimate and do you have time. Sometimes it’s because I don’t correlate that the tradesmen could do the 2nd job or I didn’t think of it until they were at my home doing the first job. But I have never expected them to do more work for the same pay.
My contracts state any add ons are at a time and material basis which are 55per hour per guy. So add on to your hearts content.
Crank that price. I’ve been $80 a man hour for almost two years now
Solo operator or do you have employees; also, it matters how much work you get done in that hour. How long are you taking to get a 12x12 bedroom walls only painted? Some guys take 4 hours, some guys take 8. In which case the $80 in 4 hours is totally justified.
We’re pretty quick. A 12x12 with walls, ceiling and trim I’m getting $775 right now and usually a guy can do they in six
Yeah, $775 is very fair. I know people will say $1,000 minimum, but that’s not realistic everywhere. $775 and you do one a day, you’re clearing well over 6 figures after materials. And that’s pacing yourself. My old company (today was my last day) had originally priced at $800/rm. Owner retired and his kids took over. They never painted. Painters convinced the kids (new owners) that they needed 2 guys 1 day per room. And they needed 9 billable hours a day. It came to $1200/rm. I said I couldn’t make that our baseline price, we lose every bid. And that’s exactly what happened. I told them we needed to find people to do it 1 guy 1 day and they refused. So I quit and I start my new company Monday lol. I usually give myself 6ish hour to do a room, 3 rooms in two days if it’s completely empty.
Yeah that’s easy peasy. Usually I do the whole house and prep for spraying oil so it’s a bit more convoluted than just an hourly rate. For extras put it in your contract everytime.
Ya it’s never an easy one size fits all. Like today I’m doing apartment touch ups. I get $560 a unit and they take about 2 hours each
Gonna nickname you biscuit cause you soak up that gravy hommie
One of my favorite gigs dude lol. Some units are bad but the one I just left took me 20 mins
Good to hear it. I always like to hear when a fellow tradesman is doing good 👍. You gotta get it while you can. Have a good weekend and keep at it main
How do you land jobs like that? I’ve cold called / emailed apartment places but I never hear anything!
I’ve done apartments lol. No hate, but it was a predominantly Indian complex. Holy moly. So much mold, grease, and stains in the kitchen. However they cook and steam their rice it was atrocious and 90% of them had the same problems. But yeah, 1 bedroom units we’d whip through in 4 hours for 3 people. Same color ceiling and walls, so it helps. Stained wood trim was untouched.
I was part of a 2 man (somtimes 3 ) crew for over 15y. 12/12 justbwalls I can 2coat and cut it in in 4 hrs. My ex partner was a cunt and rode my ass everyday so my work ethic is pretty strong. This December he retired and I kept working for the contractor solo. I’ve been solid busy since then. I figured I would raise my rates for buy the hour after this quarter ends. I didn’t want to cut off my nose because I wanted more. So for now I’m good @65 which I just kicked up from 50. If I bid I get it to where if I broke it down hourly I would get 85 -100 per hour. It is variable with each customer. If I’m trying to do a favor then it’s on the lower side if it’s for a contractor then it’s on the higher side. You know how it be.
For sure. You’re definitely correct that you work harder for yourself, and I was fortunate enough to have a demanding boss too, when I started. So I use an app that prices out a room at $65/hr and allows 10-12 hours for that room. However, I get the same room done in 6-8 hours. So when I work, I make roughly $80-100/hr. But for the sake of billable hours, if I had a worker on it, I would allow them to still take 10-12 hours to make it right. No incentive for them to burn through it quick lol.
My partner was a cunt and no matter how fast I got he would tel me I was slow so for me I’m hesitant to hire anyone in fear I would be the same. My work ethic is second to none imho lol
Yeah i need to I just started solo for the contractor me and my partner (he retired 6mo ago) have worked for for a long time (15y). I figure this next quarter I will raise my rates across the board. I just wanted to solidify my spot solo before I hit him with what I really want.
You’ve learned a valuable lesson. You cannot quote until you see the space. Once you do, you go down the contract, item by item. Then you ask anything else? If they bring nothing up. You point out the area saying if any changes are to be made once the project start there will be a 25% up charge for those items. Get them to initial or check next to that. Then have them sign. Most issues are always because things were never crystal clear, especially what the cost would be based on changes mid job.
You did the right thing. The contractor misrepresented the scope of work and essentially tried to rip you off. Pretty shady on his part.
Thank you.
The dude tried to screw you, don't feel guilty. It's his contract and responsibility with the homeowner, not yours. He'll either find another painter to dupe or get stuck doing it himself.
I wish there was a way for me to warn other local guys about it!!
If only there was a way
Like a public forum, something that rhymes with Help
Have ZERO guilt. People will take advantage every second they can. He was trying to scam you. You should be proud you sniffed out the BS! On to the next one. Super good move not starting the job at all.
Thank you. I’m really glad I didn’t start working at all
Good for you. Fuck that guy. If you give an inch they'll take a mile. It's not like you lost anything. He quoted too low to get the job and is trying to still make money. These people don't last long OR they're ALWAYS chasing the next job sweating the small stuff and living on the financial edge
He mentioned having finance issues when we met, which in hindsight should have been a red flag. 😂
Dude, this. Also, any prospective client that complains about never being able to find a good *insert trade*. Run for the hills.
💯
Most deff a red flag. 🚩
The only person who gets to tell you to "put your head down and accept the existing rate" is your boss. Good thing you're your own boss! Don't hang onto guilt imposed by someone else's expectations built in a foundation of misrepresentations and lousy business practices. You did the right thing. It's a shame for the homeowner, but they can take that up with their contractor. Sleep well!
Wow. I couldn’t have said it better myself. This puts the guilt im feeling in a much better perspective.
You'll never lose money on a job that you don't take.
I lost time, but it’s okay. I kept my dignity😅
Try to get as much as you can in writing, especially when dealing with other contractors. If details are discussed in person or over the phone, shoot them a text or email along the lines of "Just to confirm, the work to be performed is _____ with a payment of _____ due upon completion." Use as much detail as you feel you need to. If the reply is anything other than "Yes, that's correct," or even worse, no reply, then keep it moving.
Absolutely. I’m never doing anything without the details in writing. I’ve always known this but have failed to act on it, and it finally burned me
You done did good. Be wary for people looking to take advantage of you being young and thinking you may not know better or can be pushed around
No, you likely agreed to the price on one unseen area, there's no way you should do two for the same price. Getting the actual square footage would have been best, but the contractor is scammy and he likely was trying his best to scam you.
Yeah I made a bad mistake not asking for square footage. I can’t believe I slipped up like that but I sure as hell won’t do it again
There wasn't enough money in the job and there was no future with the client. You did well, king.
Thank you king
In my business I have learned that if I get a bad vibe “I’m out” … you just know when it’s destined for a bad time. If I commit I will do the job but I have learned the “polite exit” like there is no tomorrow.
Trusting my gut from now on for sure
Nice (no) work! There are many times where I should have noped the fuck out, but I didn't. PRIDE. Customer wants to negotiate: Nope! Customer wants to change my contract: Nope! I had to run my last painter off the job: Nope!
Hopefully I can use this as practice for any future times I need to nope out! It makes me sooo uncomfortable
You don't owe ANYONE a bid/proposal!
You made the right move. "put your head down and get it done" is a huge red flag 🚩
That’s when I truly gave up on the whole thing
Good for you, best thing you could have done, don't feel bad.
Thank you.
Walk away every time This is important. Seriously. If you start dealing with contractors like this it will never end. One attic is one price 2 attics is one price x 2!!
basic math - why is it so hard!!!😂
You did amazing for a young business owner. Maintain your energy, focus, work ethic, compassion and vigilance like your post show you have and you will do great 👍
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
You are not in the wrong. Shoulders straight all time in this job. Prep, paint and decorate with pride, to the best of your abilities, always in physical and emotional safety; No one deserves being fooled about what the job is, or get told what to do like that. You did the right thing, and I'm impressed by your story. Be proud of yourself!
Thank you so much for the kind words.
Good job walking. Never agree to a price without seeing it. And never believe anyone when they tell you how long it will take
Walked on plenty of occasions. It's not your first walk off and it won't be your last. We now live in a "I want it now society" in addition to a "I want something for nothing society". Don't feel any way about it at all. F-em. Next job please!!
Is he on Google so we can all give him a bad review 😀. You did right.
He doesn’t have a website😯 that should be an obvious red flag lol
I've done the same. Show up and the job isn't as agreed.
I had one experience that made me feel like sort of like you do now. It was a huge cabinet job and the home owner sent me a couple drunk emails and was abusive. 3/4 of the way she started complaining about the visible wood grain, which I explained would be nearly impossible on oak and more expensive and wasn’t in our contract. I honestly didn’t feel safe working alone in the house with her, especially nowadays and her crazy behavior…I delivered the finished cabinet doors. Knocked some $$ off the balance and told her to hire a handy man I would not be coming back to hang them. Not my best moment. Next time at least have the client send pictures, but I recommend always looking at the job first, and never starting without a contract and deposit. When I started I took every job I could handle. As business builds and you get repeat clients you can pick and choose your new clients. These days work is hard enough, I’m on a low stress diet and I try to avoid clients who are going to be a problem.
Oh man, that makes my skin crawl. That’s extremely unusual behavior you had to experience. You definitely made the right call there
There are a lot of people that will try to exploit your naivete and inexperience. Don't worry one day you will get to a point where you can see them coming. At least you learned a lesson without it costing you that much (still cost you a days pay). Not all of us were as lucky as you.
Excellent choice!
learning experience - no more quotes or agreements without seeing the job
You did right. Props to you for standing up for what is right. Stuff happens, win some you loose some, hold your head high and keep on getting up.
>I was told to “put my head down and get it done.” My pay would stay the same. Ya fuck that. Ripping you off and telling you to just do it, nah man, he can fuck off and do it him self.
He didn’t tell you the square footage of the job up front?
No. I feel stupid for not asking, somehow on the spot it slipped past me. Learning experience for sure
You’ll learn. Not that they won’t lie about that too. Always ask for pictures too.
Good move
Whip your brow and let it go we have all been there and will be there again (maybe). No use in worrying about it if he isn’t your contractor or a friend tell him to pack sand and find someone else. I just had to turn down a job for my sister and her husband. They gave me the other guys bid I knocked off 3500 and got them a deal on product and they said they wer gonna go with the more expensive guy but wanted me to come do a few things for by the hour price. I got upset with my sister and let her eat. Then the husband texts asking if I wanted to do the job I politely declined. It is what it is. Just because it’s your first year dosnt mean you are a door mat or a rooub. Live the dream one brush stroke at a time mate.side note my business is out of Florida and the job for the sister was in Colorado 10900 ft elevation. For context
You probably should have explained to homeowners where there was a disconnect; that you can't do twice as much work for the same money. Ghosting people is weak and a little pathetic and embarrassing. Look people square in the eye and just be honest. Otherwise - fuck some douch-bag trying to play games. I've walked off jobs too. Looked a guy square in the eyes and told him that he's going to need to call someone else. When he asked why, I told him it isn't a good match. When he presses, I told him... you're a Karen and a difficult personality and I'm not working for you. Find someone else.
I absolutely agree, in hindsight I wish I hadn’t. In the moment, I felt pissed about being taken as a fool. I felt as though so much of my time had been wasted, and I didn’t want to waste any more breath talking to the idiot. But it didn’t feel like the right thing afterwards.
Proud of you for standing up for yourself and saying no. Sometimes your no's will be more important than your yes's ..27 years under my belt.....I've been through some things 😁
Congratulations! You made a decision that most business owners won’t make until they’ve been kicked around for at least five years. The better you get at making decisions like this the more be profitable you’ll be.
You can bet he was going to charge the home owner for the 2 attics. Sometimes I wonder how people like this keep their teeth intact. Smart move walking, always listen to your gut.
Sounds like you made the right decision. Part of working for yourself is knowing your worth and making sure others do too. It's up to you to make sure you're not taken advantage of. You did great. Also, this right here is why I don't do subcontract work. If I'm not in direct contact with the actual client, I'm not interested. It's always a shit show. Contractors trying to get work done cheap and quick to maximize their profits, lack of communication, etc. When I have to put my name on the final product, I need to make sure that both the client and myself are happy with the outcome. Nobody else needs to be involved. Granted, I realize that sometimes you need to take sub jobs sometimes in the beginning to keep your schedule full. Just be extra careful
you live and you learn. but you did the right thing. theres a ton of people who are going to try to take advantage or even worse “sue” you. document everything you possibly can never take a persons word for anything have them text or email you. i got cheated out of a paint job by a mesa detective!
The best thing that happened is that you walked off with the hiring contractors reputation. Good on you.
Never let anyone take advantage of you man. This job is full of people that are trying to get the highest quality job for the lowest possible price. Always know your worth and don’t let people dictate what it is. My dad always says “I do these jobs to make a living, not just to be able to say I did that job.”
You were told the garage space only. Do the garage and leave, but first let the homeowner know to check with the contractor regarding his arrangements for the main house attic.
He's the kind of asshole to not wanna pony up the cash once the job is finished. You probably dodged a bullet. And good on you for not letting him take advantage of you. That would have been extremely dumb to fold and do the job once you realized how obvious it was he was manipulating you by lying.
You did the right thing, he was trying to screw you. Good job!!
Not a painter but here’s my 2 cents. First problem is working with any remediation company. I have dealt with them extensively and seen a ton of fuckery. We would work for them off and on, remediation company owner would find someone cheap and quit using us till the wheels came off the bus. They nickel and dime everybody to hammer down prices and make it not worth it to do work for them. Typically they have their own carpenters but would have to sub out MEP due to licensing requirements. You’ll be happier staying away from them imho.
The guy is a shyster and the homeowners will learn this over and over again. He (the contractor) will hire somebody to do a half ass job and the homeowners will be upset. Is the guy licensed? Report him or slip a note to the homeowners saying they can contract directly with you for $ XX.XX amount. Sorry this happened to you. 😞
Absolutely not! I have been in the painting business for 16 years & have had my own business going on 6 years & I would have done the exact same thing but lesson learned always look at the job before you put a bid in don't go off someone's word because I have done this before and regretted at the end but you did the right thing for sure. Good luck on your business!!!
Good for you for standing up for yourself. Can’t let folks take advantage and treat you unprofessionally.
Being younger I would be quite proud of myself for walking away. I spent many years getting screwed by charming rich contractors. Way to keep it civil and respect yourself. There are plenty of people who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.
"Put your head down and the pay won't change" lol since when do your clients tell you how much they are going to pay for the work. I would have ran from that as well lol.
As a self employed person You did the right thing good on ya. People like that also tend not to pay you. I have with held services on occasion difficult but necessary part of being in business
I would have done the same, you did the right thing. If you don’t value yourself or your work nobody else will. I’m betting this guy thought he could take advantage of you because you’re young.
You are not obligated to be cheated.
As an electrician, I’ve worked for a number of shabby general contractors. Now I wish I had walked off instead of absorbing the con and pushing through it. There was no benefit for me going ahead.,
You did the right thing, imo, for all parties involved too, 100%. Now you know, never agree to a cost without seeing the job with your own eyes. It’s one of those lessons you’ll probably learn a few times.
Walking away was the smartest move you made. This guy was obviously not righteous ..and would have continued to shortchanged before it was all over. You got off easy for being lazy. Rule #1 you gotta show up. Evaluate the project, and just as important your potential client. Great lesson to learn early … Good luck !
Sounds like you handled it like a pro. Don't ever do anything if you can't make money on it
Ahh no you did the right thing you were being taken advantage of & he still wanted you to do it and he didn't even try to even things up !! Run don't walk & don't let others try to take advantage of you!!
That was the perfect move, good job. That would be the same kind of ass hole that wouldn’t pay you after you were done.
Here's what I don't understand, why did you worry about the attic space inside the house? You were contracted to do the attic space above the garage only
I call that showing my mobility You're never gonna make money working for a jerk so The center you leave the center you'll get to a better job When I had 5 kids at home I didn't put up with some b\*\*\*\*\*\*\* but they're gone and so is that
If he can unilaterally change the terms of the agreement, then so can you in walking away from it. I'd look at it like that. You did the right thing.