I have to pay a contractor today for some work he finished. The original estimate was $400. Today he says it's $650. So, I went to the bank and asked for $650 in singles. lol I don't collect paper money, but I do keep any binaries, repeaters, and star notes etc.. Anyway I figured I would pay him in singles and I would get a chance to find something interesting. Which, I didn't. That'll teach him! or not... He's lucky I didn't get quarters.
In Calif any construction work over $500 has to be in writing. Did he get you to sign a change order for the other $250? Is he licensed? Lots of outs.
He is a family friend so I don't want to get out of paying. Also, I don't doubt he deserves the $650. I just wish he was better at estimating. We are on the same page, he didn't mention the additional costs during his working on it. That is why I am a little bitter.
Because he's a family friend, I would give him $500 in Ones, then $150 in Presidential Dollars dumped into a half empty jar of peanut butter then mixed.
No need to compound bad karma. You can leave it with him or take it on yourself. If a family friend does a good job, and there is no indication he is a cheat, just a poor estimator, give him the amount and a silver dime for good luck. Jim
+1. Chalk it up as a lesson learned. Be thorough up front. I've been there. Passive-aggressiveness won't solve the problem.
Haha, he just came by to grab the cash. All he said was "Are you *%&($%# kidding me?" lol. At least I didnt take the straps off the 100 stacks.
Sounds like you're on really good terms with him and that this became more of a joke than the bitterness you described earlier.
To tell you the truth, I think your friend is the jerk. He gave you an estimate, and went way over it without telling you about the cost overrun until the last day, and then he expected you to pay the higher price.
You best hope that you don't discover a problem with his workmanship and need him to come fix it or need something else done because now you'll be pooched
Without knowing what the work was, what the job was actually worth if you had hired a fully licensed, insured, and indebted business, it is hard to judge the situation. Self-employment is a challenge any way you slice it. The company has to get the work, have all necessary materials to do the job, have workers to help, finally get paid and then pay the bills. Not an easy formula. I always held to my estimate price unless there were add-ons. By law, you can add 15% if both agree. But if someone estimates a fraction of a job's actual value and then is stuck in the proverbial 12 labors of Hercules before getting paid, it is more a burden on the worker than the customer. Since it is a cash job the guy is saving on taxes most likely. I try to give a check for services just so that the service provider doesn't think that they are not accountable to the three letter men.
I would have paid the debt in large bills, then explained that further business would not be in order. Word of mouth drives a lot of contracting business - one bad experience will be remembered far more than a hundred good experiences.
Money is not God. I could give dozens of examples of people who have not kept their word with me in many different contexts. The guy did good work, if he was doing the job based on time and materials with a small profit it is probably unreasonable to be a stickler for the bottom dollar price. "An estimate is binding. Now take your agreed upon money for the job and leave the premises. If I see you again at 666 Memory Lane, you will be shot on sight". Life is fraught with misunderstandings. To give the worker what he asks if he explains what it was based upon, if reasonable, is not unfair.
Yes! Very, very true. I see that a lot in California. Once you're a contractor and you go over bid or do a bad job, say bye-bye to your reputation. Contractors do tend to give you a lower-than-expected bid b/c they don't want to lose the job. Then they'll pray and hope that things go as planned. 9 times out of 10 they won't. But no, you're not a jerk. You still paid the guy and that makes you a good client. BUT I'd react the same way if I saw all those dollar bills! HAHAHAHA
