Had a contractor laugh at my rate sheet in Nashville last week

I was pitching a kitchen remodel to a guy named Rick who builds custom cabinets. He pulled out my rate sheet, looked at it for maybe 5 seconds, and just started chuckling. He said "son, you're charging me for 3 hours of measuring that I can do in 20 minutes with a laser." That hit different because he wasn't trying to lowball me, he was actually showing me I was overcomplicating the process. Has anyone else had a client or contractor call them out on their own pricing in a way that actually helped?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.alex10d agoMost Upvoted

That stings in the moment but those are the best wake up calls you can get. Had a similar thing happen with a guy who poured concrete, he flat out told me my material list was padded with extra bags I didn't need. Saved me like 200 bucks and I felt like an idiot but I learned to actually watch how the pros work instead of guessing. It's a harsh way to learn but beats making the same mistake on every job. Sounds like Rick did you a real favor even if it came with some embarrassment.

milesbarnes10d ago

Humbling lessons stick the best...

the_cameron10d ago

Man humbling lessons really do stick the best lol. I've been there too where someone just flat out told me I was overcomplicating something and wasting time. It stings in the moment but once you get past the embarrassment you realize how much they actually helped you. The guys who will tell you straight up what you're doing wrong are rare and worth listening to even if it hurts your pride a little. Just take the lesson and move on because next time you'll know better and save yourself the hassle.