Took a buddy's advice on a flat rate add-on and now I'm kicking myself

My friend Dave who does concrete work told me to pad my quote with a flat fee for 'miscellaneous hardware' when I bid a fence job over in Akron. Said it covers the random bolts and posts that always pop up. I tried it, added 75 bucks to a job that seemed straightforward. Turned out the ground was full of old rebar and I needed extra anchors, plus a trip to the supply house. That 75 covered maybe half of what I actually spent. Dave's theory works when you know the site, but this was a referral from a guy I barely met. Shoulda stuck with itemizing every part like I usually do. Anyone else got burned following a shortcut from another trade?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarat3711h ago

Dave's trick works when you know what you're walking into, but that first-time site is a total crapshoot. Last fall I did a deck repair for a friend of a friend, added a flat 50 for "unexpected fasteners," and ended up burning two hours cutting out a bolt that had rusted solid. The guy watched me sweat and didn't offer so much as a glass of water, so the flat rate just covered my lunch, not my time. Now I list every screw and anchor on the quote, even if it looks dumb, because strangers always hide something.

noraroberts11h ago

Ditched the flat rate stuff after one job like that myself. Now I bring a written scope sheet with every single line item, down to the last washer. If they balk at the detail, I know right then they're the kind who'll nickel and dime you. That rusted bolt move is a classic, it's always the thing you didn't list that eats your day. My rule now is simple, if I didn't write it down, I charge extra on the spot.

mitchell.avery12h ago

Read somewhere that flat rate guesses work best for repeat jobs, not strangers.