Showerthought: Is it wrong to charge extra for a fix that was my mistake? | Cabinetmakers - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

Claire Garcia · 2026-03-02T21:40:36.084391+00:00

I messed up a cut and had to redo a panel. My boss says charge for it, but that feels wrong.

Mistakes happen, and charging for the fix is standard practice in trades. My crew budgets for redos in every quote because materials and time aren't free. You're not ripping anyone off, you're just covering the actual expense to complete the job properly. Listen to your boss on this one.

8

the_diana6mo ago

Hold up, your boss wants to charge the client because you messed up a cut? That's wild to me. If I ordered a pizza and they burned it, I wouldn't pay for the second one they made to fix it. You eat that cost to make it right for the customer.

3

morgan_stone335mo ago

But what if the mistake uses expensive custom materials?

1

jakem836mo ago

Wait, @patb65 is right about trade costs!

3