A framing client in Austin made me notice how I handle site visits

Honestly, I drove out to a framing job near Zilker Park last Tuesday and the homeowner was standing there with a printed list of every tiny scratch on the lumber. She had circled like 14 marks and wanted me to explain each one before I even unpacked my nail gun. It hit me that I always assume clients are chill until they start documenting stuff, but that list was actually her way of testing if I'd push back or just cave. I ended up walking her through the grading and she relaxed once I showed her the cuts would be hidden anyway. Has anyone else had a client turn a basic inspection into a full audit? Sometimes I wonder if I should start doing my own walkthrough video to cover my bases.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_olivia19h ago

Man, I feel this. Last month I had a client pull out a laser level and check if my ledger was perfectly plum before I even had coffee. I joked that if they wanted, I could show them the same tiny scratches on my truck from hauling their lumber, and they actually laughed. Honestly, I think some folks just need to see you treat the small stuff serious, then they back off. I told her I'd send her the video of the framing before drywall goes up, and that seemed to do the trick.

juliaa6512h ago

Did you see that post on the building science forum about how laser levels are basically the new tape measure for trust with clients? Seems like every contractor I know is getting pulled into the same routine lately.