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My old lead guy in Amarillo swore I should never change a price mid-job, and I finally tested him last fall
Back when I ran a small crew in Amarillo, my lead carpenter Dale told me never to change a price once you shake on it, no matter what comes up. I followed that rule for 6 years and ate about $4,200 in surprise costs across maybe 9 jobs. Last fall a homeowner in Canyon asked me to add a back deck halfway through a kitchen remodel and I quoted the change on the spot instead of just saying yes. He pushed back hard, we went back and forth for two days, and I almost caved just to keep the peace. Ended up sticking to my number, he paid it, and the job finished clean with no bad blood. Now I'm wondering if Dale's rule was really about protecting the client or just avoiding awkward talks. How do you all handle mid-job changes without it turning into a whole thing?
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ray56222h ago
Dale's rule sounds like it was really about dodging the hard talk, since eating four grand in surprise costs isn't protecting anybody. Problem is once you quote a change on the spot you're stuck defending a number you pulled out of thin air, which is why the pushback got so rough. Give yourself a day to price it out before you say anything, then the talk is about the work instead of the money.
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