Damn, a whole client ghosted over one invoice? Thats wild, sounds like your buddy dodged a bullet honestly.

Next he'll want free work because you breathe air. Might as well ask for a discount because the trees are already dead. That truck paid for itself with jobs like this one. People see a work vehicle and think it's a money printer, not a giant bill on wheels. Good on you for calling his bluff. Some folks need a reality check with their own rental counter.

Trust the 80/20 rule on client work. That last 10 percent of polish usually eats up half the time anyway, and most people never notice it unless they are looking for it. I started timing how long each "final check" pass actually takes and realized I was spending whole afternoons fixing things that had broken nothing in the first place. Next time, set your own hard stop a few days before the real deadline and see what you actually miss.