So, I decided to hire this contractor to fix up my deck. When the boss showed up to check things out, I made it clear that I needed nine boards swapped out with some 2x8x20 pressure treated lumber. He then shot over an estimate for $1,350, which I went ahead and signed off on, paying half the amount upfront.
Well, when his crew rolled in, they brought along some regular ol’ lumber instead. I was like, “Hold up, these are supposed to be pressure treated!” I gave the boss a ring, and he was all confused, saying he didn’t remember me asking for the pressure treated stuff and didn’t think he could even get it in that size. Now, I’m no stranger to deck work, so I told him I’d double-check with the lumber yard I usually hit up and get back to him. Lo and behold, they had the right stuff.
I rang the boss back, gave him the lowdown on where to snag the pressure treated lumber, and he said he’d send his crew to grab it. He said sorry for the mix-up but never mentioned anything about extra costs. They swung by, did the job with the right lumber, wrapped it all up, and shot me the bill for the rest of the cash. I paid up in full, thinking we were all squared away.
Then, a week down the line, the boss shoots me a text, saying he forgot to tack on an extra charge for the pressure treated upgrade and that he’d be sending over another invoice. Now, from where I’m standing, I made it clear from the get-go what I wanted, and when he realized his mistake, he didn’t mention a thing about upping the price.
He hasn’t dropped that second invoice on me yet, so I’m left wondering how much more he’s looking to squeeze out. I feel like I’ve already handed over what we agreed on. How would you handle a situation like this?