# Changing the bill after work is complete



## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

Ok so I have done a little work for this guy out here, I am subcontracted through his company. I did the first job for him and he asked me to submit my bill. I submit my bill which was small btw. $614.00 he changed the amount to $570 dollars and that is what he wrote a check for to me. Is he allowed to change my bill? This is the first time anyone has ever done this to me. I work at reasonable cost. Not the cheapest by far but also far from high end of the price scale, this has me wanting to choke the guy out over $44 and he has already come down on my install cost for another job from $2.00 a square foot to $1.47 a square foot after I started??? That is $162.00 loss on my part now???Wtf do I do with guy please.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

What does your contract say?


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Sparky is right, we cannot comment unless we know what your contract states.


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

****. I haven't done a contract with this guy. Just got work and got it done. So I guess next thing I need to do I get a contract and hit him with it. Huh


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## Kent Whitten (Mar 24, 2006)

Next thing you need to do is leave.


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

He can only take advantage of you with your permission. So far you have provided him with that.


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## fourcornerhome (Feb 19, 2008)

You need to get mean,joegreen:boxing:


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

I would first go to him and ask for an explanation for the decrease.

Then consider it a $44 lesson learned. Build a good contract and then if he requests your services again, present him with it and you estimate.


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## CENTERLINE MV (Jan 9, 2011)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I would first go to him and ask for an explanation for the decrease.
> 
> Then consider it a $44 lesson learned. Build a good contract and then if he requests your services again, present him with it and you estimate.


Ditto to this. Communication is key. If he never provided you with an explanation, you need to ask for one. It could be a simple misunderstanding in what you said or what he heard to begin with.


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks guys. Yeah I am not a mousy guy so naturally I first handed him the check back and said, this has a typo lol. But then we spoke about the rates he has and the rates I have ( actually not that far off though mine are slightly higher than his ) and came to an agreement that I would do no install work at less than $2.00 a square foot flat not patern no border and go up from there and that demo work I would quote him a price on. Then he gave me another job and is wanting to cut me a check that comes out to less than $2.00 a square foot and there is border work!!!! I've nearly finished the project now.


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## fshrmn (Nov 16, 2010)

Tell him you are done working for him before he gets you for alot of money!


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## CScalf (Dec 18, 2008)

Joegreen said:


> ****. I haven't done a contract with this guy. Just got work and got it done. So I guess next thing I need to do I get a contract and hit him with it. Huh


The key word in Contractor is CONTRACT...just sayin':whistling


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## Keeyter (Sep 18, 2010)

This problem will stop when you stop doing work for him. Once you let someone get over on you once that is the status qou. You are forever something to walk all over for him, that will never change unless you do.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Regardless of contract, he's a worm. Don't associate yourself with such people. Make sure he understands why you are leaving also. Don't just tell him you are busy or some other BS.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Joegreen said:


> Thanks guys. Yeah I am not a mousy guy so naturally I first handed him the check back and said, this has a typo lol. But then we spoke about the rates he has and the rates I have ( actually not that far off though mine are slightly higher than his ) and came to an agreement that I would do no install work at less than $2.00 a square foot flat not patern no border and go up from there and that demo work I would quote him a price on. Then he gave me another job and is wanting to cut me a check that comes out to less than $2.00 a square foot and there is border work!!!! I've nearly finished the project now.


Which builder you working for? Meritage?


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

I always say:

Screw me once, shame on you.
Screw me twice, shame on me.

Actually this is the PG version of what I say. 

Move on or buy some Vaseline.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Pc....


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

Jaws said:


> Which builder you working for? Meritage?



Well I feel like I'm kind of slandering here and I hate to do that sort of thing so I will just say these particular jobs are being done for a flooring company in austin tx. 











Here is the border tile work that paid $1.47 to install. I also put the field on a 45 because the slab was 7" out of square and laying inside the border would have looked like crap.


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

donerightwyo said:


> I always say:
> 
> Screw me once, shame on you.
> Screw me twice, shame on me.
> ...


Yeah I have decided I am hitting him with my bill if he attempts to change it ill simply hit him in the throat and kick him in the kidneys when he falls down.… 

J/K lol but seriously he will pay me right on this job and sign a contract on the one he had me scheduled for next week or he can find another installer. I know he is hurting for someone to do his install work. Now I see why lmao


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## pinturachica (Aug 11, 2012)

Keeyter said:


> This problem will stop when you stop doing work for him. Once you let someone get over on you once that is the status qou. You are forever something to walk all over for him, that will never change unless you do.


So true! Joe, you know how people shop around and talk to a few guys before they choose who is getting the work. You need to turn that concept right around and choose YOUR clients just like they choose you. The reason he's putting it on you is because he believes he can get away with it. Only you can disabuse him of that notion. You can consider it good info that he's a [email protected]*#! and if you do work for him, you are the one getting [email protected]*%&.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

There's definetly easier ways to make a living than that B.S. You can go broke staying home, it just takes longer.:thumbsup:


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

donerightwyo said:


> There's definetly easier ways to make a living than that B.S. You can go broke staying home, it just takes longer.:thumbsup:


This is exactly what my own thought was. If I'm going down it needs to be a shot to the head not a sucking lung wound lol 

Hey thanks guys all of you I really appreciate the help. I plan to go Monday and have a coming to Jesus meeting with the guy and collect my ENTIRE check for the job at my usual rates and politely ask him to lose my number.


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## svronthmve (Aug 3, 2008)

He's likely charging the customer your rates + his markup & paying you "his rates". His take has likely gone up since you started working for him. He's probably laughing to his gc buddies calling you "sucka"!

There's excellent advice above about the type of relationship you should have with this guy.

Edit: We were posting @ the same time. Best to ya on Monday!


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## tenon0774 (Feb 7, 2013)

Joegreen said:


> ...and politely ask him to lose my number.


I love that line.

Never get old. Every time I hear it I laugh.:clap:


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## pinturachica (Aug 11, 2012)

Joegreen said:


> This is exactly what my own thought was. If I'm going down it needs to be a shot to the head not a sucking lung wound lol
> 
> Hey thanks guys all of you I really appreciate the help. I plan to go Monday and have a coming to Jesus meeting with the guy and collect my ENTIRE check for the job at my usual rates and politely ask him to lose my number.


Best of luck; keep your cool and remember if it goes sideways, bail will be more than the $44 he wants to take off you. Seriously, good luck. I'm very familiar with the corrective punch reflex.


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## JackP23 (Jan 1, 2013)

Make him pee blood mean Joegreen!!!! :thumbup:


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

Joegreen said:


> This is exactly what my own thought was. If I'm going down it needs to be a shot to the head not a sucking lung wound lol
> 
> Hey thanks guys all of you I really appreciate the help. I plan to go Monday and have a coming to Jesus meeting with the guy and collect my ENTIRE check for the job at my usual rates and politely ask him to lose my number.


Now that we've gotten that figured out, you will have to stick around and impart your new found wisdom on someone else:thumbup:


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

Mean JoeGreen does have nice ring to it:laughing:


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## ArtisanRemod (Dec 25, 2012)

Warren said:


> He can only take advantage of you with your permission. So far you have provided him with that.


Words to live by in this business.


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

Lol I don't really care to hurt the guy, I mean I do lol but I won't. All I really care to do is get up at the ass crack of dawn and put in 9-10-12 hours of hard word and it be worth it in the end. I'm sure that is a shared sentiment.


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

I dam sure dont want to turn in a perfectly reasonable bill and get short changes on it.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

We had a huge guy from Detroit working for us. He overheard me talking about a feller that owed us some money. He says all serious, " You want me to go by his mamma's house?"

I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it.:whistling:clap:


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## pinturachica (Aug 11, 2012)

Joegreen said:


> Lol I don't really care to hurt the guy, I mean I do lol but I won't. All I really care to do is get up at the ass crack of dawn and put in 9-10-12 hours of hard word and it be worth it in the end. I'm sure that is a shared sentiment.


Ha, see how carried away we get when we stuff it down to get a buck! Lol, before I was a rough and tumble contractor, I worked in real estate and my corrective punch reflex was born there. I never really correctively punched an azzhole wearing a $1500 suit, but it doesn't mean I never thought about it


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## ArtisanRemod (Dec 25, 2012)

I use to sub installs for a flooring company that had a guy who was about 6 '6 and 275. He could carry the big machine by himself. He always collected the checks lol.


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## QCCI (Jan 28, 2013)

Joegreen said:


> Yeah I have decided I am hitting him with my bill if he attempts to change it ill simply hit him in the throat and kick him in the kidneys when he falls down.…
> 
> Hahaha this made me laugh!!! Thanks JoeGreen


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

donerightwyo said:


> We had a huge guy from Detroit working for us. He overheard me talking about a feller that owed us some money. He says all serious, " You want me to go by his mamma's house?"
> 
> I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it.:whistling:clap:


:whistling:laughing:

Damn, thats a bad dude bro


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## Joegreen (Feb 18, 2013)

QCCI said:


> Joegreen said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah I have decided I am hitting him with my bill if he attempts to change it ill simply hit him in the throat and kick him in the kidneys when he falls down.…
> ...


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

Keeyter said:


> This problem will stop when you stop doing work for him. Once you let someone get over on you once that is the status qou. You are forever something to walk all over for him, that will never change unless you do.


Add 25% to your next contract, and from now on.
That way if some old lady wants to beat you out of 15%, you can still laugh on the way to the bank. :laughing:


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## skyhook (Mar 17, 2007)

Joegreen said:


> This is exactly what my own thought was. If I'm going down it needs to be a shot to the head not a sucking lung wound lol
> 
> Hey thanks guys all of you I really appreciate the help. I plan to go Monday and have a coming to Jesus meeting with the guy and collect my ENTIRE check for the job at my usual rates and politely ask him to lose my number.


Some of my best paying jobs came with customers like yours. 
I heard in advance that this Spy Glass Hill guy was an SOB. To compensate, I added 10% to every invoice and change order that came after the original contract, for the duration of the job.
Sure enough, at the end he tried to beat me out of the final draw($6k).
He never knew about the 10% surcharges and I came out ahead by $4,000.

The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which bridges to burn.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

Jaws said:


> :whistling:laughing:
> 
> Damn, thats a bad dude bro


This same guy told me a story about how he used to sell a few certain commodities:whistling. He was a little behind and the feller he owed went looking for him at his mama's house. Soon as he found out he called this guy up, told him to come over, he had his money for him. 

He opened the door gave the guy his money and then told him. "don't you ever go by my momma's house" and then shot him.:gun_bandana:


Maybe this should of been in the hire a felon thread.:laughing:


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