Had a Tuesday in St. Louis last month where everything went sideways

I showed up to a routine clean on a old house in the Central West End and the flue was packed tight with about 4 years of creosote. Client said they hadn't cleaned it since they moved in. Took me three hours just to scrape it all out, then I found a bird nest jammed up near the top. Made me wonder: do you guys charge extra for surprises like that, or just eat the time and hope for repeat business? I have my own way of handling it, but I'm curious how others here do it.

2 comments

2 Comments

graydavis17d ago

Honestly, maybe it's just me but the bird nest thing is almost a separate problem from the creosote. That nest situation can mess with your tools and even your ladder setup if it's wedged in weird. Charging extra might make sense, but if you bundle the bird nest issue as a flat "hazard fee" or something, it covers your back without nickel-and-diming the client. I mean, the creosote buildup is just the cost of doing business on old houses, but the nest adds a whole new level of unpredictability. Idk, feels like a good way to keep repeat business while not eating the worst of the surprise.

hayden_nelson8517d ago

Had a buddy who runs a small crew and he showed up to a job where a nest was basically holding a section of the flue pipe together. Tried to clear it out and the whole thing almost dropped on his head. Hazard fee sounds way smarter than what he did lmao.