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Hot take: homeowners shouldn't watch us work, period.
I was roughing in a bathroom in a new build outside Austin last week. The owner showed up unannounced and stood over my shoulder for 45 minutes asking 'why does that go there' and 'can you move that pipe over 2 inches.' I finally told him I'd have to charge him for the extra time if he kept hovering. He got mad and called my boss. My boss backed me up. Has anyone else had to set that boundary mid-job?
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sethhernandez26d ago
Had a buddy who locked the gate behind him until the owner went inside.
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oh come on, is it really that serious though? @sethhernandez locking the gate is funny but also kind of extra. like yeah it's annoying when people hover but it's their house their money their everything. i had a guy watch me paint his living room for two hours straight once. sure it was weird but i just put my headphones in and ignored him. he paid me the same either way so who cares. if you're getting paid by the hour then every minute they hover is just more money in your pocket.
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river32023d ago
'he paid me the same either way' - that's the part that's off though. most of us are quoting flat rates, not hourly. if i'm painting a whole house for a set price, every second they stand there watching is time i could be done and onto the next job. locking the gate might seem dramatic but it's about drawing a line before they start picking apart your methods or asking you to redo stuff that's already fine.
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