A homeowner did the math on an $1,800 water heater swap and got mad, the part was $550. What he couldn't see was haul-away, permit, fittings and the warranty. Add an "included" line to every quote. It answers the question before it turns into a post.

A guy got a $2,400 quote to paint one room and asked why, when the paint is $110. Fair question. Paint isn't the job. Put labor, prep, insurance and the truck on the estimate as their own lines. People argue less with a price they can see.

Contractors: want a 30% margin? Divide your cost by 0.70. Don't multiply it by 1.30. On $9,800 of cost, a 30% markup gives $12,740, which is only a 23% margin. Dividing gives $14,000, the price that actually leaves 30%. tryobra.com/guides/how-to-wr…

Bill for the work that's done, not the work you're about to start. California just charged two home builders with diverting construction funds. Over 200 homeowners said they paid ahead and the work never came.

Check each job against its bid while it's still running, not after it's done. An Arizona remodeler just went bankrupt owing about $8 million. Its lawyer said nobody checked closely if bids made money, and customer deposits ended up paying for other people's jobs.

Taking a deposit for materials? Send the customer the receipt the day you buy them. Ohio just sued two roofers after customers paid for work that never happened. Honest contractors pay for that in trust. A same-day receipt earns it back.

When a job turns into a money fight, the side with dates wins. Write down every change the client asks for, what it costs, and the day they said yes. Snap the receipt the day you buy the material. Memory loses arguments. Records don't.

"Payment successful" isn't money in your bank. A North Carolina contractor got a $10,000 payment through Square. The email said it went through. His bank never got it, and he had checks out to his plumber and roofer. Don't pay out against money you can't see in the bank yet.

How much deposit? Do the math, not the vibe. Check your state first. California caps home-improvement deposits at 10% or $1,000, whichever is less. There, bill the materials when they're delivered. #contractorlife #remodeling #generalcontractor #smallbusiness #cashflow

A builder owed a plumber $1,500 and went quiet for 6 months. Then he called. Can you come finish the job? Sure, once the old bill is paid. Crew showed up, no money, so they drove to a backup job. Collect the old balance before new work starts. Keep a backup job handy.

Client-speak, translated. "The budget's flexible." → It isn't. "Just a small change." → Change order. "My brother-in-law can do the electrical." → You'll redo the electrical. "Can you match this Pinterest photo?" → Allowance × 3. #contractorlife #remodeling #construction

The subs who built a billion-dollar soccer stadium complex in Miami say they're owed more than $13 million. One HVAC contractor says $4M of its $28.4M contract is still unpaid. Check what's owed on every job every week. Late money is easier to chase at 30 days than at 300.

"$180 a square foot" hides losses. Two jobs, 400 sq ft each, both priced at $72,000. One made 28%. The other made 4%. Same square feet. Price from your costs, by category, not from a number your competitor uses. #estimating #contractorlife #remodeling #generalcontractor

A contractor's week, in numbers. Monday: 3 bids. Tuesday: 1 supply run, 2 jobs. Wednesday: "there's a pipe here". Thursday: client changes the tile. Friday: where did the money go? Friday's question has an answer now. #contractorlife #constructionlife #generalcontractor

A sub on an $819M tunnel job just sued for more than $5.7M in unpaid bills, and it wants out of the rest of the work. When payment slips, write down the days and the dollars that week. Waiting until the job is on fire is how you end up in court.

This is a job telling the truth. Cash collected: the money that actually came in. Recorded cost: every cost on the job, paid or not. And the gap between them? Obra won't call that profit #jobcosting #contractorlife #generalcontractor #constructionbusiness #remodeling

This is a job telling the truth. Cash collected: the money that actually came in. Recorded cost: every cost on the job, paid or not. A job that spends before it collects would read negative. Profit is where the job lands. #jobcosting #contractorlife #generalcontractor

A city opened its new $56M senior center in May. Three subs say they're still owed almost $9M. The builder blames 1,000+ design questions and a year of delays. When the job changes, write it down and get it signed that week. The end-of-job fight is always over what was extra.