That client who said 'it's just a simple shelf' then gave me a 3 page contract

Last Tuesday I had a guy call me about putting up a basic floating shelf in his living room. He said it would take 20 minutes tops. Then he shows up with a 3 page contract about liability if the shelf falls and wants me to use these specific French cleats from Italy that cost $80 a pair. I just walked away. Has anyone else had a client totally downplay a job then turn it into a nightmare?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_charlie20d ago

Had a guy call it "hanging a mirror" then showed up with engineering specs for the wall.

ray_miller4120d ago

Man I had a guy tell me he was just "putting up a shelf" and he showed up with a laser level, stud finder, and a full blueprint for the wall load distribution. Took him like 4 hours to hang one basic shelf and he kept muttering about "tolerance levels" and "drywall anchor ratings." Meanwhile I'm just standing there holding the shelf for him like a moron. Felt like I was watching a science experiment more than home improvement. Some people really overthink this stuff.

murphy.linda12d ago

Oh man, that's brutal lol. I've been there where you're just stuck holding something awkward while someone turns a 15 minute job into a whole day production. @the_charlie's guy bringing engineering specs for a mirror sounds like the same breed of human, honestly. Like I get wanting to do it right, but 4 hours with a laser level for a basic shelf is pure madness. At that point I'd just quietly grab a beer and let him have his moment with the anchors lol.