Remember when a builder's word was the contract?

Back in 2010, my foundation pour got rained out and the crew just showed up the next Monday without a single change order. Last month, my current project manager emailed me a $1,200 fee for a two-hour weather delay. Has anyone else seen trust get replaced by paperwork like this?

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3 Comments

skylerp315mo ago

That bit about the $1,200 fee for a weather delay is exactly the problem now. It feels like every single interaction is just a chance to bill for something new. The old way was built on a handshake and getting the job done right. Now it's all fine print and covering their own backs first. Makes you wonder if the trust is ever coming back to this business.

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grant_allen855mo ago

Sadly, that's just the new normal. The handshake deal is long gone, replaced by lawyers and risk management. Everything gets written down now to avoid a lawsuit, not to build a good relationship. It turns every project into a fight over the contract instead of a shared goal. Hard to see how that genie goes back in the bottle.

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aaron8844mo ago

Yeah I read something about a guy getting charged for just picking up his phone too...

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