Rafter tails all rotted out, ended up being my own screwup from 3 summers ago

Last Tuesday I was up on a roof in Dayton redoing a porch overhang and when I pulled the trim off, the rafter tails were basically dust. Client asked if it was termites and I said no, it's water getting in behind the fascia. Then I got to thinking and realized I did a repair on this exact same porch back in 2021, I remember because it was that crazy heat wave and I caulked the seams but never primed the cut ends. Sure enough, the rot pattern matched my old caulk line perfectly. Had to tell the homeowner it was my fault and I'd fix it at cost, which hurt but felt right. She actually laughed and said "at least you're honest" which made it sting a little less. Anyone else ever come back to a job and find out your old work caused the problem? How'd you handle the awkward conversation?

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lindaowens6d ago

The part about the rot pattern matching your old caulk line perfectly really hits home. That's the worst kind of discovery because there's no way to talk your way out of it, the evidence is right there staring at you. I had something like that on a deck I rebuilt for a friend, found soft spots two years later right where I'd skipped the flashing tape because I was rushing to beat a storm. What made it easier was just owning it fast and not making excuses, people can smell a excuse from a mile away. Your client laughing about it says a lot, she probably trusted you more after that than before. Fixing it at cost was the right call, that kind of rep is worth way more than the money.

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