Subcontracting Landscape Mulch Jobs Turning Into a Nightmare in Central Texas

Subbed out a big mulch install job last week in central Texas to a crew I thought was reliable, and they ghosted half the site, left the customer pissed and now she's refusing to pay the full $4,200. Had to eat the cost to redo it myself with my Stihl gear just to keep the peace. These sub deals always start smooth but end up costing me time and money - anyone got tips to vet better or just stick to solo ops?