Home/Rants/🎨 Painting/Difficult client wants Sherwin-Williams Emerald for $800 flat but keeps adding rooms
Difficult client wants Sherwin-Williams Emerald for $800 flat but keeps adding rooms
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BrushStrokeBoss
·4mo·114 replies·109 participants
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BrushStrokeBoss👑 LegendOP4mo
273
Just finished a quote for this picky homeowner using Sherwin-Williams Emerald on their trim, came in at $800 for the living room only. She calls back every day adding a bedroom or hallway, saying 'just throw it in' like it's free. NGL, I'm about to fire her ass before it turns into a nightmare.
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PipeLord42030🏆 Master4mo
66
Put everything in the contract line by line, add a change order fee of $150 min.
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VentWizard3⭐ Expert4mo
39
Yeah, and get 50% upfront. Saved me from a similar Sherwin job gone south.
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SpraySquad⭐ Expert4mo
119
I feel your pain, brother. Had a lady do the same with Benjamin Moore Advance.
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WeedWhackerWill👑 Legend3mo
39
These homeowners think we're magicians. Fuck that noise.
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PipeLord420👑 Legend3mo
44
Document every call and email. CYA always.
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DrainDiver2⭐ Expert3mo
43
Use Jobber to track changes, it auto-generates addendums.
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BloomBoss⭐ Expert3mo
34
Jobber's great, but train 'em on it. Otherwise it's a crapshoot.
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WattTheHeck12🏆 Master3mo
31
Switched to Housecall Pro myself, better for add-ons.
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HardwoodHero6🏆 Master3mo
42
Housecall Pro notifications are clutch for this BS.
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LumberLad🏆 Master3mo
62
Ugh, adding rooms mid-job is the worst.
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MiterMaster2⭐ Expert3mo
61
Screw the PE firms buying up painting crews, now clients act entitled too.
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LaminateLord⭐ Expert3mo
47
PE is ruining the trades, turning us into their bitches.
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RoofRatRicky2⭐ Expert3mo
33
Client added a deck after I primed with Zinsser. Charged $400 extra, she paid.
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WattTheHeck27⭐ Expert3mo
50
Zinsser is solid for that. Good call.
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PlumbDumb🏆 Master3mo
50
Never start without a signed scope. Lesson learned the hard way.
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SprayAndPray⭐ Expert3mo
48
These people suck. Walk if they won't sign.
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SpotlessSteve7🏆 Master3mo
54
I tell 'em upfront: changes cost time and paint.
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NailGunNinja5⭐ Expert3mo
50
And use Graco for faster touch-ups on add-ons.
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WireWhizKid👑 Legend3mo
53
Graco HVLP changed my game for interiors.
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BloomBoss2👑 Legend3mo
50
Man, that Emerald is premium, don't lowball it.
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TrimQueen🏆 Master3mo
87
Haha, sounds like my last job with a Karen who wanted 'just one more wall' in Duration.
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DrainSnakeKing⭐ Expert3mo
55
Karen clients are universal. Fire 'em quick.
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NailGunNinja⭐ Expert3mo
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Lost a whole weekend to one. Never again.
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VinylVirtuoso⭐ Expert3mo
28
Insurance companies side with clients too often. Pisses me off.
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PaintSplatter2🏆 Master3mo
36
Big box stores pushing cheap paint trains homeowners to expect deals.
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ShingleShark11🏆 Master3mo
32
Yup, Home Depot specials got 'em spoiled.
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DirtBagLandscaper7🏆 Master3mo
35
Charge $100/hr minimum for changes. No exceptions.
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CastIronHater👑 Legend3mo
44
$100 is low, I do $125 now.
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FrameFreak3🏆 Master3mo
43
Bump to $150 in contracts from day one.
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FlushFreak2🏆 Master3mo
30
Had a guy add three rooms, ended up eating $2k in labor.
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HueMaster2⭐ Expert3mo
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Never eat costs. Bill T&M immediately.
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WoodWorkerWiz⭐ Expert3mo
48
T&M saved my ass on a similar Emerald trim job.
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KeyTwister2⭐ Expert2mo
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How do you quote Emerald vs cheaper lines?
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BrushStrokePro🏆 Master2mo
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Don't lowball Emerald, it's worth the premium price.
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DustBunnyHunter7⭐ Expert2mo
106
Update: Fired her, got a better client same day.
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DrainDragon2🏆 Master2mo
116
LOL, walking away is the win sometimes.
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DustBunnyHunter9⭐ Expert2mo
43
These clients think paint grows on trees.
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DuctDoctor⭐ Expert2mo
36
Corporate clients are worse, demand volume discounts on pro lines.
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RollMaster🏆 Master2mo
45
Volume my ass, they pay late anyway.
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BeamBoss3⭐ Expert2mo
53
PE roll-ups are killing small painters.
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LatexLegend👑 Legend2mo
49
Yeah, fight the man.
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GeneralFixIt👑 Legend2mo
50
Saw this in Painters Lounge FB group, everyone hates add-ons.
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WireWizardWalt👑 Legend2mo
57
Add a 20% contingency in your initial quote for changes.
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AntAnnihilator👑 Legend2mo
59
Contingency works, but clients still push.
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BrushStrokePro13⭐ Expert2mo
35
BEWARE: Verbal agreements lead to hell.
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TenYearVet15⭐ Expert2mo
59
Verbal is worthless. Get it in writing or walk.
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RollMasterRay⭐ Expert2mo
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I made bank charging for every change order last year.
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FlushMaster500👑 Legend2mo
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Proud of you for standing firm.
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SawdustSavant17🏆 Master2mo
62
This crap is why I went commercial only.
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BugBusterBob3⭐ Expert2mo
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Commercial pays steady, no Karens.
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TenYearVet10⭐ Expert2mo
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How much you charging per room base?
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BugBlaster8⭐ Expert2mo
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Base $600 for standard, more for trim work.
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BoxHaulerBob2🏆 Master2mo
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$800 for living room is fair with Emerald.
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PipeLord42023⭐ Expert2mo
56
Watched Idaho Painter vid on client management, spot on.
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FloorFumbler🏆 Master2mo
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Idaho Painter knows his shit for this.
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DrainDiverDan👑 Legend2mo
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Screw these entitled homeowners, union up or something.
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LeakHunterX⭐ Expert2mo
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Unions in painting? Dream on.
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BrushStrokeBoss12⭐ Expert2mo
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Put a cap on changes in the contract.
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KeyMaster👑 Legend2mo
57
Cap at two free, then bill.
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PipeLord42012⭐ Expert1mo
46
FB group Painting Contractors full of these stories.
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PinTumblerPro⭐ Expert1mo
48
Yeah, r/paintingbusiness had a thread on it last week.
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SparkPlugSue4🏆 Master1mo
118
Haha, my client tried to add a ceiling, I laughed.
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VoltageVagabond2🏆 Master1mo
51
Laughter is the best policy till they sue.
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ChillMaster8⭐ Expert1mo
42
Don't do verbal add-ons, ever.
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VentMaster2🏆 Master1mo
41
Verbal got me stiffed $1k once.
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HammerTimePro🏆 Master1mo
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Proud to say I haven't had one in months.
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LockoutLila🏆 Master1mo
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How? Magic contract?
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BugBlaster4🏆 Master1mo
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Screen clients better, ask for referrals upfront.
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HeatHustler2⭐ Expert1mo
67
Referrals filter the crazies.
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WireWhizKid👑 Legend1mo
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Clients from Angi are the worst offenders.
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FramingFreak⭐ Expert1mo
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Angi leads = headache city.
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JunctionJunkie2⭐ Expert1mo
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Same with Thumbtack, full of cheapskates.
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HardwoodHero3👑 Legend1mo
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Skip lead gen sites altogether.
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PestPatrol⭐ Expert1mo
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Went solo referrals only, business tripled.
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PipeLord420👑 Legend1mo
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Damn, that's the dream.
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FrostFighter⭐ Expert1mo
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Referral game strong.
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CircuitClown👑 Legend1mo
64
My last add-on client ghosted after I primed.
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DustBunnyHunter6👑 Legend1mo
59
Ghosting sucks, small claims next time.
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BoltBuster3⭐ Expert1mo
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Small claims for paint? Worth it.
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DrainDiver3⭐ Expert1mo
28
Paint jobs always end in drama.
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ColorWheelCarl2⭐ Expert1mo
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Use option sheets for upsells.
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DoorJammer3⭐ Expert1mo
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Options prevent the 'just add it' BS.
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PeakProspector🏆 Master1mo
29
Good tip.
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ChillMaster6👑 Legend1mo
105
ChillMaster here, same issue weekly.
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DeckDoctor👑 Legend1mo
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Deck add-ons are killer on time.
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BugBlasterBen🏆 Master29d
47
Time it and bill hourly.
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RustyNailBob2🏆 Master28d
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Hourly for changes only.
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TrackTech2⭐ Expert27d
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Track with app, easy.
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WireWizardWalt👑 Legend25d
53
Apps make it painless.
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ACAvenger⭐ Expert24d
60
Watched a Tommy Mello vid on tough clients.
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VoltVampire2⭐ Expert23d
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Tommy's advice is gold for painters too.
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TarpTitan5🏆 Master22d
42
PE is coming for painting next.
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ShingleShark8⭐ Expert21d
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Already happening, watch out.
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SawdustSavant9⭐ Expert20d
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Sold my biz to one, regret it.
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FrameFreak8⭐ Expert19d
33
Regret city.
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AmpedApprentice4⭐ Expert18d
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Apprentice here, taking notes on all this.
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WrenchWarrior3⭐ Expert16d
64
Notes will save you headaches.
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PipeLord4206👑 Legend15d
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How do you handle payment on add-ons?
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WeedWhacker2⭐ Expert14d
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50% on change order sign.
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ScrubLord2🏆 Master13d
51
Sign or no paint.
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SparkJockey3👑 Legend12d
51
Harsh but necessary.
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FlushMaster5🏆 Master11d
64
My rates jumped 20% after firing bad clients.
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DirtDevilDan🏆 Master10d
62
20% bump feels good.
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FlushMaster500👑 Legend8d
32
Proud of that raise.
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VoltageVagabond🏆 Master7d
46
Bad clients drag you down.
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SpotlessSteve5🏆 Master6d
53
Dragging hard.
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ZapZapZoe⭐ Expert5d
41
In House Painting Professionals group, same complaints.
