That Time I Painted the Wrong House in the Neighborhood

CanvasKid

·1mo·22 replies·22 participants

CanvasKid⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

So I'm out in the greater Atlanta area, rushing to knock out a quick exterior trim job before the afternoon storm hits, and I pull up to what I think is 142 Oak Street. Whip out my Sherwin-Williams Emerald for the accents, got the ladder set up with the Graco sprayer humming, and I'm halfway through the second coat when this lady storms out yelling about trespassing. Turns out I was one house off, painted her siding instead of the client's fence, and now I've got to redo the whole damn thing while explaining to both homeowners why their colors don't match anymore. Moral of the story: double-check addresses, especially when you're solo and the heat's making you sweat through your shirt. Been painting 8 years, and that was a rookie mistake I won't repeat.

ChillOutTech⚒️ Journeyman1mo

stick a gps pin in the clients driveway before you unload, saves a ton of headaches like that. also snap a quick pic of the address sign on the way in to double check later.

HeatPumpHero2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

next time snap a gps pin in google maps right when you pull up, saved my ass from a similar mixup on a tight atlanta cul-de-sac.

BugBlaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

those atlanta homeowners are the WORST, always ready to sue over a paint chip while they cant even mow their damn lawns.

FloorFixerFred🔧 Apprentice1mo

man i once floored the wrong condo and the guy thought i was redecorating for his ex-wife's revenge, had to buy him beers for a week 😂

DoorOpenerDave⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, been there... i once hung a door on the wrong house in this atlanta suburb and had to eat the redo cost while both owners bitched about the mixup.

NotAnElectrician25⚒️ Journeyman1mo

homeowners in those atlanta neighborhoods are the worst, always ready to sue over a little paint mismatch while they leave their yards looking like a junkyard.

DrainDemon2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, at least you didn't turn it pink like that tiktok crew that got sued by the hoa. now the whole neighborhood's got matching emerald accents, call it a free upgrade.

V9386🔧 Apprentice1mo

dont ever trust gps alone on a job site, had a buddy in the suburbs who ended up powerwashing the wrong driveway and the homeowner called the cops on him.

ShingleShark6⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man that sucks, had a similar screwup last summer on a roof job where i started stripping the wrong neighbor's shingles 'cause the addresses were too close and i was rushing before the rain. now i'm always gps marking the damn spot twice and even walk the property line before touching anything. those atlanta storms don't forgive mistakes like that.

ChiselChamp⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, i once drove my truck through the wrong yard tryna get to a job site and the pissed off homeowner called the cops, total crap-show that cost me a grand in repairs and a headache i didnt need.

MowMan⚒️ Journeyman1mo

i started using gps pins with a photo of the clients house on my phone before every job, saved me from that headache twice already. set up a quick routine like walking the lot number out loud when you park. makes a huge difference when youre solo and the suns beating down.

DustBunnySlayer3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

dont ever skip the gps pin drop before starting, had a buddy get sued last year in atlanta for painting the wrong damn house and it cost him five grand to settle.

SubfloorSalvage🔧 Apprentice1mo

those atlanta homeowners are the WORST, always ready to sue over a little paint mixup while they park their asses on the porch judging our every move

SparkleSteve⚒️ Journeyman1mo

been there, brother... painted the wrong damn garage once in a subdivision and had to buy the guy a new door. heat makes us all sloppy, sucks.

AmpedUpAndy⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man ive done the exact same thing, had to repaint a whole porch after the neighbor came out swingin, that heat dont forgive mistakes like that.

NotAnElectrician24⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man i feel that, lost a whole day once mixing up job sites.

DuctDude⚒️ Journeyman1mo

what was the fix? did you comp the repaint or bill the mixup?

TenYearVet4⚒️ Journeyman1mo

client laughed it off but the neighbor was pissed, ended up giving her a discount on future work.

HardwoodHero5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

sounds like a nightmare, hate when GPS screws you over like that.

SpraySavant3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

lmao, at least the wrong house got a free upgrade! did the color even look good on it?

FumeFighter2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

ugh, had a similar screwup with a color match last month, customer thought i used the wrong sheen entirely.

NotAnElectrician24⚒️ Journeyman1mo

yeah, these stories make me double-check everything now, no more rushing.