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Serious question, I ran my whole business on handshake deals for 6 years and finally got burned by a $4,200 invoice
I run a small landscaping company in Boise and never once sent a real contract, just texts confirming prices. Last month a client refused to pay $4,200 for a retaining wall because 'we never agreed on that number in writing' and I had nothing to show. Now some folks tell me a simple one page agreement is all I need, while others say I should pay a lawyer $1,500 to draft a proper template. What do you actually use for small jobs, a basic signed estimate or full contracts?
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kim1915d ago
My buddy Dave did the exact same thing with his painting crew in Nampa, ran off texts for years until a guy stiffed him $3,800 on a fence job. Now he just has clients sign the estimate itself with a line at the bottom that says "signing means you agree to this price and these terms," takes two seconds and costs nothing. Hasn't had a problem since, and $1,500 for a lawyer template when your jobs are a few grand feels like overkill.
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