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This client in Denver wanted a custom built-in for a weird angled wall, but refused to let me measure it myself.

He sent me a sketch on a napkin with some numbers he wrote down and said 'just build it to this, it'll fit.' I told him three times that angles in old houses are never true and I needed to get in there with my laser and a story stick. He got mad, said he was paying for the job and I should trust his numbers. So I built the piece exactly to his sketch, a 7-foot tall bookcase unit. Of course, when we went to install it, the wall was out of plumb by almost a full inch over that height. The whole thing rocked like a boat. He looked at me and said, 'I guess you're not as good as your reviews said.' I had to eat the cost of all the materials and two days of labor to rebuild it from scratch on site. Has anyone else had a client fight you on something so basic like taking your own measurements?
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3 Comments
michaelf51
michaelf511mo ago
Just build it to this" is why I make clients sign off on their own measurements now.
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adam751
adam7511mo ago
Smart move. Ever get one where they signed off on the wrong side of the tape measure?
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terrybennett
Ive had guys argue my tape measure was wrong. Learned that lesson hard too.
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