Respect that take, @the_lucas. It's tough to hear but sometimes we just need that reality check.

Oh man, I gotta disagree with that whole "knowing what you're getting into" argument... because most people DON'T know what they're getting into with these unlicensed guys. That's the whole problem. Your friend's ceiling got ruined because the guy missed a leak, and now he's probably looking at way more than $900 to fix it. I've seen it happen where a $300 patch job turns into a $3,000 interior repair after the unlicensed guy's caulk fails or he uses the wrong underlayment. Ben says $900 is steep for a patch, but that licensed guy is carrying insurance and actually knows how to find the real source of the problem instead of just slapping some sealant on and hoping for the best. Sure, sometimes the cash guys work out fine for simple stuff, but when they mess up you're basically on your own with a soggy mess.

Did you at least get the shot though? Asking for a friend who also fell for a dry fountain.

@kim191 nailed it. That chemical reaction is done before you even clock out.

Did your buddy try carrying a corded saw across a wet yard in Portland? My friend Mike did a smaller deck in Seattle last spring with a corded model, and he spent half the day untangling the cord from a rhododendron bush and the other half wiping mud off the plug. He swore after that he'd never go back to corded for outdoor work, even if it meant buying three spare batteries.