I got a bid from a local contractor for installing an egress window in my basement, with a breakdown of $1500 for labor and $500 for materials including haul-off. However, after the job was finished, he sent me a bill for $2500 instead of the agreed $2000. He justified the extra charge by saying that more time was needed to trim around the window and finish the stucco on the exterior. Is this kind of cost increase standard practice?
3 Answers
Did you ask the contractor to do any extra work? If the extra work was done without your approval, it’s really on the contractor to manage those issues during the job, not after. That said, if you communicated anything verbally that could imply approval, it might complicate things a bit.
Typically, if a contractor gives you a fixed quote, that's what you should pay. If they encounter unforeseen circumstances that require more work, they should notify you and get your agreement beforehand. In this case, since there was no prior discussion with you about needing extra work, I wouldn't pay more than what was originally quoted.
If there’s nothing in your contract stating that costs could change, I’d say you shouldn’t pay more than the original quote. However, $2500 isn't a bad price for that kind of work. If the job was done well, maybe consider paying it just to keep a good relationship for future jobs.