I wonder if I'll get a "rescue," call ?

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Gave a quote to do 55 patches, a couple off angle beads, re-tape and finish 15 cracked joints, and to skim coat about 95sf of asbestos covered textured ceiling smooth for $4500. Old house was re-wired, so 55 openings in the walls/ceilings from the electrician. I could tell she was sticker shocked at the price but w/e that's my price - and a it's a fair price considering what others in my field charge for the same work. A colleague of mine said he wouldn't do it for any less than $5500 so I felt reasonable quoting a fixed price of $4500.

Followed up with the owner (a Realtor who inherited her parents house and is preparing to rent it for a couple years before selling) and she let me know she's gone with a lower quote, that quoted her less than half (so I'm guessing $2000) and that guy may also do her flooring. Flooring guying refinishing walls and ceilings ? Maybe.. she might get lucky that he has trowel skills and simply doesn't know the market price of the work, but I have a feeling that the guy will do one of two things:

Either ask for more money because it's more work than he figured it would be, or
F it all up requiring the owner to pay more money to someone else (me) to fix it

I decided to stay super professional about it and replied to her text and told her she might get lucky, but to inspect everything Before giving the green light to paint anything as if it needs to be corrected it will be faster and cheaper to do if it hasn't been painted yet.

Never know.. I might get a call to rescue the job - which most guys in my position would say no to lol; like you made your bed now lay in it kind of thing. But if she does call I'll take it over and do it properly, which then may cost her more in total than just hiring me in the first place.. but that'd be a lesson for her to live and learn.

FWIW, a single patch goes for $250 patched & made ready for paint. A property manager friend paid $800 with tax to have one large patch done in a wall, primed, and painted. If this guy has included doing all the same things in his quote - off angle beads, skimming the ceiling, repairing all the cracks properly & installing and finishing 55 patches for paint then he's only allowed somewhere around $20-23 labour costs per patch, which is Not even close to a Tradesman's wage who works a job for a company, never mind someone who has the cost and pita of running their own contracting business.

I mean, of course there are volume discounts with so many patches in one house.. but $20 a piece? Either he's going to ask for more money, doesn't finish the job, or does a bad job at it.. OR he's just flat out terrible at business if he does do a proper job for that price as it would earn him somewhere around minimum wage for his efforts if he's lucky.

Guess I'll wait a couple weeks and find out. Maybe I hear from her, maybe I don't.. just felt like sharing this one here as I get the feeling I might just hear back again as there's bound to be a reason the price is less than half what I quoted to do a proper job.

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