The whole category in one page.
THE PRICE IS FIXED BEFORE THE WORK IS UNDERSTOOD, SO PRICING ERRORS CANNOT BE RECOVERED
Estimate from measured quantities, not impressions, and state your exclusions, provisional items and assumptions explicitly. Everything not excluded is assumed included.
VARIATIONS ARE WHERE CONTRACTORS LOSE MONEY
Price every change and get written approval before doing the work. Absorbing changes to preserve goodwill produces jobs that finish at a loss — and the goodwill does not survive the loss.
CLIENT DELAY IS THE COMMONEST CAUSE OF CONTRACTOR LOSS
Put their obligations and decision deadlines in the contract, and record every delay and who caused it.
INSPECT EVERYTHING BEFORE IT IS COVERED, AND PHOTOGRAPH EVERY STAGE WITH DATES
Services, waterproofing and reinforcement cannot be inspected afterwards, and dated photographs answer quality disputes conclusively years later.
FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION DEATHS, AND EXCAVATION COLLAPSES ARE USUALLY FATAL
Provide protective equipment rather than requiring it, and never press for speed at the expense of safety.
RECORD EVERY COST AGAINST A JOB NUMBER, BECAUSE COSTS POOLED ACROSS JOBS REVEAL NOTHING
Most contractors discover that some work they pursue enthusiastically loses money every single time.
NEGOTIATE A DEPOSIT AND SHORT PAYMENT STAGES, SINCE YOU PAY FOR MATERIALS AND LABOUR LONG BEFORE YOU ARE PAID
CALENDAR THE RETENTION RELEASE DATE AND CLAIM IT, BECAUSE IT IS ROUTINELY FORGOTTEN AND QUIETLY KEPT
