Found a hidden problem mid-job — what to do before you carry on
You lift a floor and find rot. You open a wall and find old wiring. The quote did not cover it. This guide shows when to stop, what to tell the client, and how to price the extra work. It also covers a client who says no and a safety stop. It shows how to quote so it hurts less next time.
When you find a hidden problem mid-job, stop before you fix it. Tell the client the same day. Show them what you found, with photos from your own phone. Give options and price the extra work as its own line. Get a written yes before you start. If it is not safe to continue, stop and call a specialist.
You lift a floor and find rot. You open a wall and find old wiring. The quote did not cover it, and the client does not know yet. What you do in the next hour decides whether this is a short talk or a dispute.
Stop before you fix it
Do not do unquoted work on a fixed-price job. It is tempting. The fix looks small, and the client is not there. But the client has not agreed to pay for it. Stop work on that part of the job. Carry on with anything else that is safe.
Tell the client the same day
Do not wait for the final invoice. Send a short text first. Say that you found something, that you have stopped, and when you will send details. Then show them.
Take photos on your own phone. Put something in the frame for scale, such as a tape measure. Send them with a short note on what you see. A client who can see the problem trusts you more.
The hidden problems pack has the text and the email for this step.
Give options, not one price
One price feels like a demand. Options feel like a choice. Offer three:
- Fix it now. You do it while the area is open.
- A temporary repair. It holds for now. The full fix comes later.
- Leave it. You finish the quoted work. You both write down that the client chose this.
Say what each option costs and what each one risks. Keep the tone calm.
Price the extra work as its own line
Do not fold the new cost into the old quote. Write it as a separate line, with its own amount and any change to the finish date. Ask the client to reply "yes, go ahead". A text reply is enough. Do not start until you have it.
The extra work and scope pack covers smaller add-ons and changes the client asks for.
If the client says no
The client may say no, or ask you to carry on at the old price. Stay calm. The old quote did not include this, because nobody could see it.
- Write down what you found, the date, and the options you offered.
- Write down what the client chose.
- Send that to the client in writing.
- Finish only the quoted work, and only if it is safe.
That record helps if the problem grows later.
A safety stop
Sometimes the problem is not about money. It may not be safe to go on. Stop and say so. Name the kind of specialist who must check it. Do not advise on asbestos, building rules or insurance yourself. Those are for the specialist.
Keep it in one place
In BizBinder, write a dated note on the job. Say what you found and what the client chose. Add the extra work as its own line. Invoice what happened.
BizBinder stores no photos and has no approval or e-sign step. It sends none of these messages. Keep the photos on your phone, and write each message yourself.
Next time: quote for it
You cannot see behind a wall. You can say so in the quote. Add an exclusions line, such as "hidden defects are not included". Add a contingency when you cannot see all of the job. The terms and conditions tool has a clause for this, called "scope-hidden-defects". The guide on how long a job will take shows how to size a contingency.
Before the start, or mid-job
This page covers a surprise after work starts. A job that does not match the photos, found before you start, is a re-quote at the door. The guide on quoting a job you have not seen covers that case.
Where the other guides pick up
- Before the job: how to quote a job.
- During the job: keeping the client updated.
- The job runs late: running late and overruns.
Common questions
Can I charge for a hidden problem on a fixed-price job?
Usually the extra work is a new job. Price it as its own line and get a written yes before you start. Work done without that yes is hard to charge for. This guide gives no legal advice.
What if the client thinks I am upselling?
Show them. Take clear photos on your own phone, with something in the frame for scale. Offer a second opinion. A client who can see the problem seldom doubts it.
What if the problem is a safety risk?
Stop work and tell the client. Name the kind of specialist who must check it. Do not give advice on asbestos, building rules or insurance. Those are for a specialist.
Does BizBinder store the photos or get the approval?
No. BizBinder stores no photos and has no approval or e-sign step. You write a dated note on the job with what you found and what the client chose. You add the extra work as its own line.
Want what you found and what the client chose kept with the job?
BizBinder stores no photos, has no approval or e-sign step, and sends none of these messages. You send each message yourself. It does give each job a dated notes history. Write a note with what you found and what the client chose. Add the extra work as its own line, and invoice what happened.