Skip to content
BizBinder
Early access open Get early access

Popular in the binder

Can’t find it? Tell us what you were after →

Templates

Hidden problem scripts, for a problem the quote did not cover

Six messages for a problem you find mid-job. Tell the client you have stopped, and show what you found with options. Price the extra work as its own line. Confirm what the client chose, or reply to a client who wants the old price. Stop safely when a specialist must look. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

A hidden problem is not your fault. It is also not in the quote. These six messages help you stop, show the client, and agree the next step in writing.

Take the photos on your own phone. Write a dated note on the job. For a client who asks for more work in general, use the extra work pack. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Scripts

Script 01 · Stop work, same day

Text

Hi [Client name], [Your name] here. I found a problem at [place] that was not in the quote. I have stopped work on that part. I will send you photos and options by [time] today. Nothing else is affected. [Your name]

Why it works The client hears it from you first, and learns that you have not done any unquoted work.

Script 02 · What I found, with photos and options

Email

Subject: [Job]: what I found at [place]

Hi [Client name], When I opened up [place], I found [what you found]. The photos are attached. I took them today. You have three options: 1. Fix it now. I can do this for an extra amount, which I will send as a separate price. 2. Make a temporary repair, and leave the full fix for later. 3. Leave it as it is. I finish the quoted work, and we both note that you chose this. Please tell me which you prefer by [date]. [Your name]

Why it works Options let the client choose, so you do not look like you are selling. The photos show the problem is real.

Script 03 · The price for the extra work

Email

Subject: [Job]: price for the extra work

Hi [Client name], Here is the price for the extra work at [place]: [the extra work], for [Amount]. This is separate from the original quote. It adds [number] days to the job. The new finish date is [date]. Please reply "yes, go ahead" so I have it in writing. I will not start this part until I hear from you. [Your name]

Why it works A separate line keeps the original quote clean. A written yes protects both of you.

Script 04 · The client says no

Email

Subject: [Job]: what we agreed about [place]

Hi [Client name], Thank you for your reply. So we both have it in writing: on [date] I found [what you found] at [place]. I offered [the options]. You chose [what the client chose]. I will finish only the quoted work: [the quoted work]. I have not touched [place]. If you change your mind, tell me and I will send a price. [Your name]

Why it works The record says what you found and what the client chose. It helps if the problem grows later.

Script 05 · The client asks you to carry on at the old price

Text

Hi [Client name], [Your name] here. I understand you want to keep to the quoted price. The quote covers [the quoted work]. It does not cover [what you found], because nobody could see it. I can do the quoted work only, or add the extra for [Amount]. Which do you prefer? [Your name]

Why it works The message stays calm and gives two clear choices. It does not give the work away.

Script 06 · A safety stop

Text

Hi [Client name], [Your name] here. I have stopped work at [place]. I cannot continue until a [type of specialist] has checked it. I do not give advice on this myself. Please call one before anyone works there. I will send you what I found. [Your name]

Why it works You stop, you say why, and you name who must look. You do not advise on the rules yourself.

Questions

Should I fix the problem first and tell the client later?
On a fixed-price job, no. Stop, tell the client, and agree the price first. Work you do before the client agrees may not be paid. These scripts give no legal advice.
Is a text reply enough as a yes?
A text or email is a record both of you can read later. Ask the client to reply "yes, go ahead". For a big extra, point to your terms.
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.
Do these messages send automatically?
No. You write and send every message on this page yourself. BizBinder stores no photos and has no approval step. You can add a note to the job to record what you found.

Keep reading

Staying organized

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 ends with how to quote so it hurts less next time.

 Quoting

How long will a job take — work out the parts, then correct the total

Most quotes get the rate right and the hours wrong. A job has parts that are not the work itself: travel, setup, materials, clean-up, and waiting. This guide breaks the job into those parts. Then it shows how to correct the total with your own overrun history, not a feeling.

 Quoting

How to write a quote that wins the work (and becomes the invoice)

Put line items, deposits and terms up front. The quote a client signs then becomes the invoice you send, with nothing retyped.

 Templates

Extra work and scope-change scripts, before it becomes a dispute

Five messages for a job that grows past the original quote. Flag extra work on site, mention a small add-on, and get a cost approved before you start. Handle a client-caused delay, and re-quote after the spec changes. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

 Templates

Delay and overrun scripts, for the day the hold-up is yours

Seven messages for the day you run late, run over, or get blocked. Cover running late today, an overrun into tomorrow, a postponement, weather, and a late part. Add another trade that is not finished. One script apologises after you miss a slot. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

Want what you found and what the client chose kept with the job?

You write and send every message on this page yourself. BizBinder stores no photos and has no approval or e-sign step. 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.

A human reads every one. No newsletter, ever.

Filed

You are on the list.

A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.

  1. 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
  2. 02 You get an invite as spots open.
  3. 03 Your admin starts filing itself.

The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.

Open the free library →