Your client wants a discount after the job

If the work was done as agreed and the client accepted it, the price is the price. You can choose to give something back, but the answer to "can you do better?" is a question back: what's wrong with the work?

A contractor on a fixed-price job asked what others would do. His crew finished early, and the customer decided that a fast job should cost less. He'd also done some extra casing at no charge along the way. Another contractor's job had grown from $12,000 to $17,500 through the client's own additions, and then the client asked for a lower price.

How to answer

• Ask what the problem is. If there's a real defect, fix it and put it on the punch list.
• If there isn't one, say so kindly and plainly. "The price was fixed so you knew the cost up front. Finishing early means the schedule worked, and the price stays as agreed."
• Point to the record. The contract price plus each change the client asked for equals the total. Every number has a reason.
• If you choose to give something, give it as something. A named credit, written down, in exchange for the final payment today.

Make your free work count

The contractor with the free casing had given the client something real, and it left no trace. Write free extras down as changes at $0. When the discount conversation comes, you can show the client that they already got one. More on that in scope creep.

Why a small discount is a big one

A 5% discount sounds small. On the $17,500 job, it's $875. If your margin on that job is 15%, your profit was $2,625, and the discount takes a third of it. Say the arithmetic out loud to yourself before you answer, and if you do give something, give it knowing what it costs. It also helps to know that clients who get money off by asking after the job tend to ask again on the next one.

This is general information, not legal advice. States differ on what a home improvement contract and its changes must contain. Check with your state’s contractor licensing board or an attorney.