Some customers think they can shift all the blame when something goes wrong.

What would you do if a builder tried to make you responsible for a problem you didn’t cause?

Would you do the work to keep the peace?

Or would you find a way to make sure you got paid fairly for your time and effort?

In the following story, one flooring installer finds himself in this exact situation.

Here’s what happened.

Shiny Floors

In the early 2000s, I was a floor installer for new homes.

One of the floors we installed was sheet vinyl.

Most of the homes near us are built on concrete slabs.

Before the vinyl can be installed, we prep the concrete for holes, cracks, and other irregularities.

Most of the time, it takes 30 minutes to prep; anything over that is an extra charge to the builder.

This year, the vinyl manufacturers came out with a new vinyl floor that was very smooth with little texture on it.

That means it shows every imperfection in the concrete.

We started to get complaints from the new homeowners about high spots and low spots in the concrete showing through the vinyl.

Long story short, the builder blames us and wants us to replace the floor for “free” to make the homeowners happy.

We explain that the concrete is the problem, and we did not pour the concrete.

He wanted the work done, so he signed an order.

He said it’s our problem once we install the floor.

Ok then, the next day I go to my next home, spending an extra hour with a 10 ft level, making every imperfection I can find.

I ask the builder how “he” wants to fix the floor.

He tells me to prep it, and I have him sign my work order giving me permission to charge extra for prepping the concrete.

We charged $ 150/hr to prep in those days, much more now.

I spent all day prepping the concrete.

Later that afternoon, the builder stopped by, wondering why I was still there.

Little did he know, he had agreed to a whole lot of charges.

I told him that if I was going to be responsible for the concrete, I was going to make sure it was right.

I came back the next day and spent another 4 hrs prepping before going to the builder.

I told him I believe it’s ready for vinyl, but I need him to inspect it in case I missed anything.

He walked over to the house and saw everything I did on the floor.

I told him if it’s to “his” expectations, he needs to sign my work order stating he approves the prep work, and I can install my vinyl.

He realized I turned the tables on him and reluctantly signed my work order.

I got paid over 12 hours of prep @ $ 150/hr.

We never got stuck replacing another floor for free ever again.

Wow! Next time, he should read the fine print.

Let’s see what the folks over at Reddit have to say about this story.

This person brings up a good point.

According to this comment, it’s the floor guy’s problem.

Here’s someone who would never blame the floor guy.

This is good to know.

Good for him!

Next time, the home builder will plan better.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.