When it comes to working with contractors, clear communication is key, especially when it involves specific measurements.

So, what would you do if a contractor took your vague instructions a little too literally, resulting in a bill that was much higher than you expected?

This homeowner had to handle a contractor who wasn’t concerned enough about the bottom line.

Here’s what happened.

You want it to be two-by-four?

My friend was asking for a basement bar to be built out of cedar. Main support / face was to be vertical 2×4 inch cedar wood – probably 40-50 pieces total about 3 feet long.

The contractor asks, “How close to 2×4 do you want it?”

The friend shrugs and says, “I don’t know, pretty close, I guess.”

Be very specific when speaking to a contractor.

He didn’t know that 2×4 is the unfinished size of the wood, and the finishing process cuts it about 1/8 inch shorter on all sides.

The contractor knew but wasn’t going to tell.

Contractor charges him about 5 times as much as expected for the wood.

When my friend complains, the contractor says, “I had to mill it down from 3×6 stock. I asked you how close you wanted.”

Friend grudgingly paid, but it was the last time this contractor was used.

Yikes! That was a lot more money than expected!

Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit had to say about this.

To this person, it sounds like a scam rather than compliance.

Here’s some excellent advice.

This person doesn’t believe the story at all.

Yet another person who says this is not compliance.

This contractor should lose his license.

Scamming people and misleading them is not a reputable way to do business.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.