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Estimate Surprises: Ever Found Hidden Costs After Approving?

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josephartist765
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Just got an estimate for some home repairs, looked good at first glance...then noticed a tiny note at the bottom mentioning certain "additional fees may apply." Um, what? 😅 Got me thinking how closely everyone else checks estimates before giving the green light. Quick poll: Do you usually catch hidden fees or exclusions BEFORE approving, or do they sneak up on you after? Curious to hear if I'm alone in my oversight here, haha.


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leadership_adam
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You're definitely not alone—I've seen this more times than I'd like. Had a similar situation recently with a roofing estimate. Looked thorough at first, but buried in the fine print was a clause about "potential structural adjustments" that could significantly bump up costs. Learned the hard way years ago to comb through every line and clarify vague terms upfront. It's tedious, sure, but saves headaches later...especially when dealing with larger projects.


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jerrymechanic
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Yeah, that's a tricky one. As someone who's done a fair share of roofing estimates, I get why contractors include clauses like that—sometimes you genuinely can't tell what's underneath until you start pulling things apart. But you're right, it shouldn't be buried in fine print. Transparency upfront saves everyone headaches later on. Good on you for catching it early...a lot of folks don't until it's too late.


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gaming495
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"Transparency upfront saves everyone headaches later on."

Exactly. Had a similar issue once when replacing siding—found extensive rot underneath that wasn't accounted for. Curious, has anyone successfully negotiated cost-sharing with contractors when unexpected issues crop up mid-job?


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