Inspections can definitely help clear things up, but even then, definitions of "done" can vary. Had a roofing job once where the homeowner expected gutters included—never discussed beforehand. How detailed do you usually get in your walkthrough agreements to avoid surprises like that?
I learned the hard way to spell out every detail after a similar issue. Had a homeowner once assume skylights were part of the deal—awkward conversation afterward. Now I list everything explicitly, even if it feels obvious... saves headaches later.
"Now I list everything explicitly, even if it feels obvious... saves headaches later."
Totally get the logic behind spelling out every detail, but honestly, sometimes being overly explicit can backfire. Had a homeowner once who got overwhelmed by pages of itemized details and started questioning every little thing—like why we needed specific flashing or drip edges. Now I aim for clarity without drowning them in info. It's a balancing act between thoroughness and simplicity, I guess.
I see your point, but in my experience, being detailed upfront usually prevents misunderstandings later. Had a client once who insisted on paying in stages, but because we hadn't clearly defined what each payment covered, things got messy fast—he started holding back payments over minor disagreements. Ever since, I break down payments clearly tied to milestones. Curious though, has anyone found a sweet spot between too much detail and too little when structuring staged payments?
When we renovated our kitchen, we did staged payments too, and honestly, keeping it simple but clear worked best. We had about four milestones—demo, cabinets installed, countertops, and final touches. Each payment was tied to finishing one of those steps. It wasn't overly detailed, but enough to avoid confusion. Maybe the sweet spot is just clearly defined checkpoints without micromanaging every tiny detail...worked for us anyway.
