Am I the only one who thought a verbal agreement was enough for a small job?

I was at a coffee shop in Boise and overheard a contractor telling a friend he got stiffed for $1,500 on a deck repair because they never signed anything. I always figured a handshake deal was fine for stuff under a few grand, but now I'm rethinking that. For small jobs, do you guys still get everything in writing, or is that overkill?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.wyatt10d ago

Watched my neighbor lose out on a fence payment last year over the same thing. I mean, it feels awkward asking for a contract with someone you see at the grocery store, but people get weird about money fast. Maybe it's just me, but I've started texting a quick summary of the job and price so there's at least some record. It's sad how a little bit of cash can make a handshake deal totally fall apart.

williamt4410d ago

Yeah @park.wyatt, did your neighbor ever get their money back after that?