Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3w
Quote from @JS Burnett:
Client came to me convinced their contractor was over-billing. I went through the draw schedule line by line.
Contractor wasn't over-billing. Client's own scope changes weren't documented anywhere, so every change order looked like padding.
Fixed with a change-order log, not a lawsuit. Sometimes the fix is boring. That's usually the sign it's the right one.
Great example, JS. A simple paper trail can save everyone a lot of headaches. Scope changes happen all the time during a rehab, but if they’re only discussed verbally, it gets really hard to remember what was originally included versus what was added later. A clear change-order log with the added work, cost, date, and approval keeps both the investor and contractor accountable and can prevent a small misunderstanding from turning into a bigger dispute.