Exactly How to Talk to Contractors

TLDR

Separate workmanship requirements from owner preferences. Set both three ways: verbal, written, and video. An explicitly stated preference becomes part of the agreed work, though I often choose more grace when one is missed.

Table of Contents

• The Universal Rule vs the Preference.
• Setting Expectations Three Ways.
• Money, Materials, and the Pay Schedule.
• When a Universal Rule Gets Broken.
• When a Preference Gets Missed.
• What About Liens?.
• FAQ.

The Universal Rule vs the Preference

I’ve done over 300 flips. I own 150 rentals. I send contractor 1099s to a three-figure number of vendors in a year. Point is, I’ve had a lot of conversations with contractors.

Here’s what most new investors miss. There are two different categories of things you care about on a job, and they need totally different conversations.

Universal rules. This is my label for basic workmanship requirements that do not depend on my taste. In the source, I showed a drywall job with mesh tape at the ceiling, no corner beads, clumps in the mud, and cracking throughout. I treated the whole failed result as unacceptable workmanship, not an aesthetic preference. On a real dispute, verify the requirement against the agreed spec, manufacturer instructions, trade standard, and code that actually applies.

User preferences. These are your choices, and they are not automatically obvious to anyone. I want LVP to flow through the whole house without transition strips at the doorways. A lot of contractors would prefer to use transition strips because each room can be done separately, which is easier. Running the flooring continuously makes the house feel like a house instead of a group of rooms. That is my preference. It’s not universal. I have to say it.

Another one. I hate paint on door hinges. You could argue that’s universal, but I always explicitly point it out. If I find paint on the door hinges, I’m going to make the painter scrape it off.

Setting Expectations Three Ways

When I meet a contractor on a job site to set up a chunk of work, I always set expectations three ways.

The video captures the same expectations. In the source example, I restate that the LVP flows without transition strips, then confirm the LVP, paint, and drywall scope and whether trim paint belongs to somebody else.

Then I send them the video and the written scope. I ask them to bid against both. When the bid comes back, it’s pegged to three forms of the same spec. If they missed something, we see it. If I missed something, we see it too.

Pro Tip

I’ve got 20 projects going at any given time. I forget preferences. I forget scope items. The video is as much protection for the contractor as it is for me.

The reason I do chunks of work, not individual tasks, is simple. In my experience, chunks get better pricing and create fewer touches for me. That means fewer trips to the job site.

Money, Materials, and the Pay Schedule

My practice in this lesson is to keep labor payments behind verified work.

If a contractor tells me they need money for materials, I get it. I would not want to front the money in their position either. My example is a Home Depot Pro account: I pay for materials directly and can see what is being bought against the scope of work.

There is still risk because material can disappear. My operating rule is that labor payment follows the agreed completion. Structure any lawful deposit or material payment in the written agreement so you do not get financially ahead of verified value.

And their pay schedule comes in with the bid. I want to know exactly which completions trigger which draws. When they ask for a payment, we look at the scope of work, the video walkthrough, and the pay schedule together. The money is the power. That’s not nefarious, it’s just physics. If I’ve paid them ahead, I’ve given up the power to hold them accountable.

When a Universal Rule Gets Broken

Here’s a real example. A drywaller did the worst drywall work I’ve ever seen. Mesh tape at the ceiling. No corner beads. Clumps in the mud. Cracking all over. Calls himself a drywaller.

When he asks for the payment, this is how the conversation goes.

“Dude, this isn’t going to hold up. I can’t accept it as finished work.”

Not combative. Not aggressive. Just true.

Then I give him the out.

“I don’t want to screw anybody over. I know you’ve done some hard work. I’m not in this business to burn bridges. I want to give you the opportunity to fix this. I have a timeline to keep, so I need it done quickly. It’s going to be hard because you’ll have to scrape off the mud you messed up and redo it. But I want to give you that shot first.”

My stated next step was to offer him the chance to cure the work first. If he refused, I planned to hire the correction and deduct that cost from his bid. Whether a particular contract and local law allow that remedy is a separate question; the source does not settle it.

Costly Mistake

Do not confuse kindness with accepting failed work. Confirm the requirement, show the documented condition, offer the cure described in your agreement, and follow the contract and local payment rules.

When a Preference Gets Missed

Say the contractor forgets to run the flooring continuously. He put transition strips at every door. That’s my preference, not a universal rule. What do I do?

I lean on the side of “I’m in the wrong, not you.”

“Gosh, you forgot about the transition strips. That’s frustrating. It might affect whether I hire you for the next one. But fine, I don’t want to burn the bridge over this.”

If I never said the preference clearly, I lean toward owning the mistake instead of pretending the contractor should have read my mind. But the source makes a second point: once a preference was explicitly stated in the written, verbal, and video expectations, it becomes part of the agreed job. Grace is a judgment call, not an automatic rule to pay and move on.

What About Liens?

Every time I talk about pushing back on a bad job, someone asks about mechanic’s liens.

In the recording, I said a lien can happen, told viewers to document the drywall with pictures and video, and predicted I would not be concerned about that example. I also said every courtroom is different and I am not the judge.

Do not turn that prediction into a legal rule. Lien rights, notices, deadlines, remedies, and payment duties vary by jurisdiction and contract. A filed lien can affect title or a closing before anyone decides who was right about the work. Preserve the scope, bid, video, photos, payment record, and messages. If a lien is threatened or filed, get prompt advice from a local construction attorney and title professional.

Common Mistake

Do not assume the contractor will skip the paperwork or that a judge will agree with you. Document the work, check that your position is reasonable, and follow the local process instead of improvising around a title claim.

If you’re a business owner, sometimes you’ll face a legal situation. The source’s closing instruction was to stand your ground while also checking that you are being reasonable: “If you’re being an a-hole, come on, man.”

FAQ

How do I know if something is a universal rule or just my preference?

Check yourself and verify that the requirement is truly universal. One contractor saying, “That isn’t how my daddy taught me,” does not decide it. Use the applicable code, manufacturer instructions, agreed specification, and qualified trade evidence rather than an invented vote count.

What if my contractor says my preferences are unreasonable?

Listen and check whether the preference conflicts with the actual condition or trade requirement. The source’s main test is simpler: was the preference explicitly included in the written, verbal, and video expectations, or are you expecting the contractor to read your mind?

I’m brand new. How do I build a written scope of work?

Bring a written scope of work to the contractor walk, refine it with the trade’s input, and record the shared walkthrough. Use the related SOW Walkthrough Questions tool for the separate checklist; this source does not recite every job or specification.

What’s the single most important conversation habit to develop?

Expectation-setting three ways. Verbal, written, video. Every project, every contractor, every time. If you only do one thing from this article, do that.

Can I just use a formal contract instead?

The source focuses on the written scope, pay schedule, and video walkthrough as the operating record. It does not say those items replace any contract, notice, lien, licensing, or payment requirement that applies to the job.