What to do if a general contractor charges more then the estimate given?
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What to do if a general contractor charges more then the estimate given?
A general contractor gave me a verbal estimate of no more than $1000 for work on my salon, and now wants to charge me over $3000, is there a limit to how much his estimate can go over without new approval? Even a rough estimate should have limits. He said he didn’t have time to get a better estimate from the plumbers because I was in a hurry.
Asked on August 8, 2012 under Business Law, California
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The presumed written contract that you have with the general contractor for the work of improvement controls the costs that you are to pay. If the written agreement states $1,000 then that is the amount you are to pay, nothing more, nothing less. If there is no written contract for the work of improvement signed by you, the presumably licensed contractor will have a difficult time justifying the charges against you as to what you have written about.
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