Guides
Practical guides on tradies, quotes, and real jobs. Written for the people actually doing the work.
Your rights as a customer when a tradies job has actually gone wrong
The Australian Consumer Law and your states building scheme give you more than most customers realise. Here is what they actually say.
Why incentivising reviews is a surefire way to lose your customers respect
Offering a discount for a five-star review feels clever and reads as bribery. The ACCC has been clear, and so are your customers.
What to say when your tradie comes back wanting more money mid-job
Mid-job price increases are common, and not always wrong. Here is how to tell whether the new number is fair, and what to do before you sign off.
Why a perfect five-star average can hurt your business
A flawless five-star score reads as suspicious to anyone paying attention. A few honest fours are usually worth more than a wall of perfect.
Reading a tradies quote without missing the lines that hurt you later
The biggest surprises in a job are not usually hidden in the price. They are hidden in the words around the price. Here is what to actually read.
Writing a plumbing or electrical quote so you dont lose money
A vague quote is where most jobs lose their margin. Here is what to put in writing so the price you quoted is the price you get paid.
Keeping a fair customer-tradie review relationship from going sour
When both sides can review each other, the rules change. Here is how to keep the relationship clean from the first call to the final invoice.
What to do when your building job starts slipping behind
Check the contract dates, ask for the delay in writing, and separate a reasonable extension of time from a job drifting without a plan.
Getting reviews as a plumber when nobody likes leaving reviews
Plumbing customers do not sit down to write reviews unprompted. Here is how to get honest, useful feedback without nagging or sounding desperate.
Prime cost items and provisional sums, what they actually mean
These two line items are where a fixed quote quietly stops being fixed. Here's what they mean and how to read the risk.
Extra work on site, agree it before it turns into a fight
Across the official building guides, the rule is the same: extra work should be described, priced and approved in writing before it starts.
What to do if your tradie stops replying before the job starts
Work out when to chase, when to wait, and when to move on if a tradie goes quiet before the job begins.