Truth or Consequences
Every contractor knows this dance.
A prospect calls. They've got a floor plan. Maybe it’s sketched on graph paper, but they’re excited about it. They’ve got Pinterest boards full of inspiration and dreams of what could be.
Custom island
Pendant lighting
Stone countertops
Farm sink
Soft-close drawers
“I can see you’ve put a lot of thought into this,” you say. “We’d love to work with you on it.”
"Do you have a budget in mind?"
Dead air. The kind that stretches until you wonder if you lost signal.
"Well,” she finally says, “That’s what I called you for. How much would you charge me for that?"
And there it is.
She thinks you're hunting for all she can afford so you can price right up to it.
You're trying to figure out if she understands the cost of what she just described.
The $75,000 Question
Here's the reality: Every contractor has two paths forward in this moment.
Path one:
Tell them what they want to hear.
Quote to win the job, then watch change orders stack up like cordwood.
The electrical upgrade required by code now.
The plumbing rough-in that's way more complicated than it looked.
The cabinet modification because, “Who knew that beam was there?”
Path two:
Press them on their real budget.
Have the awkward conversation now, before anyone signs anything.
Get real clear on what needs to happen, what it’s going to cost, then price it honestly from the start.
Sure, you risk losing the job to the guy who promises miracles for half the cost. But that’s on him, not you.
And, sure, the first path feels easier.
But the second path is better for you and your client.
Hope Is Not A Strategy
The budget conversation has to happen before anyone gets invested.
Before the architect draws up plans.
Before you spend three days calculating materials.
Before expectations harden into demands.
You might think you’ll make it up in change orders, but that’s rarely the case. Most change orders average just 3% profit for small contractors.
And when payment gets delayed—and you know it will—you're coming out of pocket for payroll and floating overhead on razor-thin margins.
And another thing, when hidden costs surface, that same client who balked at your initial price will question every change order.
That means each conversation gets harder.
Each payment takes longer.
And your reputation takes the hit for "unexpected" costs that were inevitable from the start.
The Truth Will Set You Free
Start with the hard conversation.
Make it clear that you're not trying to rake them over the coals. Your job is to deliver maximum value within their actual means.
That may mean scaling back to their minimum viable dream. But by being honest upfront, you've earned the trust needed to guide them there.
The alternative is selling them a fantasy that crumbles with each change order.
The clients who trust you with their real budget become your best clients. They understand that your job isn't to perform miracles, but to maximize value within constraints.
They appreciate it when you suggest quartz instead of stone countertops to get the look they really want at a price they can actually afford.
The ones who won't share their budget?
They're telling you they don't trust you yet. Or they're operating on wishful thinking rather than financial reality.
Both problems are yours to solve or walk away from.
You can build trust and build to their budget, or you can try to build what they say they want at a price they’ll resent you for.
Either way, the truth will come out.
The only question is whether it happens in your office or their half-finished kitchen.
Which sounds better to you?
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