Every contractor has heard the warnings about shady companies who take deposits and disappear. I’ll be honest — sometimes those stories are true. But what rarely gets talked about are the customers who rip off contractors. The ones who call for help, keep adding more tasks, then turn around and fight to pay less than even the original estimate.
This is one of those jobs I handled in North Bergen. I’m sharing it not just to vent, but because homeowners in our community deserve to understand the real work that goes into drywall repairs, patching, and all the extras that often come with handyman services. And for other contractors reading this, I hope it serves as a reminder to protect yourself.
The Original Estimate
It started simple. The customer emailed photos of a few drywall areas that needed patching after some leak damage. From the pictures, it looked like a basic repair: small ceiling cuts, a couple of wall marks. I gave a phone estimate of about $1,500–$1,850 for 1 man over 2.5 days.
And I was very clear:
- This was not a final price.
- Once we opened things up, we’d confirm a proper number.
No painting, no siding repair, no garage door opener and installation, no big extras. Just patch and close.
Caption: What the customer first sent us — ceiling stains and drywall markings that looked like a small patch job from the photos alone.
The Reality Onsite
The second I walked into their North Bergen home, I knew the job wasn’t as small as the pictures made it seem.
- The ceiling in the kids’ bedroom wasn’t just a patch. Half of it had to be opened to inspect leaks.
- The drywall work from a past contractor was left half-finished. I had to undo and redo it.
- Spackling had to be done over much larger areas.
- The customer added extras: unclogging a sink, re-insulating, fixing the toilet chain, caulking the tub, even more small fixes.
At that point, this wasn’t a one-man, 2.5-day job. It was two men, two full days. That’s $3,000 in labor, minimum.
Caption : Once onsite, we discovered hidden issues behind the drywall. The ceilings had to be opened up, exposing pipes and structural areas that weren’t visible in the pictures.
Silence and Avoidance
We called the homeowner to confirm the updated estimate. No answer. We emailed. No answer.
But here’s the thing — she let the work continue. She watched us patch, cut, re-insulate, and fix bathroom issues, fully aware these were extras.
It’s the same way things go with other services. I’ve seen people call carpentry companies near me for a fence repair and then try to tack on shelving, trim, and even siding repair NJ while the carpenter is already there. Or when someone gets a phone estimate for the cost of fence and installation but then wants gates, staining, and repairs rolled in without discussing cost.
It’s not just drywall. I’ve been on jobs where someone calls for door installation near me but then adds weather stripping, adjusting the frame, and re-painting without understanding how much should a 10×10 kitchen remodel cost compared to a basic door job. Every trade gets this — whether it’s electricians near me, painters, or siding contractors NJ.
Caption : The job quickly grew beyond drywall. The customer added plumbing extras like unclogging the sink, inspecting under the vanity, and fixing the toilet chain.
The Dispute
By the time the roof (which another contractor had to fix) became the next step, we’d completed most of the drywall work and the extras. That’s when the homeowner’s husband got involved.
He claimed the revised $3,000 estimate “already included” closing the daughter’s ceiling, so if we didn’t do that part, we owed him a $3,000 credit. That logic made no sense — finishing that ceiling was realistically worth $600–$750 in labor, not the cost of the entire project.
Then he shifted his story. He said he could get the ceiling done for $1,500–$1,800. So he only wanted to pay us $1,500 for two full days of professional work completed by two men. After pushing back and forth, he suggested “splitting the difference” at $1,750.
To put that in perspective:
- They wanted to pay less than our original phone quote — and that estimate didn’t even include the long list of extras and unexpected repairs we had already completed.
- All of this after they kept adding new tasks on top of the original scope.
This is the reality many handyman services face in Bergen County. Homeowners will look up handyman Jersey City NJ or handyman Bergen County NJ, see a rough estimate, and then argue down the final number no matter what the actual labor looks like.
Caption; Midway through — multiple ceiling cuts, unfinished drywall from past work, and new patches being installed. This stage showed just how much larger the project had become
The Outcome
After weeks of calls, texts, and back-and-forth, they finally agreed to pay $2,000 plus materials. That’s a thousand dollars less than the labor should have cost. It only covered my and my coworker’s bare minimum labor compared to the explicitly of the project.
And this isn’t uncommon. I’ve seen it in painting, too. Someone asks for the cost to paint a house or “how much to paint a house” but they don’t account for prep, caulking, drywall repair, or ceiling damage. By the time the final invoice comes, they think the painter is overcharging. Same story with siding jobs. A homeowner wants NJ siding and windows but expects the price of siding contractors NJ to match what they read online, not what’s actually required.
Lessons Learned
That North Bergen job was one of those hard-earned lessons. Here’s what I remind myself and other contractors:
- Never lock in a price from photos. Always inspect onsite before quoting.
- Label all phone quotes as rough estimates only — in writing.
- Stop work if updated payment terms aren’t confirmed. Silence doesn’t mean agreement.
- Get change orders signed, even for “little” extras like unclogging a sink or caulking.
- Trust your gut. If a homeowner avoids calls and emails, it’s a red flag.
It’s the same advice I give homeowners when they ask me how much should a 10×10 kitchen remodel cost or for a kitchen remodel cost estimator. Numbers online — whether for a 12×12 kitchen remodel cost or drywall patching — are just starting points. The reality depends on the home, the hidden conditions, and the labor involved.
FAQ: Handyman Services in Bergen County
Q: Why do estimates change after the job starts?
Because photos never tell the full story. Just like kitchen remodeling New Jersey, once walls or ceilings are opened, hidden issues appear.
Q: Can I save money by lumping multiple jobs together?
Yes, but expect the cost to scale with the added work. A sink unclog and drywall patch aren’t the same skillset, but a handyman can cover both — for a price.
Q: How do I know if I’m hiring the right person?
Search for carpentry services, handyman Bergen County NJ, or siding contractors NJ. Then check reviews, ask for written estimates, and confirm change-order policies upfront.
Q: Why are painting and siding jobs so expensive compared to online “averages”?
Because the cost of fence and installation or how much to paint a house doesn’t factor in prep, local labor rates, or surprise issues. Online numbers are rough guides, not guarantees.
This North Bergen experience wasn’t about losing money on one drywall job. It was about what happens when homeowners don’t respect the time, labor, and expertise that go into handyman work.
Quick Sidekick isn’t just here for drywall repair. We handle everything from installing a garage door and opener to siding repair NJ, carpentry services, and full kitchen remodeling New Jersey.
Most of the time, homeowners treat us fairly. But for the times they don’t, stories like this one serve as reminders: protect your time, protect your crew, and know the value of your work.
We proudly serve Hoboken, Jersey City, North Bergen, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Teaneck, Paramus, Edgewater, Ridgefield, Weehawken, Union City, Englewood, Bayonne, Bergenfield, Cliffside Park, Fair Lawn, Guttenberg, Hasbrouck Heights, Kearny, Lyndhurst, Newark, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, Rutherford, Secaucus, West New York and nearby areas.
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