My biggest client just pulled a $15,000 job with no notice

It happened last Thursday afternoon. I run a small roofing crew, and this was a full re-roof for a property management company I've worked with for three years. They called me directly to cancel, said they were going with a bigger outfit that offered a lower bid. I had already ordered the materials and scheduled my guys for next Monday. Now I'm stuck with a pallet of shingles in my yard and a week with no work lined up for my team. I scrambled and called every contractor I know to see if they had any overflow, but no luck so far. What do you even do when a long-term client drops you like that? Has anyone else had a major project vanish right before it started, and how did you handle the financial hit?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_hart312mo ago

Going with a bigger outfit" is just business, not a burn like @ray_webb6 says.

ray_webb62mo ago

That property management company burned you pretty bad.

the_james29d ago

Buddy of mine went with a big property management company last year. They promised the world and then charged him for "common area maintenance" that never happened. His AC broke in July and it took them six weeks to send someone. They told him it was because they had to "bid out the repair" to their preferred vendors. Fees just kept showing up on his portal for stuff like a $35 "admin fee" every time he asked a question. He finally got out of the lease early and just ate the penalty.