Roof off, and the boards underneath are rotten
The old tiles and battens are off, and the timber underneath is worse than anyone could see from the survey. Some boards are soft. A couple of rafter feet have gone. The gang lead calls the office, the office rings the customer, the customer says 'do what you need to do', and the gang carries on.
At the final invoice, the extra line causes a phone call. The customer remembers agreeing something, but not that much. There is no photo, no written price, nothing signed. You reduce it or drop it to keep the peace.
Why extras go uncharged
Extras on a roofing job are found at the worst possible moment: the roof is open and the gang cannot wait days for a decision. So agreement happens on the phone, in a hurry, with no price in front of the customer. The office often does not find out about it until the invoice is being written.
- Hidden defects are only visible once stripped.
- Agreement is verbal and rushed.
- Photos, if taken, stay on the roofer's phone.
- No price is given at the time, only a rough idea.
- The office hears about it at invoice time.
What undocumented extras cost
The extra work is done, the materials are used, and part or all of the charge is lost. Arguments at invoice time damage a job that was otherwise good. Some customers delay the whole balance over the disputed line. And the surveyor never hears what was found, so the next survey does not allow for it.
The on-site variation capture we build
- On the gang lead's phone, a 'found extra' form linked to the job: what was found, where, photos, and the proposed fix.
- Common extras are listed with your rates, such as replacing boards per square metre, rafter repairs, fascia replacement, so a price builds as the gang lead fills in quantities.
- The office is alerted and can adjust the price before it goes to the customer.
- The customer receives a message with the photos, the description and the price, and approves or declines by link. Their approval is recorded with the time.
- If the customer wants to talk, the office calls them with the same information on screen.
- Approved extras are added to the job and to the final invoice automatically. Declined ones are recorded too.
- Extras are reported by type and by surveyor, so survey allowances can be improved.
| Found extra | Priced from |
|---|---|
| Rotten boards or sarking | Your rate per area |
| Rafter repairs | Your rate per item |
| Fascia and soffit replacement | Your rate per length |
| Chimney work not in scope | Your rate or a quoted price |
| Extra lead | Your rate per length and code |
Your terms of business decide how extras are handled. The system makes sure the way you handle them is written down.
What changes on site and in the office
Customers see what was found and what it costs before the work is done, and they agree in writing. Invoice time is quiet. The office knows about extras on the day they happen. And surveyors learn which roofs tend to hide problems, which improves the next quote.
Does this happen on your jobs?
- Extras are agreed by phone on the day.
- Final invoices are disputed over extra lines.
- You drop or reduce extra charges to avoid arguments.
- Photos of hidden defects are not kept.
- Surveyors do not hear what was found.