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Pre-Job Customer Agreement Reference

Reference BusinessOperations Updated Jul 24, 2026 ยท HVAC · Plumbing · Electrical · Roofing · Garage Door · Appliance Repair · Cleaning · Lawn Care · Pool Service · Pest Control · Carpet Cleaning

Why this matters

Before significant work starts, customer should agree to scope + pricing in writing. Verbal agreements lead to disputes; written agreements protect both parties. The tech who insists on written agreement before work avoids significant problems later. This is the field card.

What an agreement covers

Scope of work:

  • Specific tasks to be performed
  • Materials supplied
  • Excluded items
  • Conditions / assumptions

Pricing:

  • Total cost
  • Itemization
  • Payment schedule
  • Additional cost triggers

Timing:

  • Start date
  • Expected duration
  • Completion date

Warranty:

  • What's covered
  • For how long

Cancellation:

  • Customer's right to cancel
  • Tech's right to cancel
  • Refund policy

Written vs verbal

Verbal:

  • Quick informal
  • No protection
  • Customer + tech may remember differently
  • Disputes hard to resolve

Written:

  • Email, text, signed paper
  • Clear record
  • Dispute resolution easier
  • Standard for any significant work

Best practice: written for anything beyond small repair.

Agreement forms

Estimate (signed):

  • Customer's signature on estimate document
  • Confirms scope + price
  • Common for service businesses

Work order:

  • Lists scope, materials, labor
  • Customer signs at start OR finish
  • Common for repair work

Contract:

  • More detailed
  • Larger projects
  • Specific terms + conditions

Email confirmation:

  • Customer responds confirming
  • Less formal but works
  • Date-stamped

When to use written agreement

Always:

  • Total over small threshold (set per business)
  • Any work beyond standard service call
  • Materials customer pays for
  • Multi-day projects
  • Anything customer may dispute

Sometimes:

  • Quick small repairs (sometimes verbal OK)
  • Diagnostic-only (sometimes verbal)
  • Established repeat customer (judgment)

Always for:

  • New customers
  • Larger work
  • Anything you want documented

Key elements to include

Customer info:

  • Name
  • Service address
  • Phone + email
  • Billing address (if different)

Date:

  • When agreement made

Scope:

  • Detailed list of work
  • Specific materials
  • What's NOT included

Pricing:

  • Subtotal
  • Tax (if applicable)
  • Total
  • Payment method
  • Schedule (deposit, milestones, completion)

Time:

  • Start date
  • Expected completion

Warranty:

  • Workmanship period
  • Manufacturer warranty (if applicable)

Conditions:

  • Customer's responsibilities
  • Access requirements
  • Pet considerations

Cancellation:

  • Customer cancellation policy
  • Tech cancellation policy

Signatures:

  • Customer signature
  • Date
  • Tech signature

Common scope ambiguities

Cleanup:

  • "Clean up after work" - what level?
  • Specify: trash removal, vacuum, etc.

Disposal:

  • Old equipment
  • Customer's OR tech's responsibility

Materials:

  • Brand specified
  • Equivalent OK?

Permit + inspection:

  • Cost separate OR included
  • Who pulls

Code upgrades:

  • Cost of bringing to current code
  • Customer's responsibility usually

Each can become dispute; specify upfront.

When customer hesitates to sign

Sometimes:

  • Customer reading carefully (good)
  • Customer concerned about specific term
  • Customer not ready to commit

Response:

  • Patience
  • Answer questions
  • Adjust scope OR pricing if reasonable
  • Don't push to sign if uncomfortable

If customer can't sign: work doesn't proceed.

When customer signs without reading

Sometimes:

  • Customer trusts you
  • Customer in hurry
  • Quick repair situation

Even then:

  • Brief verbal walkthrough
  • Customer aware of key terms
  • Don't take advantage of customer's trust

Change orders

Scope changes:

  • Customer adds something
  • Tech finds additional issue
  • Conditions discovered

Process:

  • Stop work
  • Document new scope
  • New pricing
  • Customer signature on change order
  • Resume work

Without change order: dispute likely.

Sample agreement (simple repair)

Customer: [Name]
Address: [Service Address]
Date: [Date]

SCOPE OF WORK:
- Replace water heater (50 gallon gas)
- Remove old unit + haul away
- Connect to existing gas line, water lines, vent
- Install new T+P relief discharge

MATERIALS:
- [Brand] 50-gallon gas water heater
- Standard connections

LABOR: $[X]
MATERIALS: $[X]
PERMIT: $[X]
TAX: $[X]
TOTAL: $[X]

PAYMENT: Due upon completion. [Method].

WARRANTY: 1 year workmanship. Manufacturer warranty separate.

TIMING: Work to begin [date]; complete same day.

CANCELLATION: Customer may cancel before work begins.

Customer Signature: ____________ Date: ____
Tech Signature: ____________ Date: ____

Larger projects (multiple pages)

For multi-day OR complex:

  • More comprehensive contract
  • Engineer / architect involvement
  • Insurance + bonding requirements
  • More detailed payment schedule

Customer + business protection.

Customer's right to cancel

Federal law:

  • Door-to-door sales: 3-day cancellation
  • Some states: similar protection

Customer's choice:

  • Within cancellation window
  • Full refund if work hasn't started
  • Pro-rated if started

Tech's right to cancel

Reasons:

  • Customer's site conditions different than represented
  • Customer's payment insufficient
  • Customer unsafe conditions
  • Tech unable to perform

Process:

  • Communicate to customer
  • Refund deposit if appropriate
  • Document reason

When customer disputes after work

If customer says "I didn't agree to that":

Written agreement saves you:

  • Signed scope
  • Signed pricing
  • Customer can't credibly claim otherwise

Without written:

  • He-said / she-said
  • Customer often wins disputes
  • Cost to business

Documentation throughout job

Start:

  • Signed agreement / work order
  • Photos of pre-existing conditions

During:

  • Photos of work in progress
  • Changes documented (change orders)

End:

  • Photos of completed work
  • Customer signature on completion
  • Receipt provided

Comprehensive paper trail.

Specific scenarios

Customer signs estimate, then wants discount:

  • "We agreed to this price"
  • Honor agreement
  • Don't negotiate after signed

Customer's work different than estimate:

  • Show signed estimate
  • "Here's what we agreed to do"
  • Address discrepancy

Customer requests more work than agreed:

  • Change order
  • New pricing
  • New signature

Customer disputes amount on invoice:

  • Reference signed agreement
  • Detailed breakdown
  • Resolve based on written terms

When customer can't be present

For agreement:

  • Email + electronic signature
  • Family member with authorization
  • Verbal phone (recorded sometimes)
  • Document email exchange

Customer's authority

Verify:

  • Customer is decision-maker
  • For renters: landlord approval (sometimes)
  • For commercial: authorized agent
  • Don't take agreement from unauthorized

Insurance + bonding consideration

For larger work:

  • Customer's review of insurance certificate
  • Customer's bond holders
  • Customer's lien rights
  • Important for major projects

Lien waivers

References

  • State contractor licensing laws
  • Federal Trade Commission consumer protection
  • Manuall internal: Estimate vs Quote vs Bid, Customer Communication Standards

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