Wasted a full day trying to save $200 on a custom shower door install

Had a job in Phoenix last month where the client wanted a frameless shower door on a wall that was out of plumb by almost an inch. I tried to fudge it with shims and a thicker hinge, thinking I could avoid the cost of a wall repair. Ended up spending 8 hours on site, the door never sat right, and I had to eat the labor and redo the whole wall anyway. Lost the whole day's pay, about $800, and looked bad to the client. Should have just called a drywall guy from the start. Anyone have a good rule for when to just say no to a tricky install?

3 comments

3 Comments

irisg571mo ago

Actually, sometimes you gotta try the hard way first. That's how you learn the real tricks, you know? Saving a wall repair is a huge win when it works. Maybe next time a different shim or a custom hinge order would have fixed it. Giving up and calling another trade right away kills the chance to get better at your own job. A few lost days are just the cost of getting good at the tough stuff.

taylorhunt13d ago

Yeah but how do you know when you're actually learning something vs just banging your head against the wall for no good reason? I've definitely been there where I spent like three extra days messing with a door that was never gonna sit right no matter what shims I threw at it. At some point you gotta be honest with yourself about whether the "lesson" is worth losing sleep and the customer's patience. What's your cutoff for calling it quits and bringing in the painter or drywall guy?

adam6751mo ago

Sounds like a good way to learn how to fix walls too.