Help.once a quote is established and you hire the contractor do they have the right to ask for more money?

Question

we have been having a lot of problems with our contractor who is building a deck and ramp for us. he has been nothing but difficult. he has already raised his original quote by 4 hundred dollars, and now he is complaining that the ramp is more work than he thought. the 4 hundred dollar increase was for the ramp, and now we are afraid he is going to ask for some more maybe a lot more at the end of the job. does he have the right to do this, or is he in breach of what he originally hired him to do. we live in alberta, and i want to know what rights we have for protection, we want to be fair, but this guys has been just one huge problem. if you can help us i would so appreciate it.

Answer 1

Hopefully you got a written contract with quoted price.  Both parties, you and the contractor signed the contract.  A contractor can request more money, doesn't mean you have to pay it.  

Answer 2

No, you each entered into a contract for services at the quoted price. If the services are somehow increased, then the additional price for that increase is a separate contract.  You do NOT have to pay any more than the quoted price for the work the contractor agreed to do; it is his job as a professional, to know his business well enough to predict the risks of under-stating the costs, and has thus locked himself into the quote when you accepted the offer.  He can't say, "oh, sorry, this is harder than I thought it would be," and expect you to want to pay more for his mistake!

In fact, you may want to pay LESS, now that you find out that he is completely incompetent and fraudulently misled you into hiring him in the first place.  In some states there are consumer protection laws that require a contractor to give a written estimate, with specifics, and to pay a fine if there are unexpected changes to the price, or if he decides to walk off the job when you refuse to pay the extra kick.  

Answer 3

get a quote some someone else you know like a second opinion. this guy looks like hes going to want more. you should have gotten it in writing. but get a quote from someone else and see whats your option if your next quote is less tell this guy you know someone who can do the job for a lower price and see what he says. it won't cost you to get a second quote but it will give you options.