Pat, I used to tell 'em: "That's the price; you can pay me a straight reasonable price now, or you can pay me to fix the mess up later, and it'll go up 25%."

Everybody (except for one general Contractor) wanted it on the cheap. I set my bids by a basic time and material, plus 10%; I didn't think it was exorbitant, especially considering that the generals or developers that I subbed to were rolling in dough, and I had to scrape just to pay my insurance and bonds. I finally got to where I'd tell 'em what I said above. Quite a few times, they'd go with some other sub, then come to me hat in hand a while later; but, I quit letting them beat on me.