Your customer refuses to pay for a material change.
A refused material-change charge needs evidence of the original scope, the change and the agreement. Separate entitlement from cost so the discussion addresses the actual disagreement.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
The substitution was installed but the price is disputed
A bathroom contractor substitutes a product after a discussion with the customer. The customer accepts the appearance but later rejects the added charge, saying no price was agreed. The contractor has paid the supplier and needs to reconstruct what was authorised before treating the entire extra cost as an undisputed debt.
Ask whether the customer disputes the product, the instruction, the additional price or the claimed amount. Keep those issues separate. A complaint about price is not necessarily rejection of the completed work itself.
Collect the original specification, messages, revised quote and installation records. Preserve the actual wording rather than rewriting a friendly conversation as a formal approval.
Business.gov.au recommends documenting variations and checking relevant construction rules. Have the contract and evidence assessed where entitlement is unclear. Technical acceptance and agreement to pay more may be different questions.
Do not create a retrospective signature or assume silence approved every term. Explain any gap honestly so the adviser can assess the options based on what actually occurred.
Break down the changed material, any credit for the original item and genuine installation differences. Avoid charging both the original and replacement cost without explaining the treatment.
Give the customer a focused reconciliation for review. Keep supported amounts and disputed components identifiable so a discussion about one change does not unnecessarily obscure other invoices.
If a settlement or adjustment is agreed, record what it resolves and how payment or credit will be applied. Seek legal advice on significant release wording or unresolved claims.
For future work, connect specification approval with price and timing approval before ordering or installing. A clear change record protects both the customer's decision and the contractor's billing process.
