You visit the property.
Discuss the work with the person who contacted you.
Agree what needs doing.
Send the quote.
They accept it.
Everything seems straightforward.
Then you arrive to start and somebody else says:
“That's not what we wanted.”
Or halfway through the job:
“My husband wanted those on the other wall.”
Then:
“You'll need to speak to the landlord about the extra cost.”
And finally:
“I thought the builder was paying you.”
Suddenly the problem isn't the work.
It's that several people are involved and nobody has clearly established who is actually making the decisions.
This can happen on everything from a small domestic repair to a major renovation.
The solution isn't refusing to deal with anyone except one person.
It's understanding the roles before important decisions are made.
1. Find Out Who the Customer Actually Is
This sounds obvious.
It isn't always.
The person who phones you might be:
The homeowner.
A tenant.
The homeowner's partner.
An adult child arranging work for a parent.
A landlord.
A letting agent.
A property manager.
A main contractor.
Or simply the person who happened to be available.
One of your first questions should therefore establish who you're working for.
That doesn't need to sound formal.
Something as simple as:
“Are you the person who'll be approving the work and quotation?”
can reveal a lot.
If the answer is no, find out who is.
You want to know who is entering into the agreement with you before the job begins, particularly where significant money is involved.
2. Separate the Contact Person From the Decision-Maker
The easiest person to communicate with isn't necessarily the person authorised to make decisions.
Imagine you're renovating a bathroom.
One partner works from home and is present every day.
Naturally, you speak to them regularly.
But both homeowners are making the major decisions together.
The person standing in front of you says:
“Actually, could we change those tiles?”
Can they approve that?
Probably.
But if the change adds £1,200 to the project, confirming it properly becomes much more important.
You don't need to make ordinary communication difficult.
Just understand which decisions require formal approval and from whom.
3. Establish Who Can Approve Additional Costs
This is where confusion can become expensive.
You uncover an unexpected problem.
It needs another £450 of work.
Someone at the property says:
“Yeah, just get it done.”
Later, the person paying the invoice says:
“I never authorised that.”
Now everyone remembers the conversation differently.
Before the project starts, establish who can approve variations.
For larger work, it can be useful to have one clearly identified person responsible for authorising changes.
When additional costs arise, confirm them in writing.
For example:
“As discussed, we've found damaged timber beneath this section. The additional work will be £450. Please confirm you'd like us to proceed.”
A simple confirmation can prevent a much bigger argument later.
4. Don't Assume the Person at Home Owns the Property
This matters particularly with rented homes.
A tenant contacts you because something needs repairing.
They can explain the problem.
Arrange access.
Show you what's wrong.
But that doesn't necessarily mean they can authorise substantial work on behalf of the landlord.
Likewise, a landlord may arrange the work while the tenant is the person who has to live around it.
You may therefore need to communicate with both, but about different things.
The landlord or agent may deal with:
Scope.
Price.
Approval.
Payment.
The tenant may deal with:
Access.
Timing.
Practical arrangements.
Keeping those roles clear can make the job considerably smoother.
5. Couples and Families Can Have Different Expectations
This is probably one of the most familiar situations in domestic work.
One person explains what they want.
You quote accordingly.
Then another family member appears and has a completely different idea.
Neither person is necessarily being difficult.
They may simply not have agreed the details between themselves.
For anything involving visible choices, encourage the customer to confirm decisions before you commit.
That might include:
Colours.
Layouts.
Positions.
Finishes.
Fixtures.
Fittings.
Heights.
Styles.
And product choices.
If one partner says:
“Just do whatever you think looks best,”
while the other has a very specific vision, you don't want to discover that after installation.
6. Be Particularly Careful With Elderly or Vulnerable Customers
Sometimes a family member arranges work on someone else's behalf.
Perhaps an adult child contacts you about repairs at an elderly parent's property.
That can be perfectly legitimate and helpful.
But establish the arrangement.
Who owns or occupies the property?
Who requested the work?
Who is approving it?
Who will pay?
Who should receive the quotation and invoice?
Who should be contacted if something unexpected appears?
Don't make assumptions about someone's capacity to make decisions simply because of their age or circumstances.
The goal is clarity and respectful communication.
If somebody says they're acting on another person's behalf in a way that affects significant financial or legal decisions, make sure you understand the basis on which you're being instructed.
7. Main Contractors Create Another Layer
The same issue appears in trade-to-trade work.
A builder asks you to complete part of a larger project.
You arrive and the homeowner starts requesting changes directly.
Now you have two relationships to manage.
The homeowner says:
“Could you add another one over there?”
You might technically be able to do it.
But who is approving the additional cost?
Who are you invoicing?
Does it affect the main contractor's programme?
Is the request consistent with the agreed specification?
If you've been engaged by the main contractor, don't casually create a separate scope with the end customer without understanding how the project is being managed.
A quick conversation can prevent stepping on somebody else's agreement.
8. Property Managers and Agents Need Clear Authority Too
Commercial properties, rented homes and managed developments can involve several layers.
The person arranging access may not control the budget.
The person approving the quote may not be on site.
Another person may process the invoice.
You could be dealing with:
A tenant.
Facilities manager.
Property manager.
Landlord.
Accounts department.
And building owner.
For repeat commercial work, learning the client's approval process can save enormous amounts of time.
Ask:
Who issues instructions?
Does a purchase order need to be raised?
Who can approve additional work?
Where should invoices go?
Is there a spending limit before another person must approve it?
The work might take two hours.
Getting paid can take two months if you don't understand the process.
9. Don't Become the Messenger Between People Who Disagree
This is an uncomfortable position.
One homeowner tells you:
“Don't tell him, but I want it done this way.”
Another says:
“Whatever you do, don't let her change the specification.”
You are now being dragged into a disagreement that has nothing to do with your trade.
Don't take sides.
Bring the decision back to the people responsible for the project.
You might say:
“I'm happy to do either option, but I'll need you both to confirm which one you'd like before I continue.”
Then stop until the decision is clear if necessary.
Your job is to deliver the agreed work.
Not mediate someone's domestic argument.
10. Put Important Decisions Somewhere Everyone Can See Them
The more people involved, the more valuable written communication becomes.
Suppose three people are discussing a renovation through separate phone calls.
Information will eventually get lost.
For significant projects, try to create one reliable record.
That might mean:
Email.
A shared message conversation.
A project-management system.
Written variation confirmations.
Or another method appropriate to your business.
You don't need to document every conversation.
Focus on decisions affecting:
Scope.
Price.
Specification.
Dates.
Additional work.
And payment.
If someone later says:
“I thought we'd agreed something different,”
everyone can refer to the same information.
Beware of the “They Said It Was Fine” Problem
One of the weakest forms of project approval is:
“He said it was fine.”
Who is he?
What exactly did he approve?
When?
Did he know the price?
Was he authorised to make the decision?
The larger the financial consequence, the less you should rely on messages passed through several people.
If the customer paying for the project needs to approve an additional £2,000, communicate the variation directly through the agreed channel rather than relying on somebody else to relay it accurately.
Make Product Choices Explicit
Some of the worst disagreements aren't about technical work.
They're about appearance.
A socket can function perfectly and still be in the “wrong” place according to the customer.
A tile can be installed beautifully and still be the wrong tile.
Before installing difficult-to-reverse visible items, make sure the choice is clear.
Depending on the project, confirm:
Product.
Colour.
Finish.
Orientation.
Position.
Quantity.
Layout.
Or relevant dimensions.
The more subjective the choice, the more useful confirmation becomes.
Agree Who Will Be Available When Decisions Are Needed
Some jobs contain predictable decision points.
Perhaps the customer needs to choose the exact position of fittings once the room has been stripped.
Tell them beforehand.
For example:
“On Wednesday we'll need a decision on the final positions before we continue. Who should I contact?”
That's much better than discovering at 10am Wednesday that the only person authorised to decide is on a flight until Friday.
Good project communication includes knowing when customer input will be needed.
What If Someone Changes an Earlier Decision?
It happens.
The tiles are chosen.
Then changed.
The layout is approved.
Then reconsidered.
A fitting is installed.
Then someone decides it should move.
Changes aren't automatically a problem.
But the consequences need to be clear.
A late decision may affect:
Labour.
Materials.
Previously completed work.
Waste.
Delivery.
And the completion date.
Explain that before carrying out the change.
“We can move it, but because this section has already been completed it will add £X and approximately another day.”
Then obtain approval.
The issue isn't customers changing their minds.
It's making sure everyone understands what the change now involves.
One Point of Contact Can Make Larger Jobs Much Easier
Where several people are involved, consider asking for one primary contact.
That person doesn't necessarily make every decision alone.
They simply become the main communication route.
Instead of:
Partner A texting you.
Partner B calling.
The landlord emailing.
The tenant messaging your employee.
And someone's father asking questions on site,
important information has a clearer route.
For larger projects, this can significantly reduce contradictory instructions.
Your Team Needs to Know Who Can Give Instructions Too
Clarity shouldn't exist only in your head.
If you have employees, apprentices or subcontractors on the project, they need to know how to handle customer requests.
Otherwise, the homeowner says to your apprentice:
“Could you just put another one there?”
The apprentice assumes it's been approved.
The work gets done.
Nobody records it.
The invoice arrives.
Dispute.
Give your team a simple rule.
For example:
Any change to the agreed work needs to come through the person managing the job before we proceed.
That protects the employee as much as the business.
They don't have to make commercial decisions they weren't employed to make.
Clarity Isn't Bureaucracy
For a £100 repair, you don't need a project hierarchy chart.
Keep the process proportionate.
But as jobs become larger, more expensive or involve more people, informal assumptions become riskier.
Before starting, know:
Who is your customer?
Who can approve the work?
Who can change it?
Who can approve extra costs?
Who needs updates?
Who is paying you?
Those six questions can prevent an extraordinary amount of confusion.
Because many difficult jobs aren't difficult because of the actual trade work.
They're difficult because five people thought five different things had been agreed.
When several people are involved in a project, don't just establish what you're being asked to do — establish who has the authority to ask you to do it.