Secured Debt, Collections, and Legal Advice An out-of-business cabinetmaker is being pursued by a debt collector for money he owes on machinery. The case sparks a heated debate and reveals some hard-nosed business and legal truths. January 7, 2007
What to Do When a Job Goes Sour Here's a seminar on how to handle the situation when the homeowner-GC-cabinetmaker relationship heads south in the middle of a job. January 10, 2008
Interior Designer Referral Fees Referral fees charged by "interior designers" are a frequent source of misunderstanding. April 20, 2007
Whether to Give Clients your Drawings Here's an extended discussion about appropriate policies for control of shop drawings and design layouts. May 26, 2010
"Joint Check" Payment Agreements in Commercial Work This long thread deals with a cabinetmaker's choices as he negotiates for a commercial job where the customer is proposing to pay the cabinetmaker and his materials suppliers with the same check. January 26, 2008
Managing a Business Disaster A big customer can't pay because of big legal trouble — now the cabinetmaker has to struggle to stay afloat. This long discussion is loaded with sympathetic insights. November 26, 2007
Recovering from an Estimating Mistake If a rookie salesman accidentally sells a job way, way under cost, can the shop owner back out of the deal? There's more than one side to that question. October 25, 2006
Danger in the Woods Woodworkers should be aware of the reactions some people may have to certain species and take appropriate precautions. August 13, 2005
Dealing with a Deadbeat Client A sad tale of a customer who won't pay evolves into a detailed discussion of contracts and legal alternatives. February 17, 2006
Whether to Remove a Lein A cabinetmaker who has not been paid asks whether he should remove his lein against the house, as requested by the owner. Colleagues explain why he should not. February 6, 2010
Handling an Order Cancellation Early in the Contract Two lessons are learned from this case where a customer wants to cancel without explaining: One, contracts should spell out the exits for both parties; and two, some things in life are more important than business. January 31, 2012
AWI Certification and Bidding Advice on how to get certified with the Architectural Woodworking Institute, and how to qualify as a bidder on projects when you're not certified. May 20, 2009
Starting Out in a Garage Business owners weigh in on the question, "Can I bootstrap a woodworking business out of my garage?" January 2, 2014
Accepting Less than the Agreed Price Learning from experience: a cabinetmaker gets paid less than he is owed because of supposed defects the customer perceives in the product as delivered. September 29, 2014
Ethics of Working with Interior Designers Another long discussion about a perennial sore point for woodworking professionals: transparency and fair dealing in the relationship with designers. April 18, 2015
Converting from Employee to Subcontractor Changing your status from an employee to a subcontractor for the same shop is a complicated and potentially risky move. October 13, 2008
Ending the Endless Punch List Good quality control is important, but contracts and business practices should keep punch lists within reasonable limits. October 26, 2012
Dispute Resolution: Paint Color Mismatch Handle this: the customer gave you the paint for the built-ins; it doesn't match the trim; now the customer wants you to fix it. (This time, the story has a happy ending.) February 10, 2009
Wood, the environment, and Man A wide-ranging overview of the state of the primary processing industry, and where it may be going from here. August 10, 2000
Managing a Customer Cancellation When a customer wants to cancel after paying a 50% deposit, and after you've purchased materials, what's the fair and equitable solution? Do you give all the money back, part of it, none of it, or what? April 21, 2011
Responsibility for a Too-Dark Finish A cabinetmaker is being asked to hold the bag for the poor work done by a painter who the customer hired. In this thread, professionals suggest ways to handle the problem. November 11, 2005
Terminating a Job in Mid-Project This story of a job gone sour has a happy ending: The cabinetmaker gets out in good shape by having a good contract and standing his ground. January 13, 2009
How to Be Ready for OSHA Either the safety agency itself, or a private consultant, can help you identify hazards and avoid possible penalties — before you're surprised by a "real" enforcement inspection. April 20, 2007
Unstable Cabinet Geometry and Toppling Risk A furniture maker wrestles with the stability and safety issues of a tall, narrow freestanding cabinet with one heavy glass door. August 21, 2006
Working Exclusively for One Client When a client suggests an exclusive arrangement, it's wise to think carefully about the potential downside. March 18, 2006
Coping with Customer Foot-Dragging Case example: dealing with contract and money issues on a custom job when a customer dawdles. December 2, 2006
Working with "Designers" In the cabinetmaking and furniture trades, some "designers" bring little to the table beyond a back-of-a-napkin concept sketch. What's good business when handling those jobs? October 17, 2012
When the Customer Wants to "Help" You Saw Long, spirited exchange on the tricky situations created when you let a sawmilling customer help with the work. December 12, 2008
Handling a Dispute over a Glazed Cabinet The work's done, but the designer doesn't like the glaze job, and the customer wants a refund. What have we learned here? April 29, 2012
Going Out on your Own in Cabinet Installation A skilled and responsible employeed for cabinet installation sub ponders the practicality and ethical issues involved in going solo and competing with his present employer. February 12, 2009
Managing Customer Complaints If it seems like a customer is just trying to make trouble for you, here's advice on how to keep your cool and respond appropriately. August 6, 2008
Screw Through a Water Pipe: Whose Fault? It's a typical snafu: the cabinet installer hits a water pipe with a screw. This thread is a collection of examples, with descriptions of who covered the repair cost. August 16, 2012
When an Equipment Auction Transaction Goes Bad It's "buyer beware" at an online equipment auction — and it can also be "seller beware." Here are tales of some lessons learned. March 22, 2013
Subcontractor Payment Terms in Commercial Work Getting paid when you're low down on the food change can be a frustrating hassle and a runaround. Here's some general advice and a few relevant anecdotes. July 12, 2012
Is this customer worth the hassle? The project was complete and paid for in full. Then, the customer requested a "free" change to it. June 7, 2000
Sharing Photos of Completed Work Should a contractor share professional photography he has paid to have done with the owner of the project being photograped? And on what terms? The issues can be complicated. September 3, 2014
Struggling to Get Paid Cabinetmakers discuss payment problems in the industry, and compare contract and billing strategies. July 3, 2006
Managing Customer Indecision Here's a nice discussion of interpersonal techniques and contract language that keep a customer's inability to make a timely decision from damaging your bottom line. October 2, 2007
Middle-Man Muddle what's the proper way to structure your relationship with someone who's your go-between with the end customer? August 29, 2005
Resolving a Stain-Matching Dispute By its nature, matching stain is an imperfect process. Here, a finisher's story about a problem with a customer leads to a discussion of contract terms and policies for matching stain. June 23, 2006
Drawings Versus Specs in a Dispute When the spec says one thing, and a signed shop drawing shows something else, who's right? March 26, 2010
Managing On-Site Work Knowing how to handle yourself and your employees on a job site is critical to winning future referrals. 1998.
What to Do when a Customer Won't Follow Through and what can you do then? Here, cabinetmakers consider the case of a builder customer who won't take delivery on cabs for his own house. September 8, 2007
Container Material for Solvents What kind of plastic or metal containers are okay to use for storing and transporting olvents? April 4, 2011
Keeping Tabs on Job Progress as a Sub The cabinet contractor on a ten-unit project worries that the GC is not keeping him informed about the schedule. August 31, 2009
Dealing with Non-Payment on a Commercial Job A shop owner is stiffed by another contractor who he helped out on a commercial contract. Colleagues discuss the available strategies for securing payment. April 24, 2006
Fire Code Hassles in Shop Remodel Here's a cautionary tale: connecting two shop buildings trips the square-footage trigger for fire sprinkler requirements, and it's the surprised owner who gets burned. February 19, 2008
Husband and Wife Businesses Husband-and-wife business teams discuss how they choose a business structure, share and divide responsibilities, and stay organized. April 6, 2007
Employees Versus 1099 Workers A discussion around the rules governing when a worker is considered an employee for tax, insurance, and legal purposes. June 15, 2009
"Finder's Fee" for Designers Yet another discussion of the ethical and practical business issues involved when a designer is in the middle of your relationship to a customer. April 19, 2015
Contracts and Collections Owning a woodworking business is great, provided you remember it is a business. How to contract carefully, and get paid. 1998.
Why Finishers Use Samples with Customers Customers don't have the vocabulary to describe finishes, or to understand how you describe them. That's why a signed sample is your best assurance of a clear agreement. August 29, 2011
Fraud by a Project Manager A responsible employee talked a client into writing him a check, then skipped out with the money. Who's in trouble now? April 24, 2006
Making Wooden Toys Safety regulations discourage small shops from making wooden toys for sale. September 29, 2010
Liability for Breakage Broken stuff happens. Who should hold the bag? Business owners look at a case of broken glassware and discuss the ins and outs of taking responsibility. July 24, 2005
Teaching Woodworking in a Real Shop A woodworker is considering teaching shop class in his own shop, but the insurance and legal risks are discouraging. October 3, 2011
Turning to the 'Pros' One in a series, looking at the relationships between woodworking companies and the businesses they deal with. 1998.
Understanding Lien Waivers A customer who's a stickler for legalistic paperwork could be trouble. But lien waivers are routine and trivial in many situations. April 4, 2011
License Board Troubles When a dissatisfied customer sics the state License Board on a cabinetmaker, what sort of position is he in? May 5, 2007
Fine Points of Sales Tax Do you need to charge sales tax when you sell something to a business that they use in producing their goods? The answer varies from state to state. January 13, 2009
Setting Limits for Punch-List Work Cabinetmakers discuss how to avoid being punch-listed to death, and where to draw the line. April 22, 2014
Sharing a Shop Space Pros discuss the potential pitfalls of non-standard shop-sharing arrangements. July 3, 2006
What Makes a Contract a Contract? A cabinet-maker's builder customer has bailed out on a design-build job after paying a deposit and okaying plans. Now who owes what to who? This thread from Woodweb's Business forum provides a good clarification of just what kind of statements and actions add up to a legal contract. November 11, 200 ......
Contracts versus cost-plus Some jobs are impossible to estimate. But don't walk away until you've proposed working on a 'cost-plus' basis. 1998.
Spelling Out the Payment Schedule A good contract should spell out deposit and payment terms in correct legal language — and the amounts should provide for adequate cash flow. August 22, 2007
"Co-Insurance" — the Fine Points of Partial Insurance If you insure your assets for less than their full value, you won't get fully compensated for a partial loss, even if it's less than your insured value. This thread explains the thinking. May 12, 2008
Just Trying to Get Paid Here's a long story with color commentary about getting stiffed on a job, filing a lien, contacting the owner, and finally picking up a check. September 27, 2008
Can a Cabinetmaker Repossess Work If Not Paid? In most states you can't remove work that is installed into a home, even if you aren't paid. But there are other legal alternatives. June 3, 2007
Collecting from a Bank-Financed Builder A cabinetmaker who's being stiffed on a job gets advice about liens, bankruptcy, and persuading a bank to pay up. July 12, 2012
LEED Specs Referenced in a Contract A cabinetmaker puzzles over the implications of a contract clause requiring him to "comply with LEED requirements." October 27, 2009
Getting the Final Payment A business owner gets advice about applying pressure when payment is slow in coming and you're not getting any answers. September 17, 2014
LEED Chain of Custody Confusion A cabinetmaker gets into trouble because of mis-communication over LEED standards on a job. May 20, 2009
Converting a Trailer to a Spray Booth Finishers warn of the code and safety issues involved in providing lighting, egress, and other necessities to make a spray booth out of a metal trailer. February 15, 2009
Does a Tow-Behind Sawmill Need Vehicle Tags? Just because you can tow it behind a truck, doesn't mean it's officially a "trailer." In some states at least, sawmill equipment on wheels is not a vehicle and it doesn't need a license plate. December 30, 2007
Guarding Against Embezzlement All humor aside, here are some practical tips for maintaining security in the financial operation of a business. September 24, 2009
Limiting Personal Liability A discussion about ways to protect your personal and business assets against legal liability. October 13, 2008
Documenting Work Taking photos of your cabinet installs could help you out some time, in case someone else comes along and disturbs or damages things. May 11, 2011
Email Check Scams Targeting Woodworkers Fishy-sounding email requests for quotes are sometimes the opening step in an "overpayment" phony-check scam. July 13, 2010
Showroom Samples and Contract Terms Woodworkers debate whether showing a customer your showroom samples is enough to make clear what exactly you have promised to provide as your installed product. November 15, 2010
Shop Security Advice on locks, cameras, watchdogs, security procedures, and staying within the law in protecting your shop and tools after closing. February 6, 2010
Overtime pay Good reasons to pay overtime, whether or not your competition does. June 6, 2001
Change-Order Fun and Games It's important to keep the understandings clear: the original signer of a contract (not a relative) needs to sign off on change orders. June 23, 2006
Selling Used CAD or CNC Software You can transfer a software license to another buyer, but there are formalities involved. November 23, 2008
Sample Subcontractor Agreement Spelling out the parameters of the work and relationship to avoid legal problems. April 4, 2004
Mixing Solid Surface Brands If you combine sinks and countertops from different makers, will warranties (and adhesives) hold? April 14, 2005
Commercial Lease Terms Woodworkers discuss lease provisions that make a difference to someone renting shop space. October 13, 2008
Solving "slow-pays" How to charge a customer who is not prompt with their payments. May 9, 2001
Quality Standards in Contracts Referencing published industry specs is one simple solution. Here, pros chime in with additional short and sweet disclaimers. November 12, 2005
Moving Out? Take Your Stuff. A landlord tries to stretch a lease provision about elements connected to the building into a claim on a tenant's dust collection system. Fat chance. January 2, 2012
Fire Sprinkler Damage to Machinery Thoughts about the insurance claim issues and the practicality of repair or restoration of equipment after a small fire sets off the fire sprinklers in a shop. February 26, 2012
The Purpose of Shop Drawings Builders often ask for shop drawings when offering a cabinet job in a custom home project. "Paper is still cheaper than wood," notes one pro: Here's an explanation of how the drawings serve the needs of everyone involved. November 11, 2005
Dealing with Fire Code Issues in a Spray Booth Advice on communicating with a building department about the fine points of the fire code as it relates to spray finishing booths. May 27, 2014
Insuring a Business on your Residential Property Homeowner's insurance may not cover you if you build a shop on your property, or even work out of your garage. In this thread, business owners consider insurance strategies. November 11, 2005
When Another Company Steals Your Website Content Occasionally a company uses material published on another company's website as part of their own web presence. Here's a discussion about how to respond. July 11, 2013
Understanding AWI's "Premium Grade" Watch out — if you really have to build to an Architectural Woodwork Institute specification, you really have to know your stuff. January 10, 2008
Payment Problems in Commercial Work Slow payment, and even non-payment, is very common in the world of commercial contracting. Here's advice on how to protect yourself. March 12, 2009
Playing Hardball over Unpaid Invoices An installer decides not to show up for a job as promised because the contractor hasn't paid for the last two jobs. Is he being too radical? February 16, 2012
Payment Terms in Commercial Work A discussion of the contract technicalities a woodworker has to navigate when making the switch from residential to commercial work. April 6, 2007
Payment Schedules and Client-Caused Delays When a client's not ready for delivery on time, it's hard for the cabinetmaker. Contracts should allow for that eventuality. March 26, 2008
Hold Harmless Clause Complications A cautionary tale: When a customer's dog bites a subcontractor, the contractor finds his government contract may leave him holding the bag for a homeowner's insurance payout. June 2, 2009
Patenting a New Jig or Tool A woodworker has thought up a modification that improves on someone else's design, and wonders whether he should seek a patent. Responses supply a rundown on the patent process and its pitfalls. February 17, 2006
Business Transitions and Divorce Selling a business or otherwise disposing of assets can get very messy in the midst of a divorce. December 6, 2008
Bonding for Small Jobs Even if you're a relatively small subcontractor, you may occasionally be asked to post a bond. It's not so complicated. July 20, 2011
Bad checks and bad credit How to protect yourself from, and deal with, bad checks and un-creditworthy customers. June 7, 2000
Pessimistic Thoughts about Partnership Deals When a cabinetmaker asks for advice on formalizing a partnership arrangement, he receives a lot of warnings about the potential risks and pitfalls. May 22, 2007
Business Insurance Business owners share tips on getting good coverage, and warn about the risks of "going bare." June 12, 2005
Story of a Landlord-Tenant Dispute Confusion over three-phase power throughs a shop leasing agreement into chaos. Here are insights into the legal and practical issues involved. October 27, 2008
Eyewitness: Injury Scary stories about careless acts and bad consequences. June 28, 2005
Can Shop Workers Legally be Subcontractors? An extended discussion of IRS rules defining employees and independent contractors, and how those rules relate to workers in a cabinet shop. February 23, 2010
Subcontractor or Employee? Learning the rules about worker classification and managing the details correctly is a hassle, but the risks of doing it wrong are major. September 24, 2009
Attention, Safety Practices, and Loose Nuts A woodworker describes how a moment's inattention damaged his machine — but luckily, not him. The tale sets off a long thread of similar stories (including one fatality) and lessons learned. November 16, 2011
Company sponsored, on-site drinking Legal implications of the Friday afternoon beer-drinking session, and off-site alternatives to it. November 7, 2000
Classifying Workers An accountant's suggestion to turn a few employees into "subcontractors" comes in for criticism — along with some information about the rules for that sort of thing. September 30, 2010
Recovering from a Shop Fire Woodweb forum steps up with well-informed advice about how to cope with a catastrophic fire in the wood shop. April 16, 2009
Patenting a Woodworking Invention The deck is stacked against the small inventor, but teaming up with a large manufacturer could repay your creativity. February 6, 2010
Lumber Insurance Can a sawyer be held liable for the structural integrity of his wood? February 28, 2004
Partnership Concepts Pros and cons of taking on a partner, and some thoughts about the corporate form of organization. March 12, 2009
Marketing a Machinery Modification A woodworker has perfected a great idea for improving an existing piece of equipment. How does he bring his idea to the market? October 3, 2011
Shipping Woodshop Products Woodshop business owners discuss the ins and outs of packing, shipping, and damage claims. October 13, 2005
Refunding Customer Deposits Cabinetmakers discuss the ethics and business sense of refunding all or part of a deposit when the customer backs out of the deal.December 28, 2005
Enforcing Cancellation Policies When a customer cancels a service call on short or no notice, how do you effectively charge a cancellation fee? April 21, 2011
Structural Testing for Chairs There's the Fat Man test, the Little Boy test, the Throw it Off the Roof test, and the "Entire state is sliding into the ocean" test ... you get the idea. January 3, 2012
Yellowing Paint on New Poplar Doors This long discussion deals partly with the performance of paint on poplar, and partly with the division of responsibility between the cabinetmaker and the finisher. January 24, 2014
Compensating Employees Who Opt Out of Health Insurance Should employees who opt out of your company's insurance plan get a little something extra in their check? Maybe not — the practice could create complicated tax issues for you. April 24, 2006
Butcher Block Finish Dispute This long saga of a woodworker's difficulty with a customer who is dissatisfied with the finish on a butcher block shipped cross-country offers lessons on communication, contracts, and credit card company dispute resolution processes. March 26, 2010
Cabinetmaker's Responsibilities Lively conversation about who should handle plumbing, electrical, etc. on kitchen/bath projects. December 9, 2004
Six Sigma Strikes Are the Six Sigma system requests that a customer makes appropriate? November 3, 2004
Is a Woodworking Sub Responsible for ADA Compliance? If you catch potential Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations in a set of plans, advise the architect, and help out with corrected working drawings, are you now on the hook for some kind of liability? Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. March 12, 2009
Drilling Into Radiant Floor Heating Tubes Oops! A woodworker installing a door learns his lesson when he drills into a hydronic heating tube in the concrete slab floor. May 15, 2014
Creating a partnership Is a successful partnership possible in the woodworking industry? May 9, 2001
Chasing Bad Debt How much effort is justified in pursuing the unpaid obligations of a customer who has gone out of business? October 3, 2011
Saving and Tracking Receipts Paper receipts for expenses are a pesky detail that requires attention. September 30, 2010
Growing a business Keeping your mind on what matters in a healthy business, with a nod to Paul Hawken. May 19, 2003
Do ANSI B11 Standards Apply to Woodworking Equipment? ANSI Standard B11 was created to apply to machine tools, not woodworking machinery. But an argument could be made for a broader application of the rules. October 26, 2011
Payment Schedules in Commercial Cabinetry Work When it comes to deposits, progress payments, and final payment, commercial work is a whole nother world. Here's the voice of experience on bidding and contracting those jobs. August 7, 2006
Hanging Laminate Chair Rail Advice on ways to efficiently install chair rail in volume on commercial jobs, plus a side discussion about contracts and quality specifications. October 20, 2013
Possible yearly earnings What kind of sales volume does it take to support a six-figure salary in a two-man shop? May 9, 2001
Hardwood Lumber Tallies Are you being shorted on a lumber delivery? The answer could depend on the fine points of board-foot calculations. April 19, 2015
Screw Through a Water Pipe: Whose Fault?