It happens to every contractor eventually. The job is done, you've left the property, and two hours later you get a call: "Something is broken and it wasn't like that before you came."
Sometimes the damage is real and your responsibility. Sometimes it's pre-existing damage the homeowner didn't notice until they started looking around after you left. Sometimes it's opportunistic.
How you handle it — and whether you have documentation to support your position — determines whether it becomes a small conversation or a costly dispute.
The Immediate Response
When a client calls or texts to report damage:
1. Don't admit anything immediately
"I'm sorry to hear that" is appropriate. "I must have done that" is not — not until you've had a chance to review your documentation and assess the situation.
2. Ask for photos of the alleged damage
Request photos of what they're claiming is damaged. This documents what they're reporting and gives you something to compare against your job photos.
3. Review your documentation immediately
Pull up the job in your TimeFotos workspace. Review your arrival photos. Did you photograph that area? Is the damage visible in any of your arrival photos? If so, it's pre-existing. If it's not in your arrival photos, you need to assess honestly whether it could have been caused by your work.
If You Have Arrival Photos (Pre-Existing Documentation)
This is where documentation decides the outcome. If your arrival photos — taken before the work started — show:
- The same scratched surface the client is now claiming you damaged
- The same cracked fixture they're saying you broke
- The same pre-existing condition they're attributing to your work
...you have a clear, timestamped, GPS-confirmed record that the condition existed before you arrived.
Share this documentation with the client. In most cases, seeing a timestamped photo from before the work started is enough to end the dispute.
Take arrival documentation photos with TimeFotos →
If You Don't Have Arrival Photos
This is the harder situation. Without documentation of the pre-work condition, it's your word against the homeowner's.
Your options:
- Assess whether it's your responsibility — honestly evaluate whether your work could have caused the damage
- If it's your responsibility, fix it — handling it professionally and promptly preserves the relationship and prevents a bad review
- If it's not your responsibility, explain why — describe specifically what you were doing near that area and why your work couldn't have caused the damage
- If it escalates, small claims court becomes an option — but without documentation, your position is weak
If the Client Escalates to a Formal Complaint
If the client files a complaint with their credit card company (chargeback) or pursues formal resolution:
- Your timestamped arrival photos are your strongest evidence
- Written estimates and job summaries that show the scope of work are supporting evidence
- Any acknowledgment from the client (text messages reviewing the job summary, opening the share link) support your position
The Documentation Habit That Prevents These Disputes
Contractors who take arrival photos on every job — especially photos of surfaces, fixtures, and areas near the work zone — rarely deal with damage claims. The homeowner knows you have a photo record. The photo record resolves the question quickly.
The habit takes 30–60 seconds per job. The disputes it prevents can take hours, hundreds of dollars, and significant stress.
The Bottom Line
The best way to handle a damage claim is to already have arrival photos from before the work started. TimeFotos makes that documentation automatic — timestamped, GPS-tagged, and organized by the job address.