I haven't been in a JCP recently other than to take my son back and exchange some shirts he bought while shopping with friends for something he could still wear after washing and drying. He got some very inexpensive shirts and they were ok in quality, but not anything I think he'll have for the long hail. But I think that is true of most clothing in most stores -- they want us to buy more often and the economy has pressured prices to stay low or get lower, so fabric is thinner, items cut smaller and shorter and the construction is not as good. Anyone else noticed more lost or broken buttons in the last couple of years? I thought about the JCP pricing policy change when I saw a furniture store advertising a timed sale this weekend -- the earlier you come, the greater the discount. The limited time hype/bigger discount pitch seem to be pretty well entrenched into the shopping psyche. I'm not so sure one store can impact an overall change in that. Time will tell.

Honey also shows price history. You can put on a notification list for lower prices and it tells you if it's the "best deal" on the item. The only thing that makes me mad about Amazon Subscribe & Save is it does not tell you if it's available for less (not S&S) elsewhere on the website. I have 52 subscriptions, so it takes time to go through the next month's delivery to check prices. I hope everyone that uses Amazon use smile.amazon.com so your purchases that are eligible for donation (bottom line, below) can go to your favorite charity or school system when you sign up. My purchases have donated almost $250 to DGS private school (2+ yrs ago). The Amazon app does not generate the donations, so I always order from my laptop or Safari on my cell phone.

Couple of thoughts: 1. Does the contract speak to this issue? 2. How much have you paid him so far and what % of the job is done right now? This may be the most important thing. 3. Did he give you an "estimate" or a "quote"? If it is a written quote then that's what he should do the job for. If you think the work is of superior quality and it was an honest mistake you might offer to split the difference with him. 4. Curious whether the other quote indicated how many sf of sod they were providing and if that matches what the current guy says you need. You may have all the cards if you haven't paid that much yet. Hell, you could probably kick him off the job and hire the other guys and end up saving a lot. Nobody could blame you for that if you had a written quote and if he is unwilling to eat the mistake. Don't feel hesitant about playing hardball if you need to. Sounds like he screwed up and needs to take responsibility. It's odd. If this were the 39K guy I'd say he lowballed you to get the job, but it is the 50K guy who you are paying extra for so the job is done right. Interesting to hear how it works out for you.

Do you know what is included in either of these quotes? What specific details do you know about what was bid in each of the following categories: Foundation Insulation Damproofing Wall Construction Wall Insulation Wall Sheathing Air Barrier Roof System Roof Sheathing Roofing Materials Siding Material & Color Masonry Material & Color Window Brand, Series, Exterior Color, Interior Color, Type, Sizes, Install Specs Exterior Door Brand, Series, Exterior Color, Interior Color, Type, Sizes, Install Specs Soffit & Fascia Gutter & Leaf Guard Exterior Concrete layout, color, stamping Deck Paver Patio Retaining Walls Surface Landscaping Seed/Sod Additional Grade Work (Beyond dig & backfill) Utilities Hookups Electrical Outlet Details Lighting Locations & Fixtures Drywall finish Misc. Wall Finishes (I.E. Shiplap) Floor Coverings Interior Base & Casing Interior Railing & Stair Treads Misc. Trim Details (Wainscot, Ceiling Beams, Crown) Interior Doors Kitchen Cabinets Bathroom Cabinets Other Cabinets (Built-ins, laundry, ect.) Kitchen Countertops Bathroom Tops Misc. Tops Backsplashes Custom Showers Plumbing Design Heating & Cooling Design Ventilation Design Humidity Control Wall Paint Colors Ceiling Paint Colors Faucets Toilets Sinks Appliances Home Automation Security System Home Audio/Entertainment Permits Expected Timeline I'm not asking you to post answers to these. But ask yourself, do you know what is ACTUALLY being bid? Very well drawn plans will only dictate about half of the list above. For example: Sinks: "He has an allowance for $2,200 for all the sinks". Ok.. Are they stainless? What style? What thickness of material? $2,200 is a nice allowance if he's marking them up 15%, but at 40% it could be really tight for what you want. Look at the items I've listed and ask yourself if you really know what is included. 95% of what I see (both here on this forum and in my job) the homeowner doesn't dig into these details until after the contract is signed. If you do it before, you won't get change-ordered to death, and you will know what you are getting. The builder has an easier time too since he doesn't have to wait for you to make as many decisions. So to the original question: "Am I getting gouged?" The answer is maybe. You need to dig-in and find out. The bid from December isn't relevant anymore, see what's included in the current bid. **Note** I probably missed a category or two. Didn't write this from a list, just memory. Best of luck