Is it legal for a contractor to charge a full hour if he only works for part of the hour?

Say he charges $50 an hour and starts a job at 9:55 am and finishes at 11:10 am. The customer figures it bill will be $62.50 ($50 for the full hour and $12.50 for the extra quarter hour). However, the bill is $150 for a full 3 hours.
When the customer inquires, the contractor says he bills by the hour, not fractions so he had charge for a full hour even if he doesn't work the full hour, so it an hour for 9:55 to 10am and another hour from 11 to 11:10 am.
Is this sharp practice or a legitimate business procedure?
 

IMO he can charge whatever he wants as long as it's spelled out somewhere in the work order, estimate, advertisement, sign in the shop, etc...

I think that it's fair to disclose a minimum service charge to cover the cost of overhead, travel time, etc... even if the actual visit only lasts a few minutes.

I would only consider it to be a sharp practice if it wasn't disclosed.
 
Yes that hour is "understood". It is not structured to address minutes. Now, he/she can charge less if it a simple fix like you forgot to plug something in.
 

I think it’s quite legal but, anyone with any decency, not to mention trying to build a good reputation, would charge roughly for the time they worked after the first hour

I once had some large curtains hung professionally, the workman telephoned in the morning to say he couldn’t find the curtains at the shop, and actually charged me for the time he spent searching for them, he was such an unpleasant character I didn’t challenge him and just paid him to get him out of my home, but he would never get back in it and I made sure I told everyone about him too

Word soon gets around, so hopefully he eventually lost a lot more than he made out of me !
 
Say he charges $50 an hour and starts a job at 9:55 am and finishes at 11:10 am. The customer figures it bill will be $62.50 ($50 for the full hour and $12.50 for the extra quarter hour). However, the bill is $150 for a full 3 hours.
When the customer inquires, the contractor says he bills by the hour, not fractions so he had charge for a full hour even if he doesn't work the full hour, so it an hour for 9:55 to 10am and another hour from 11 to 11:10 am.
Is this sharp practice or a legitimate business procedure?
That is outrageous, charging by the minute. I did have a computer guy stay 15 minutes past the first hour and charge me for a second hour.

I'm usually told one hour minimum and after that by the half hour. Some also charge travel time, or include it in that ''hour minimum". Best to do is ask, ask, ask, and have it all specified on paper. I usually like paying by the job rather than by the hour, but it all depends on the contractor.

I suggest to give him a bad review on YELP or some other website and warn others about it. I've seen after a bad review, sometimes the company posts that they're willing to fix the complaint.
 
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Hopefully contractors aren't all like two that were over here just a couple of years ago to do two different flooring jobs: first, one admitted contractors usually stretch jobs out as long as possible, claiming it's because they get paid so little. Second, I was expected to move everything in the apartment into one tiny area before they showed up, then move it all to a different area in apartment while they took long extended "lunch" breaks, then put everything back in its original location after they finished. :mad:
 
People hauling equipment in to do a job such as a bulldozer, backhoe, or bush hog usually charge a minimum of four hours.

The people at Home Instead senior care also charge a minimum of four hours to come and visit with elderly or disabled.
 
It's legal for him to charge whatever he wants (though I would guess that would depend on the state). It's up to the customer to ask those questions before the workman starts the job.

Here, most workmen charge an hour for any portion of an hour. Though my plumber, whom I've used for years, usually lets a few minutes slide.
 


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