A Surprise Invoice for Work You Never Approved

Build an authorization record

List each questioned item, amount, work date and the approval document the contractor relies on. Search your messages and drawings without editing the originals. Distinguish requesting a price from authorizing work. A statement that an option sounds interesting is not the same practical event as accepting its cost and scope. See CSLB consumer guidance for the applicable official information.

Compare versions of the scope

Check whether the alleged extra appears in the original agreement, a revised drawing or a signed change. Note any conflict rather than choosing only the document that supports your position. If the parties interpret an allowance or exclusion differently, describe that dispute precisely. A complete chronology is more useful than a blanket claim that nothing was approved.

Respond in writing without inventing a remedy

Identify the invoice and request the missing basis or correction. State what you agree was ordered and what remains unresolved. Do not assume all unsigned extras are automatically uncollectible in every circumstance, or that stopping the entire account has no consequences. Obtain tailored advice where the amount or legal risk is significant.

Protect the remaining project decisions

If work continues, confirm who may authorize future changes and how they will be recorded before execution. Update the change log. A dispute over one bill should not leave the next phase exposed to the same ambiguity. Keep any negotiated resolution in writing and read release language carefully.

Make an authorization comparison table

Use one row for each disputed extra. Record its description, amount, claimed work date and the document said to authorize it. Add a separate column for your understanding and the evidence supporting it. This format helps both sides identify whether the disagreement concerns what was said, which version applied or what the contract required.

Preserve the complete exchange around any message used as approval. A short yes may refer to receiving a quote rather than approving the work. Conversely, a long chain may contain an approval you overlooked. Do not remove surrounding messages to make the record appear clearer. A reviewer needs context to evaluate the event.

Check whether the claimed extra was already described elsewhere. Look at drawings, allowances, exclusions and prior changes. If the contractor says the work was necessary because of a discovered condition, request the discovery record and explanation. Necessity and authorization are related but different questions; one should not erase the other from the discussion.

Send a factual written response identifying what documentation is missing and what resolution you are requesting. If some items are acknowledged and others disputed, say so. Avoid broad threats or categorical legal statements taken from online comments. Significant disputes about entitlement, withholding or settlement need advice based on the actual agreement and circumstances.

For ongoing work, establish the forward process immediately. Name the person who can approve changes, require a clear proposal and keep an updated log. Ask the contractor to confirm that the crew will not treat a request for pricing as an instruction to proceed. If the matter is settled, retain the agreement and understand any release terms. The table should end with an accurate status for each item, not simply a deleted invoice that leaves both parties with different memories of what was resolved.

Follow through on the decision

When a resolution is proposed, distinguish a corrected invoice from a broader settlement. Read whether the document merely adjusts the charge or also releases other claims. Do not assume a heading such as account reconciliation tells you everything it does. For a significant dispute, get advice on the actual wording. If the parties agree on future approval procedures, circulate them to the project team and use them immediately. A lesson written only in the owner’s notes will not prevent the crew from receiving ambiguous instructions again. At the next meeting, review proposed changes and confirm which are authorized. This turns the dispute into a clearer operating process without erasing the original evidence or pretending that every past question has been settled.

Decision checklist

• List the disputed extra and the claimed authorization for it.
• Preserve the full message context and relevant document versions.
• Separate acknowledged changes from unresolved accounting or scope questions.
• Read settlement terms carefully and establish clear future approval responsibilities.

A request for a quote becomes an invoice

Hypothetical example. Suppose you asked what moving a fixture would cost, then received a bill after it was moved. Preserve the request, the contractor’s response and the work record. Ask where acceptance was documented. This is an authorization question; it should not be buried in a general debate about whether the new location looks better.