McDesign has a thread (“I WON”) where he relates his problems collecting on the job; seems like the customer never intended to honor the agreement. Here are a few observations I’ve made over the years:

I used to think “for shame!” when someone told me their tale of woe about the evil contractor. Then, I got into construction work, and saw the way some customers operate.

There’s a reason the word ‘customer’ begins with “CUSS.”

Having a specific contract, and insisting on change orders, seems so petty, so anal. Yet customers have no compunction about adding to the job (“as long as you’re here…”), making changes, ‘forgetting’ previous instructions to you, selectively doling out information (“the electrician doesn’t need to know we’re putting a mirror there”), there is too much at stake to not have one.

Customers have an amazing personality change upon receipt of the bill. Up to that point, they love you; after then, they suddenly remember every flower you stepped on, and want reimbursement from you.
They fail to remember all the ‘freebies’ you’ve done (and, if pressed, will claim to never have authorised them).

The most curious customer attitude, to me, is the one that appears at the end of the job.
Up to then, its push, push, push. They seem to think concrete cures faster and paint dries quicker just because they’re impatient and make a demand.
Finish the job, and they need time to put together a ‘punch list.’ Then they can’t see the need to pay you… because someone else still has things to fix.

My favourite attitude, however, is the one where reciept of the bill is considered as time to start negotiating. You can be sure that every business practice of yours, every license requirement, every detail will be examined for weak spots.