Pro tip: The $85 moisture meter caught a $2,300 rot job before I signed | Contractor Talk - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Pro tip: The $85 moisture meter caught a $2,300 rot job before I signed
Honestly I almost bid a bathroom remodel in a 1950s house here in Spokane without checking the subfloor first. I bought a $85 pin meter at the supply house on a whim, mostly because the crawlspace smelled musty and I wanted proof for the homeowner. Stuck it in three spots near the tub and all three pegged over 28 percent, which meant the joists were soaked and the whole floor had to come out. That turned a simple tile swap into a $2,300 rot repair, and I got it written into the bid before demo started instead of eating it later. The guy who lost the job bid $1,900 flat and I guarantee he found the same rot on day one. Ngl, I used to skip moisture checks to save 15 minutes on a walkthrough, and that habit burned me on a deck job two winters back. Anyone else carry a meter on every estimate, or do you just eyeball it and hope for dry wood?