Vent: Found out my boss has been charging 40% extra for 'expedite fees' on every job

I was looking through billing records last week and found out my boss adds a 40% expedite fee to every single concrete pour, even when there's no rush. We do 15 to 20 jobs a month here in Phoenix and he's been doing this for at least 3 years. The customers think they're paying for fast service but we just schedule everything normal. I asked him about it and he said it's 'standard business practice.' Has anyone else seen this kind of markup in their shop?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.brian27d ago

Man, that's shady... so did he actually admit it was just padding the bill or did he try to give you some BS excuse about "overhead costs"?

barnes.jamie27d ago

Overhead costs are a real thing in any business, not just a fancy excuse. Electricians have to pay for trucks, tools, insurance, and office staff just to keep the lights on. I get why it looks shady when someone adds a line item for it but calling it padding might be jumping to conclusions. A lot of honest contractors just roll those costs into their labor rate instead of listing them separate. If the guy was upfront about it and explained it clear, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Padding the bill is when someone adds work they didn't do, not when they break down their actual expenses.