As part of my ongoing effort to become more and more hands off I am hiring contra ctors to do everything for turnovers. The last one i agreed for a labor only cost. This was with a 10 year tenant moving out, so lots needed to be done. I thought the qagreement I would pay for materials ment I would pay for new vanities, paint, etc. I am constantly being presented with a receipt from Home Depot. Lesson learned:

Going forward i am going to agree to pay for (help me here) vanities, paint, but not get stuck with a large re4ceipt from Home depot for stuff.

I have this struggle a little bit too...

But then again... you can't really have it both ways...

Either get a quote that includes all materials/labor...

Every State has their own rules when hiring a State Licensed Contractor. I'd like to give everyone here a couple of examples:

You need a new roof on a rental. So with referrals you acquire a few estimates. You did not specify how or what you wanted. So the estimates are all different.

At home you compare the estimates, educating yourself on the different type of materials, warranty and costs.

You call back your three contractor who provided you with written detailed estimates and ask questions. Finally you know what you want and need. You ask for a revision.

AND THEN YOU ASK for a PAYMENT and PERFORMANCE BOND. For 3% you get a guarantee from a Billion Dollar Asurity Company.

I agree, when I would do jobs it was all or nothing.

Now if I did a labor only job and found I needed a couple screws I wouldn't fret over it. But if I needed something for the job the person who hired me had to either provide it or cover the costs of it.

I have (several times with my trusted handyman) dictated - make it clear - what I supply & what he does. It's the standard for us.

Example: I will purchase (and have on site) cabinets, toilets, vanity/sinks, countertop, caulk, paint.

He will provide labor, tools, and fasteners

I can get the items with my military/pro discount at Home Depot, rack up rewards for doing so, and be certain what is purchased is correct & not damaged. I like that. I've had (too many) kitchen cabinets delivered to the store damaged, and I was able to inspect, reject & re-order them in one trip. Or, I can decide whether it can be repaired/used (like the damage against the wall) with a good discount .

Also, I am not paying him for his time / taking him away from spending his time doing the important stuff, to go shopping.

You can ask for detailed receipts - tell him that anything not having a receipt will be considered a labor charge and will be included in his 1099 so he will be taxed on them. (Items that have proper receipts will be yours and YOU can deduct them.)

But I don't think you can specify Labor Only - and then not pay for all the materials actually required to do the job. The screws, nails, caulk and paint are as integral to the job as the larger items like vanity.

"For lack of a nail a kingdom was lost" and all that.

It sounds like the scope of work really isn't all that clear. Your expectations and the contractors are not the same. AI can give you some samples of scope of work.

A schedule of payment after checking work would be in order. Otherwise, you might withhold payment until all work is completed per your standards.