What happens if you find more problems once you start working?

Osta follows a strict protocol when unexpected conditions arise during project execution. We stop work, document findings, explain implications, provide revised pricing, and proceed only with your explicit approval. This transparency protects you from surprise charges while ensuring proper problem resolution.

When our professionals encounter conditions that differ from initial assessment—hidden damage, code violations, unsafe installations, or complications affecting project scope—we immediately pause active work and document the situation through photos, videos, and detailed notes.

Common discoveries include:

Your technician contacts you immediately (or at agreed-upon communication intervals for ongoing projects) to explain:

For complex situations, we provide visual documentation, reference relevant code sections, and explain tradeoffs between different approaches.

If addressing the discovered condition requires additional work beyond your original estimate, we provide detailed pricing for:

The revised quote itemizes new work separately from original scope, clearly showing what you originally approved versus what the discovery requires. Your original estimate remains valid for all originally agreed-upon work—we don't retroactively adjust pricing or claim "unforeseen complications" to justify overcharges on work we already quoted.

You always have three choices when we discover additional issues:

Approve Additional Work: Proceed with corrections, scope expansion, or modifications needed to address discovered conditions. The revised total becomes your new fixed price—locked in regardless of further complications we might

encounter during expanded work.

Limit Scope to Original Agreement: Complete only the originally approved work, leaving discovered conditions unaddressed. We'll document what we found, explain why we're not correcting it, and note any implications for code compliance, safety, or system performance. This option works when discovered issues are independent from your primary project and you prefer to address them separately or leave them as-is.

Pause for Further Evaluation: Stop work temporarily while you obtain additional quotes, consult with other professionals, or determine how to proceed. We'll button up the work area safely, document current status, and reschedule completion once you've decided on next steps. You're only obligated to pay for work completed to the pause point.

Panel Upgrade Finding Aluminum Wiring:

Light Fixture Installation Finding Junction Box Issues:

Water Heater Replacement Finding Venting Problems:

Some contractors deliberately underestimate initially, then use "unforeseen conditions" as justification for massive cost increases, essentially forcing customers to proceed at inflated prices after work has already begun. This practice is unethical and illegal in California.

Osta protects you through:

Thorough Initial Assessment: Our diagnostic visits and virtual assessments are designed to uncover probable conditions before quoting, minimizing surprise discoveries. We ask detailed questions, review property age and history, and identify likely complications during planning.

Conservative Scope Assumptions: When conditions are uncertain, we include contingencies in original estimates rather than providing artificially low quotes that will inevitably require expensive change orders.

Fixed Price for Discovered Work: When additional work is required, our revised pricing follows the same fixed-price model as the original estimate. We can't inflate costs after you've approved because we're locked into the revised quote just as firmly as the original.

Documentation and Transparency: All discoveries, revised quotes, and approval communications are documented in writing, creating clear records of what was found, what was explained, what options were presented, and what you approved.

Third-Party Verification: For significant discoveries affecting large cost increases, we encourage obtaining second opinions, independent inspections, or verification from building departments to confirm our findings and recommendations are accurate and necessary.

California law provides extensive consumer protections for home improvement contracts. You have the right to:

If you ever feel pressured to approve additional work, encouraged to proceed without clear pricing, or uncertain about whether discovered conditions legitimately require attention, stop the project and seek independent verification. Legitimate discoveries are verifiable, explainable, and documented—pressure tactics indicate contractor fraud rather than genuine complications.

Commitment to Honest Business:

Osta's business model depends on long-term customer relationships, positive referrals, and reputation protection. Manufacturing "emergencies" or inflating scope would destroy the trust we've built and violate the principles our company was founded on. When we tell you we discovered a problem, it's real, documented, and requires your attention for safety, code compliance, or project completion.

We profit by completing projects efficiently within fixed-price agreements, not by generating change orders. When additional work becomes necessary, we're transparent about requirements, costs, and options because maintaining your trust is more valuable than maximizing revenue on any single project.