Customer complaint about soot on driveway changed my whole cleanout process

Had a job last week in Akron where the homeowner came out after I was packing up and pointed at black specks all over their concrete. I used my normal tarp but it shifted when I was hauling the drum down. She said her HOA fines for any staining, so I ended up spending an extra hour with a pressure washer. I switched to a heavier canvas tarp with grommets and stakes now, plus I lay cardboard under the drum before I even start. Anyone else deal with driveway or patio staining complaints after a cleaning?

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1 Comment

webb.xena15d ago

Honestly, I get the frustration but I gotta push back a little on "she said her HOA fines." That's on them, not you. You did the job, you cleaned up your mess, and you offered to fix it. That extra hour with the pressure washer was you being nice, not you being wrong. If anything, complaining about soot specks after a chimney cleanout feels like a setup. HOAs are always gonna find something. Staking a tarp is smart, but don't let one picky homeowner make you feel like your old process was trash. Some folks just look for reasons to nitpick.