Why does nobody talk about the real cost of skipping a grease trap inspection?

I ran a kitchen remodel in Portland where the owner refused the quarterly grease trap service to save $400. Six months later, a full sewer backup shut them down for three days, costing over $8k in lost business and emergency plumbing. The city inspector flat out told me, 'This is why we have codes.' What's the most stubborn cost-cutting move you've seen a client try to push?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretk893mo ago

Saw a client try that once, total disaster.

henryf531mo ago

That's rough. Nothing worse than watching someone's plan blow up right in front of them. I've seen it a few times with people I know, especially when they skipped the small test runs. One guy I know tried it on a big project and lost a ton of money on materials alone. It's a shame because the idea was solid on paper, just didn't work in the real world.

campbell.robin3mo ago

Oh man, tell me about it. I watched a buddy try something similar and it went south fast. @margaretk89 you hit the nail on the head, some ideas look good on paper but fall apart in real life.