The gate code didn't work. Three mornings in a row.

Mateo runs a small remodeling crew. He's licensed. He has two guys who count on him for a paycheck.

Day three

It's 6:40 in the morning. Day three of a kitchen job.

Mateo pulls up to the gate. He types in the code he was given.

A small red light. The code doesn't work.

He calls the homeowner. No answer. He texts. Nothing.

His two guys sit in the truck behind him. On the clock the whole time.

An hour and a half later, they go home.

Wednesday, same thing. Thursday, same thing.

The homeowners had changed the code. They forgot to tell him.

Three days gone. And on paper, the only one behind schedule is Mateo.

What three lost mornings cost

• 9 paid hours for nothing: 2 workers, 1.5 hours, 3 mornings.
• Gas and the drive, three times.
• Three days off the schedule, which can push back every job after this one.
• If the contract has a finish date, the delay looks like his.

Nobody meant for this to happen. But the cost landed on the Pro.

Can't get in? Do this

• Log the time you got there.
• Take a photo of the closed gate. Your phone saves the time.
• Text, don't just call. A text leaves a record.
• Tell the homeowner in writing that the day is lost, and why.
• If the contract has a finish date, ask for the extra days in writing.

That way, the delay is on the record. Not on you.

Before the job starts

• Get the gate code in writing, not buried in a text thread.
• Ask: "Will this code change during the job?" HOAs and property managers change codes.
• Get a backup contact who can open the gate.

Homeowners: one small thing

If you change your gate code, tell your Pro that day. A crew waiting at your gate is a crew you may end up paying for.

How PayBild handles it

• The gate code is part of the homeowner's project form.
• If they pick a gate, a lockbox or a key with a neighbor, they have to give it.
• Pros browsing jobs never see it.
• The moment the homeowner signs, it's on the Pro's project, in Project records.
• If the homeowner changes it, the Pro is told right away, in PayBild and by email.
• Each milestone has shared notes both sides can see, with the date on every note. Log a lost morning there.
• If a delay wasn't your fault, PayBild's team can take it off your on-time record.

Join as a Pro. It's free.

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Mateo is a made-up example, based on real situations. General information, not legal advice.