I refuse to pay an extortion fee of any kind to have negative review removed.  You are not a customer.

Beware of Phillip Blankenship Siding Applicator

A contractor warning based on a real measurement dispute and a review removal demand

If this is your first time hearing this, let me say it plainly: disagreements on footage and scope happen in construction. They happen even when everybody is acting in good faith. But there is a line where a simple measurement mistake turns into something else entirely. This post is about that line.

I have been in this industry more than forty five years. I have seen every kind of jobsite problem you can imagine: wrong color delivered, missed corners, surprise rot, misread plans, late crews, busted ladders, and even the classic “the tape measure grew overnight” argument. What I have not seen often is an applicator trying to turn labor wages into leverage after the work is already lined up and moving.

This is a public warning about my experience with Phillip Blankenship, a siding applicator. I am sharing this so other homeowners, contractors, and property managers know what to watch for before they hire him or agree to work with him.

Important note: I am describing my experience and what I can document. I am not asking anyone to take my word blindly. If you are considering hiring him, do your own due diligence and require everything in writing, including measurements, scope, price, and change orders.

What happened in plain English

Here is the simple version.

We provided our schematic. We measured the house. He provided his numbers and price. Everything looked like it was going as planned.

Then came the shock call.

After the job was already underway, he called back and said we “must have made a mistake” and that it should be 154.00 more for “additional footage.”

That is the core issue: the actual footage on a house does not change. Waste happens. Every installer knows that. Corners, overlaps, cuts, and scrap are normal. But adding extra footage after the fact to inflate a bill is not the same thing as accounting for waste. One is normal. The other is a problem.

From there, the situation escalated into a demand that felt like pay up or else, including pressure tied to removing a negative review. I refuse to pay any fee of any kind to have a negative review removed. Reviews exist for a reason. Nobody should be shaking people down over them.

Why the “footage dispute” excuse does not hold water

Let us separate two things that people love to mix together.

A real measurement difference

A legitimate footage disagreement looks like this:

• Two parties measured differently because one counted openings, returns, or soffit areas differently

• There was a scope change that was approved in writing

• A detail was missed in the original takeoff

• The material choice changed and affected labor time, not footage

• The building had hidden damage that changed scope once opened up

In those cases, the fix is simple: compare notes, walk the elevations, correct the takeoff, sign a change order, then move forward.

A fabricated “additional footage” add on

A not legitimate difference looks like this:

• The original scope was accepted

• The house is the house

• No scope change occurred

• No written change order was approved

• The “extra” appears only after the contractor believes you are committed

• The amount is presented as non negotiable, urgent, or framed as your mistake

If this is your first time hearing this, here is the hard truth: some people use late add ons as a profit lever. They count on the fact that most customers hate conflict and just want the job done.

The red flags you should not ignore

If you are a homeowner, this is what you should pay attention to before you hire any siding applicator. If you are a general contractor, this is what you should require from any sub.

Red flag one: price changes after commitment without a written change order

A professional does not “surprise bill” you. A professional documents.

Red flag two: vague language like “you must have made a mistake”

If someone claims you made a mistake, they should be able to show it in writing, on the elevations, line by line.

Red flag three: measurements that cannot be reconciled

If you gave your schematic and they cannot explain exactly where the difference is, that is a problem.

Red flag four: pressure tactics

Urgency, threats, or emotional manipulation is not craftsmanship. It is a sales move.

Red flag five: anything tied to review removal

If a contractor is asking for money or concessions in exchange for removing or suppressing a review, treat that as a serious warning sign. A solid contractor fixes the issue. They do not negotiate truth.

What you should do before you hire any siding applicator

This section is the “protect yourself” checklist. It is old school because old school works.