Have you noticed what should be a single negotiation with a homeowner ends up being 3 negotiations?  You negotiate the first time to win the job, the second time during the job and the third time, to get your final payment.  Negotiating to get what you deserve is crazy.  But, this last negotiation seems to happen all the time.  The main reason for the last payment negotiation is usually because the homeowner feels that they have not received what they thought they should have.  It is so important to work as hard at the end of the job as it is at the beginning.  This is the best way to reduce the chance of a last payment negotiation.  As hard as that may seem to be.