BHunn, first I must say that this is my own opinion and not that of RC Universe. Now with that said; The first thing I would do is find out how many planes the builder has under his or her belt. An experienced R/C builder knows that you could buy a comparable ARF for much less than is being asked for the labor alone. There was a deal struck and perhaps you didn't realize how much time it was going to take; however, if the builder has much experience, he or she should've known they were racking up the hours and dollars. After they reached about TWICE the price of a comparable ARF, wouldn't one think they (the builder) should've in good faith, called you and said, "hey, this thing is getting expensive!" No phone call or notification stinks to high heaven. I stopped counting the number of R/C planes I built when I reached 175. It's probably around 225 now. For years, I would build and cover a .10-.90 size plane (excluding exotic covering and multi-engines) for another kit of the same type. I'd tell the person to just buy 2 kits and bring their covering and glue. Those days have pretty much passed, and most people nowadays expect much more for their labor in the U.S. The dollar amount requested from you in my opinion is ridiculously high, and you may be stuck because of your agreement. Remember that nice goes a long ways, so try to negotiate. A good approach might be to find an ad for a comparable arf and show the builder the price, then explain that you had no idea yours would cost that much. I believe that if they have a conscience and can read the ad, they should lower their price a bunch. Again, this is solely my opinion.

John Wells
AMA 138744