> If you can't factor it into your costs of doing business (that you pass on to the client) then you either have to factor it into your costs of doing business (that you have to eat) or decide to take the risk of not bothering.
Thanks, I know this myself. But there is a reality in which no one will accept you factoring in the costs of analysing every tool used.
You try to do this -> someone else gets the contract
You try to change the contract to cover for this -> someone else gets the contract
So you have no choice but to take the risk. Fine. But that doesn't make it a "valid surprise".
In ideal world it wouldn't matter: we'd have time to properly analyse everything we use and clients wouldn't mind paying to having things done properly. We don't live in an ideal world so someone somewhere needs to decide if the risk is worth taking. If you don't push that decision on to the client (because your competitors don't and you fear it will reduce your edge too much) then you have to make the choice and take responsibility for it.
Thanks, I know this myself. But there is a reality in which no one will accept you factoring in the costs of analysing every tool used.
You try to do this -> someone else gets the contract
You try to change the contract to cover for this -> someone else gets the contract