Builder Problem..

Pheebs · 10-09-2008, 15:21

Basically... had a builder round to do our driveway and back wall. He quoted us up and the drive was something like £7000 and the back wall came to £315 - slightly more than other buuut considering he was doing the front too it made sense to go with him.

He did the drive - we paid him for it - but he said to hold on to the dosh for the back wall as he was unsure when he could do it.

About 3 months later we get hold of him (after trying and trying to get the bloody wall done) and ask when is he going to do it. After a few more chase ups, he sends round a relative to do the job and pick up some of the stuff he had left here from the drive (signs and a mound of things).

The guy comes, does an okay job and when Dan rings I say it's fine (but haven't studied it). On closer inspection we find out he's not rendered behind the wall, annoyingly leaving the breeze blocks showing above the grass line.

Anyway, we wait for Dan to come for payment/contact us and he doesn't. Two months on, we have another plasterer over to do our interior bit of the house. He says to me:

"Roge did a good job of the back wall"
Me: "Ermmm a builder did it"
Him: "Christ, hope you didn't pay him!!!"
Me: "Funnily enough he hasn't asked for payment yet. Bit odd really - he was a nice chap and did an excellent job of the front but we're disappointed with the back. I don't think he wants payment!"

About 3 hours after the chap leaves... *knock knock knock*. Dans at the door. I invite him in thinking "hmmm coincidence?!?" and we have a chat and he says he's here to do the invoice.

He then tells me outstanding is £400.

I'm like... eh??!?! No! It was less! We have a bit of a titter tatter and I couldn't find his estimate but knew it was somewhere and he was saying "oh no, £375 then... £350...".

Eventually he said "the reason it's £400 was because you paid me £7000 for the drive but owed £7075... but we decided to leave it at £7075 so you could pay me a rounded figure for the back wall (£400 instead of £325 making the total quote for all of the jobs £7400)"

EH?

I said "erm... we had all the cash in a brown envelope and there certainly wasn't £400 left in it after I initially paid... and we wouldn't have given you under for the drive because we wouldn't want to owe you!!"

I then explained it was a pants job and not done to our happiness and wouldn't want to pay the full amount anyway (which he said "you said it was fine on the phone!!" so I had to say "yes but I hadn't properly checked it and it was only later on that day I saw!!")

Anyway... he's gone off in a huff and said speak to Roge. What do we do?!?!? It's his word against mine really

Really annoyed as he was superb with the drive. Am gutted.

Garp · 10-09-2008, 15:28

Verbal contracts are binding. If he wants to try and argue otherwise the onus is on him to provide proof that the terms were renegotiated from that which you have paperwork for.

CaptRugWash · 10-09-2008, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pheebs

/SNIP

First things first, show some pictures of the pointing he has missed out. No doubt he didn't want to bend down and did it as a favor for this other builder. Is it just the pointing? If so, buy the material, mix it up and do it.

Write the builder a letter apologizing for the mix-up and send a copy of the original quote. Tell him how delighted you were and still are with the drive-way, hence why you wanted him to do the back wall. Take pictures of the crap pointing so he can see it's a ****ty job.

Send him the payment of the initial wall quote minus the material cost for pointing it yourself. Pointing it is a piece of cake and should only take a few minutes.

It's a nasty situation to be in because you don't want to fall out with anyone, but you want the job done. You sound honest enough, so hopefully he will be reasonable and accept your offer. you paid him 7K for a driveway, it's not like you're going to fleece him for £300 on a poxy wall!

luke · 10-09-2008, 16:12

as a builder can i say ttiuwp

Pheebs · 10-09-2008, 16:14

I'll dig out my camera and take some photos.

Where he's missed out - it's about 4 maybe 5 meters along and about a foot down. It's behind the wall with a grass bed leading up to it... we dug out down and around it purposefully so he could render down beyond the grass line so not to show the breeze blocks.

I've just called up the chap who plastered our wall today and made comments about the pooness of the back wall. He's out at the moment but his other half said he'd ring back. I figured... if I could find out from him how much it would cost for him to finish the job and find out the technicalities of why he thinks it's a not so great job, I may be able to go back to Dan and say

"OI!

a) We only owe you this amount *show scanned copy of previous quote*
b) The job done wasn't finished - look at the photos *show copies of the photos*
c) It would cost ex amount to get it finished
d) We're therefore only paying you this amount"

I don't want to fall out but equally I don't want to be conned and pay out money for a poo job.

Metalface Mark · 10-09-2008, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pheebs

I'll dig out my camera and take some photos.

Where he's missed out - it's about 4 maybe 5 meters along and about a foot down. It's behind the wall with a grass bed leading up to it... we dug out down and around it purposefully so he could render down beyond the grass line so not to show the breeze blocks.

I've just called up the chap who plastered our wall today and made comments about the pooness of the back wall. He's out at the moment but his other half said he'd ring back. I figured... if I could find out from him how much it would cost for him to finish the job and find out the technicalities of why he thinks it's a not so great job, I may be able to go back to Dan and say

"OI!

a) We only owe you this amount *show scanned copy of previous quote*
b) The job done wasn't finished - look at the photos *show copies of the photos*
c) It would cost ex amount to get it finished
d) We're therefore only paying you this amount"

I don't want to fall out but equally I don't want to be conned and pay out money for a poo job.

Give him the chance to fix it first before getting someone else in.

luke · 10-09-2008, 16:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metalface Mark

Give him the chance to fix it first before getting someone else in.

yeh you have to do this legaly anyway iirc

Pheebs · 10-09-2008, 16:40

Piccies!

This one is our herb bit! We've planted stuff there because we have been waiting so long to hear from him and our plants were dying! But yeh - it should have been rendered about a foot down from the top and it's not been along the whole length.

Mebbe this is clearer of non renderedness!

Showing the front rendered bit - but gives a better idea of how much behind has been missed!

It may look like we're being fussy as the grass will cover most of it/you can't really see the breeze blocks with plants covering them... but that's what we were quoted for and expected. And when the guy was here I asked him to do it (he confirmed it with me a couple of times)!

I will see whether he will come back and finish it but I doubt he will!

-J- · 10-09-2008, 16:45

nice garden

will the lack of rendering affect anything?

and why is that tomato trying to escape?

Pheebs · 10-09-2008, 16:53

Nope not really - it can be seen and is unslightly but if we let the grass grow it could cover it

I think it's more a matter of principle - the builder dude thinks we owe him almost £100 more than he quoted originally and the dude he sent to do it didn't even finish the job properly

So I'm being a finicky little wotsit over it

And that tomato is running away from being nommed by meeeeee! NOM NOM noM nom nom nomNOMnomnom!

Fankoo for nice garden comment - I like it muchos (and you can only see the half of it there! - the lawn needs mowing but this old darn weather won't let us

10-09-2008, 15:21	#1
Pheebs Deep Throat Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 6,512	Builder Problem.. Basically... had a builder round to do our driveway and back wall. He quoted us up and the drive was something like £7000 and the back wall came to £315 - slightly more than other buuut considering he was doing the front too it made sense to go with him. He did the drive - we paid him for it - but he said to hold on to the dosh for the back wall as he was unsure when he could do it. About 3 months later we get hold of him (after trying and trying to get the bloody wall done) and ask when is he going to do it. After a few more chase ups, he sends round a relative to do the job and pick up some of the stuff he had left here from the drive (signs and a mound of things). The guy comes, does an okay job and when Dan rings I say it's fine (but haven't studied it). On closer inspection we find out he's not rendered behind the wall, annoyingly leaving the breeze blocks showing above the grass line. Anyway, we wait for Dan to come for payment/contact us and he doesn't. Two months on, we have another plasterer over to do our interior bit of the house. He says to me: "Roge did a good job of the back wall" Me: "Ermmm a builder did it" Him: "Christ, hope you didn't pay him!!!" Me: "Funnily enough he hasn't asked for payment yet. Bit odd really - he was a nice chap and did an excellent job of the front but we're disappointed with the back. I don't think he wants payment!" About 3 hours after the chap leaves... knock knock knock. Dans at the door. I invite him in thinking "hmmm coincidence?!?" and we have a chat and he says he's here to do the invoice. He then tells me outstanding is £400. I'm like... eh??!?! No! It was less! We have a bit of a titter tatter and I couldn't find his estimate but knew it was somewhere and he was saying "oh no, £375 then... £350...". Eventually he said "the reason it's £400 was because you paid me £7000 for the drive but owed £7075... but we decided to leave it at £7075 so you could pay me a rounded figure for the back wall (£400 instead of £325 making the total quote for all of the jobs £7400)" EH? I said "erm... we had all the cash in a brown envelope and there certainly wasn't £400 left in it after I initially paid... and we wouldn't have given you under for the drive because we wouldn't want to owe you!!" I then explained it was a pants job and not done to our happiness and wouldn't want to pay the full amount anyway (which he said "you said it was fine on the phone!!" so I had to say "yes but I hadn't properly checked it and it was only later on that day I saw!!") Anyway... he's gone off in a huff and said speak to Roge. What do we do?!?!? It's his word against mine really Really annoyed as he was superb with the drive. Am gutted. __________________ http://www.spiffingdesigns.co.uk

10-09-2008, 15:28	#2
Garp Preparing more tumbleweed Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 6,038	Verbal contracts are binding. If he wants to try and argue otherwise the onus is on him to provide proof that the terms were renegotiated from that which you have paperwork for. __________________ Mal: Define "interesting"? Wash: "Oh, God, oh, God, we're all gonna die"?

10-09-2008, 16:14	#5
Pheebs Deep Throat Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 6,512	I'll dig out my camera and take some photos. Where he's missed out - it's about 4 maybe 5 meters along and about a foot down. It's behind the wall with a grass bed leading up to it... we dug out down and around it purposefully so he could render down beyond the grass line so not to show the breeze blocks. I've just called up the chap who plastered our wall today and made comments about the pooness of the back wall. He's out at the moment but his other half said he'd ring back. I figured... if I could find out from him how much it would cost for him to finish the job and find out the technicalities of why he thinks it's a not so great job, I may be able to go back to Dan and say "OI! a) We only owe you this amount show scanned copy of previous quote b) The job done wasn't finished - look at the photos show copies of the photos c) It would cost ex amount to get it finished d) We're therefore only paying you this amount" I don't want to fall out but equally I don't want to be conned and pay out money for a poo job. __________________ http://www.spiffingdesigns.co.uk

10-09-2008, 16:40	#8
Pheebs Deep Throat Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 6,512	Piccies! This one is our herb bit! We've planted stuff there because we have been waiting so long to hear from him and our plants were dying! But yeh - it should have been rendered about a foot down from the top and it's not been along the whole length. Mebbe this is clearer of non renderedness! Showing the front rendered bit - but gives a better idea of how much behind has been missed! It may look like we're being fussy as the grass will cover most of it/you can't really see the breeze blocks with plants covering them... but that's what we were quoted for and expected. And when the guy was here I asked him to do it (he confirmed it with me a couple of times)! I will see whether he will come back and finish it but I doubt he will! __________________ http://www.spiffingdesigns.co.uk

10-09-2008, 16:53	#10
Pheebs Deep Throat Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 6,512	Nope not really - it can be seen and is unslightly but if we let the grass grow it could cover it I think it's more a matter of principle - the builder dude thinks we owe him almost £100 more than he quoted originally and the dude he sent to do it didn't even finish the job properly So I'm being a finicky little wotsit over it And that tomato is running away from being nommed by meeeeee! NOM NOM noM nom nom nomNOMnomnom! Fankoo for nice garden comment - I like it muchos (and you can only see the half of it there! - the lawn needs mowing but this old darn weather won't let us __________________ http://www.spiffingdesigns.co.uk

10-09-2008, 16:12	#4
luke Abandoned Ship Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 282	as a builder can i say ttiuwp

10-09-2008, 16:45	#9
-J- Columbian Coffee Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: opposite yours, spying on you Posts: 62	nice garden will the lack of rendering affect anything? and why is that tomato trying to escape?