Money disagreement with builder

[AvaloniaFunk]

First home, first building work. My builder quoted me for a job which included a number of tasks including the fitting of some French doors that I ordered online. It was at the top end of our budget. The doors arrived on the day they were meant to be fitted, but when put together from the flat pack were found to be of poor quality and will be returned. As the builder squeezed my job in and is really booked up, he is reluctant to come back to fit another set of doors when they were delivered. When I was deciding whether or not to keep the doors he said he would take the fitting costs off the final bill. I have been emailed the bill tonight to find that he has only refunded me £150 . I really don't think I'll find anyone to fit French doors for £150. Not a hope or even close. How do I raise this with him and come to a fair conclusion?

[Lighteningirll]

He was there ready willing and able to do the job not his fault the doors weren't. He can't do any other jobs in that time now I'd accept his offer.

[JassyRadlett]

The thing is - he put aside his time for you, didn't book any other work for that time, and it wasn't his fault you didn't have the materials available on the day.

I think he's been pretty fair tbh.

[WillyWanker]

Sorry it doesn't work like that - he's been more than fair.

[AvaloniaFunk]

Okay. Point taken. I haven't spoken to him yet. Just wanted some opinion. However, when I was deciding whether or not to fit the doors, he did say that he wouldn't charge me for the fitting. If I had known that this wasn't exactly the case then I would have accepted the doors and just got him to fit them as I can't afford to pay twice for fitting.

[Idontknowwhoiam]

It's cheaper to get labour when they're already there doing something than getting someone specifically for a small job.
If he can fit them in a day, £150 seems more than reasonable to me.
Howuch were you expecting back?

[AvaloniaFunk]

I wasn't sure. I just knew that £150 would not cover finding someone else to do the fitting and we are maxed out. It would be lovely if he could just charge the full amount but agree to come back at some point convenient to him, between jobs in the next few weeks, to fit the doors. Is this still too much to ask?

[Idontknowwhoiam]

You could ask, but I would bring up the fact that he's 'only' refunded 150. If he's done a fair bit of work for you and there's the prospect of more in the future he would probably be more likely to.

[Lighteningirll]

He was originally fitting them for free because a he was already there and b good quality doors would have hung easily. Hanging crap doors is much harder and runs the risk of the customer never being happy and blaming you, the builder. He's been extremely nice offering you £150 for not doing a relatively easy job. Sadly it won't be such an easy job for anyone else as they aren't already there unfortunate for you but absolutely not his fault.

[IceMaiden73]

I agree with everyone else, YABU

[pilates]

The Builder is being more than fair.

[insancerre]

£150 is a days work
Doors can befitted easily in one day
It seems fair to me
In fact it seems very generous as he said he wasn't going yt charge, so he really didn't need to take anything off the bill

[AvaloniaFunk]

Okay. Thanks everyone. I just needed a fair opinion and I got it. I hadn't said anything to him yet anyway.

[Researchingamove]

Agree with insancerre £150 is the going day rate and that is ample time to fit doors.