AIBU to expect a new driveway doing?

[SpannerH]

I'm not sure what to do about this and it is seriously stressing me out.

I got quotes for my driveway from various people and ended up going with the guy who built my wall (did a good job, dependable etc).

He quoted £1700 for it concreting which included materials which wasn't too far from other quotes. He wanted money for materials upfront so we agreed I would be there each day to pay for materials and pay him at the end of the job. All materials were paid in cash, in the end there was £780 left to pay him. I had £80 left in cash and bank transferred the rest on the last day as he had finished the driveway and it looked nice so I had no reason to not pay.

He left as soon as he had finished laying the driveway, (this was in February when it was quite mild). The next morning woke up to hairline fractures all diagonally going the same direction all over the driveway. Sent him a photo and googled it, read it could settle down and so we agreed to wait to see how it got on. It kept getting worse. He came to look again and we found he hadn't put an expansion joint in so he came and did that. Still getting worse i.e. cracks getting bigger, more kept appearing. Decided we wanted it ripping up and doing again. After an akward conversation he agreed to it but said he hasn't got the money to do it yet and we would have to wait. I said as long as it is before my baby's due day in May.

Messaged him for an update today and he is basically we'll have to play it by here and saying 'hopefully' he will have some money by then to fix it.

I don't know what to do, do we have a leg to stand on, surely someone must have been in this position before? He seems like a genuinely nice man, met his OH and DD who were lovely and I don't want things to turn nasty so I don't know what to do.

any advise appreciated.

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

He should have liability insurance to cover it.

[Geminijes]

A friend of mine had a similar problem with her driveway. She gave the builder many chances to rectify the problem. She kept all evidence of communication with him and made a claim against him in the small claims court.

[Geminijes]

Forgot to mention, judge decided the builder had to pay three quarters of the cost of a new driveway (both materials and labour).

[SpannerH]

Yeah it doesn't look like he has liability insurance (hasn't mentioned it if he has) I would be surprised if he has though. He mentioned during a conversation that until he gets married in June he isn't classed as living with his wife (although he is) so I don't think he does things by the book but I didn't know that until it was too late.

I'm really hoping we don't have to go through the courts but I think it might be looking that way. Thank you

[SpannerH]

just asked and he has got liability insurance but he didn't think it would be covered so he hasn't tried. @PlainSpeakingStraightTalking do you know what it would be covered under?

Thanks :)

[RestingBitchFaced]

Give him a time limit or you will be forced to take further action

[Lifecraft]

He should have liability insurance to cover it.

Liability insurance covers damage he does whilst plying his trade. So if he'd dug down and cracked a water main, or scraped his wheelbarrow along the side of the OP's car. Liability insurance doesn't cover him for doing his job badly!

[PlainSpeakingStraightTalking]

www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/sole-trader/

Is the workmanship shoddy - or was the quality of the material poor - or did the weather affect the 'going off' process ?


What is public liability insurance?

Public liability insurance is a fundamental type of business insurance, particularly if you have visitors to your premises or carry out work on client sites. It can cover legal expenses or compensation claims if clients, suppliers, or members of the public suffer personal injury or property damage because of your business.

www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/faq/public-liability-claim-examples/

case 2 covers shoddy workmanship