Poor installation job - what can we do?

[magpieC]

We've just had a new en-suite bathroom fitted. It was ordered through a small local company - and their fitter has done the installation. We have paid the company for the bits and then the fitter for the actual fitting.

However, We're not totally happy with the installation job that's been done.

The tiler apparently ended up in hospital the day he was supposed to come and tile our wall so they did it themselves. It's OK but not great. They also fitted the splashback (small mosaic on a net type) tiles and have done a bit of a crap job (tiles not even against the wall; external corner tiles not actually flush against each other/the edging strip).

Round the shower we had panel board rather than tiles and it appears that they haven't followed the instructions for this and so the gaps between the board aren't sealed.

They damaged the newly laid Amtico flooring - although to be fair arranged for the flooring guy to come back in and use our spare tiles to repair it.

They couldn't put the toilet roll holder on so that it was level - initially drilled two holes on the wrong diagonal and because of that only put in the central screw. When we commented on that said that it was because it was cantilevered and grudginly put in an extra screw. It still rotated slightly - so I gave up and added a third and now it seems fine (and level :-) )

There are a few other bits that we're "working with them" to get sorted but generally we're getting totally fucked off with the whole thing. We chose them because they seemed to know what they were talking about and were pretty helpful (the bathroom refit was hastened by a leak).

I want to just give up on the fitters and sort the panel board sealing ourselves and possibly redo the splashback tiling - but obviously don't want to pay full whack to them.

Does anyone know what the position is on not paying them?

I feel that we were originally quoted for the professsional tiler so shouldn't have to pay as much for the "oh we'll just do it ourselves" crap job they did - but the quote wasn't itemised - more of a here's a price for the job and it includes x,y and z.

Also I believe that we have to offer them the opportunity to make good what we're not happy with before witholding payment - but when you've got to the point when you don't trust that they'll do a good job.

I know in the grand scheme it's mostly cosmetic niggles but when you've paid a significant amount of money to get reasonably quality bits and then the fitting is poor it definitely takes the shine off the whole process :-(

[magpieC]

Anyone?

[JT05]

Did you have a written contract? Setting out expectations of finished work?

[wowfudge]

Have you paid yet?

[magpieC]

JT05 Would you really expect a contract to say things like "fit tiles so that they're even and align at the corner" or "install panel board as per the manufacturer's instructions"?

Wowfudge No not yet - we paid half as a deposit and have the remainder outstanding.

[wowfudge]

If you contract someone who purports to be a professional, you expect the work to be carried out to a professional standard. In a bathroom it is obvious that finishes need to be watertight and so on. Failing to tile correctly and failing to seal the boards mean the installation is faulty and should either be removed and re-installed correctly or made good.

As you haven't paid them yet I think you can insist a tiler sorts things out, for example. Was the owner of the business one of the people who worked on the project? If he wasn't then it should be easier to get things fixed as you are questioning his workmanship. Email him photos and the instructions for the boards to show things haven't been done correctly. You do need to give them an opportunity to fix things first. If they don't/won't then write and tell them they haven't fulfilled the contract, you are withholding the monies not yet paid and using them to pay for someone else to put things right.

[wowfudge]

not questioning his workmanship