Builder had smashed a glass table. WWYD?

[bimbabirba]

It wasn't the "main" builder who did it, it was a young lad who's been working really hard mostly on his own all the time. He was foolishly trying to cut some insulation board on the glass table that was outside (it was an outdoor table) and he smashed right through it. The poor thing was mortified and I felt for him
He offered to replace it. What should I do?

will their insurance not cover it?

Hadn't thought of that. I can ask the more senior builder about insurance but I think there's a realistic possibility he'll get the young lad to fork out for it

They should replace it or claim it on their insurance. And I wouldn't feel bad about it. Accidents happen but someone needs to pay for the damage, it was pretty stupid for the guy to use a glass table and the main builder should have been there to supervise the less experienced one.

Their insurance should cover it. If not do you have insurance on it? Our glass coffee table we bought an insurance policy for however many years with it.

A builder dropped a granite tile from our table and smashed it (ironically while trying to move the table somewhere safer!). We found out how much a new one was (£30) and had to wait quite a few weeks for it to arrive, so he took £50 off the bill. I was happy with that.

Failing that you could claim it on your insurance and get the builder to pay the excess?

I'd thank him for offering but not accept anything from him. I'm a soft touch though and would guess DH wouldn't be so understanding (he's in construction). Was it very expensive? I'd look at my own insurance as well to see if I could make a claim.

1. the guy using your glass table shouldn't have been doing that if he had any common sense at all - but his 'gaffer' should have told him it wasn't the correct place to cut anything

2. it's not up to 'the lad' to, personally, pay you for it

3. the main builder should (a) be teaching his 'lad' about the correct places to do this kind of stuff and (b) more importantly, he, the gaffer, should be paying you for a replacement

You may not be able to claim on your insurance, we had to notify our insurers whilst our building work was being done and our insurance was amended during that period that and damage caused by the builders they were responsible for not ur insurance.

It was a large tempered glass IKEA dining table. Only 2 years old. It cost quite a lot but not as much as the excess on my home insurance which is £250!

So. The table cost less than £250? It's not worth you claiming on your insurance, presumably?

And it's not worth your builder's while putting it through his insurance?

If he's worth his salt, he'll just pay up for a new table for you (and then think about better training for his 'lads').

That's the one

Ask the builder to knock something off the bill.

I would see if something could be knocked off the job but it will probably come out of lad's wages. Doesn't pay to cut corners and let's face it a glass table was a silly choice as a work bench.

'cut corners' - no pun intended.

I've worked in household construction. Wh had a 'lad' who was a bit of an enthusiastic puppy, I could totally imagine him doing that kind of thing, and being mortified, then doing something equally dopey a few weeks later. He broke so many tools, people's ornaments, damaged vehicles through just Not Thinking Things Through.

We stopped protecting him from the consequences of dumb actions ( obvs not elf n safety issues) and he learned a LOT faster.

Don't feel too bad op. it may well be the making of him.

Builder should either claim under his public liability insurance or pay for it himself. My husband is a s/e kitchen fitter and bumped a ladies fridge door and left a dent so he forked out £170 for a replacement as it wasnt worth claiming for it.

If he offered to replace it, take him up on it. He might prefer that to it being put through his bosses insurance.

Well main builder has come in and we've had a chat about how things were going. He said nothing about the table, nor has the young boy. I think he may have not fessed up at all to his boss. This makes it even more difficult to bring up!

Oh for heavens sake, bim. Just tell the main builder that his 'lad' has broken your table and have a sensible conversation about it!

That ^