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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not pay full amount to incompetent builder?

17 replies

Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 21:18

V v long story but will try to keep it short..

Builders gave quote for knocking down wall in kitchen and making good.

During works it became clear that he wasn't very competent. Damage to kitchen cabinets, floor, walls etc as he dropped steels, misread the engineers drawings and mucked up placement and support on steels. No care taken, mess everywhere.

Gave him chances to sort it, he did but it's taken two weeks longer than he said. (4 days originally Hmm)

Arrived home today to apparently finished work.

Skip still outside. Plastering is awful in places and ok in others. Needs skimming/filling sanding to be OK. Gaps and holes everywhere. Holes in ceiling. Damaged floor repaired but with essential bit missing which means it'll all have to be taken out again and really done. Whole room will need to be deep cleaned as he didnt bother covering anything, even though we did and we left all dustsheets over things originally. Skirting boards shocking, will have to be taken off and re done. He's used silicone to fill gaps, can't be over painted in matt paint, we planned to use matt.

We were going to let him have a list and tell him to sort it Monday but after doing the list we've realised all this could take him another 3/4 days. We've had no kitchen for weeks, with 2 children and full time jobs, the carpets in the house etc are ruined and I need to clean and get back to normality. DH reckons we get a quote from another builder to fix it, or even just do it ourselves, as we've done more competent diy than this in the past, and not pay him the full final amount (we owe him half, he wants around 2/3rds of that tomorrow and then the rest once it's signed off) building control reckon they'll sign off Monday as they're happy with structural work.

I can't face having this man in my house any longer, I just want him gone but I just wonder if we have to give him another chance to sort it. I honestly don't think he's capable.

Sorry that's really long! Amount wed hold back would be about 20%.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 02/12/2016 21:22

What does your contract say? I think if you don't even raise the issue and give him the chance to make it good then you can't just not pay him.

Bringmewineandcake · 02/12/2016 21:24

You'll have to give him a chance to rectify everything first, as annoying as that is. If you don't and he pursues you in the small claims court it won't look good on you. I take it he's a one man band, no supervisor you can refer to?

Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 21:25

It doesn't say anything about settling up, just lists the works we were paying for.
I just can't face him being here again fucking things up. It's actually laughable what he's done. Weve discussed damage and offered he could fix it but he's started that and done a shit job. He's not touching the fronts of the kitchen cabinets he scraped with a rsj...

OP posts:
Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 21:26

It's his business. We found him on trusted people. Never again.

OP posts:
ClopySow · 02/12/2016 21:32

Have you taken photos of everything?

Bringmewineandcake · 02/12/2016 21:36

Take photos of all the damage / bodge jobs and email him a copy along with the list of what needs doing. Give him a deadline by which to complete the work to your satisfaction and let him know that you'll be getting someone else to finish the job if he can't / won't do what you need. If this costs more than the final balance you'll pursue him for the difference.

Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 21:37

Oh yes....we were worried for a while that he'd lied about things that were structural, sad he'd done stuff then covered it up, so we photographed everything.

OP posts:
Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 21:40

Wineandcake that sounds like a good plan. He wants to see the back of us as much as we want him gone so I reckon he'd give up at that point. I'm all for paying a fair amount for work done but he's just taking the piss.

I think a day would be acceptable to give him, he's had 2 weeks and 2 days more than he originally said at that point.

OP posts:
AnneElliott · 02/12/2016 21:43

You do need to give him the chance to rectify the work.

I agree with the earlier poster to put it all in writing and list what needs doing and give him a deadline to fix it.

If he's that bad, he'll probably not bother trying to complete the work, and then you have a stronger argument not to pay the full amount.

Gillybean76 · 02/12/2016 21:46

As the wife of a tradesman I agree with wineandcake. Take photos, make notes of what is wrong. Have a meeting, set a deadline that is mutually agreeable for the work to be completed.

wishparry · 02/12/2016 21:49

Give him a snag list of all you expect to be put right,and when this is done he will get payment.

Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 22:11

OK I'll have a think. It's just the incompetence and lack of care. He left nails sticking out at toddler head height, saws laying around, he just doesn't seem to care or actually have the skills to do it properly.
I'm not willing to give him more than a day to sort it. It's got ridiculous now, he told us he'd be done by Tuesday, by today he's still not done.

OP posts:
Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 22:14

Is a day reasonable though? It's fine giving a snagging list but how long is too long to let him sort it?
Plus thereshipping the damage he did, the kit hen cabinets need repkacing/sanding and repainting but they're a really odd colour (not our choice as weve just moved jn and 7 yrs old). He's tried to repair the gloom but it's terrible.

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Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 02/12/2016 22:22

Tried to repair them

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Bringmewineandcake · 03/12/2016 19:43

Youcant our en suite was supposed to take 2 days and was actually finished totally after 3.5 months! I feel your pain. One day probably isn't enough if you want him to do a good job, if he does come he'll say you rushed him and that's why it's not up to scratch. Give him a reasonable deadline just in case it ends up at small claims.

Original poster
Youcantscaremeihavechildren · 04/12/2016 08:18

Well he came round on Saturday, told us he'd left one of his labourers to finish off and agreed it really wasn't finished.
He's told us he will spend a long day on Monday sorting it and won't leave until we are happy...he's got to sand the whole room as some of the plastering is so bad..
He knocked money off for the hassle and so we can pay a cleaner, if I can find one, as I still can't clean and organise the house now and he's about to fill it with dust.
It's fair enough, he said one day so if he doesn't do it by the end of Monday then that's another issue..

  1. 5 months, that's awful! I am so stressed and fed up with the mess now, it's only been 3 weeks!
OP posts:
Bringmewineandcake · 04/12/2016 18:23

Sounds like progress! Good luck for tomorrow Smile

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