To not pay builder until skip is gone from my driveway?

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Obvious name change, apologies for length!

I have recently had a new bathroom fitted. Took two weeks. Few issues but all sorted and I am satisfied with the work.

Part of the job was to remove the old suite and dispose of it. Day 1, big skip delivered to my driveway. Old suite, which is a small bath, basin and toilet, small bit of wood cladding, ripped out and put in skip. Builder tells me he's got a big skip so he can put some stuff in it too. Bit CF, I think to myself but say nowt.

During the week he puts more and more stuff in skip. Skip is full up. On day ten I ask if skip can be removed from my driveway as it's mostly his rubbish and I want my drive back. He says yes. Next day he says it will be gone that day. It isn't.

Follows me asking every day for skip to be gone, him promising it will be. Couple of times I've seen the skip lorry drive up and drive off again. Told him this, they say they couldn't get to drive because of cars on the road.

We are now on day 17. Yesterday he sent me an invoice for final bill. (I've paid about half already) I tell him I'm not paying bill till skip is gone. He says will be gone today. It hasn't. He's pushing for payment. I'm holding firm as the job isn't complete as far as I'm concerned.

I hate arguments and confrontation so I'm mortified by this. But I've been mugged off by trades people many times and I've had enough.

Aibu to not pay final bill till fucking skip has gone?

Thanks if you read to the end :)

My neighbours skip was delivered and somehow put neatly into a small ish gap between 2 cars so i would say he’s pulling a fast one there.
Also some items like fridges and things skip companies wont take so maybe the skip lorry keeps leaving again because there’s hazardous waste in there?
One more thing what kind of driveway do you have as i think that a full heavy skip has potential to cause danage to block paving etc if left to long so i really would put the pressure on to get it moved call the company you don’t want it hanging round over xmas get your driveway back!!! Good luck xx

Tell your builder in writing that you will be charging him for renting your drive, and you will take that off his bill. When the skip is gone you will pay the remainder. He can invoice the skip company for the charges in return of he wishes.

Definitely don't pay until it is gone. That is the only guarantee you have of the skip being removed.

I had a big job done on my house a few years ago and I was paying in bits and pieces as he completed each job. One of the jobs was painting the interior of my house. He told me he was finished and asked for the final cheque. He had omitted the skirting boards downstairs and when I pointed this out he said that wasn't part of the job. This went back and forth and eventually I said if you want your last 1000 these had better be done. They were completed the following day. Crazy carry on as up to that point he had done a great job but after that messing I never recommended him to anyone. BIG mistake.

Driveway is bog standard tarmac, nothing special! Skip is right on the end of my drive as well.

I had this very situation once as my relationship with the builder turned sour when he tried to sneak in charges for sick days he had off.
I got so annoyed with the bloody skip sat on my drive, that I called the skip company. To my horror they refused to arrange collection of it as I 'wasn't their client; the builder was'. The saga continued for weeks after that so I hope you have more luck OP.

Just make sure that you don't pay the skip company

Builder says he's never had this problem with skip company in ten years

Skip hire is paid for in advance isn’t it??? You pay and they deliver, and then they are notoriously never on time for collection 🤣🤣. Maybe call him and ask him which company it is, call them and put the heat on.

Phone the skip company. If it's not gone before the 21st you will most likely be stuck with it over Xmas (my skip told me this is their last day for pick up"

Yep, he says collection is paid in full.

Suggest to your builder that perhaps you should contact skip company yourself if he can’t get it sorted. I wouldn’t pay till it was gone.

You must have the same builder as me. It took them weeks and weeks to pick up the skip. I couldn’t get them to understand how horrible it was. It was the first thing I saw when leaving the house and the first thing I saw when I came back. It drove me mad and no I didn’t give them the last of the payment until it was gone. Be firm you can with hold 10 % until your satisfied that everything is to your satisfaction.

Skip pick ups can be a nightmare. They won’t give a time for collection, if there’s any risk at all of damage to other people’s properties they won’t move it, if you call and say it’s all clear but the lorries have loads already they can’t turn it around to drop them off and come to you. I had a skip stuck on my drive over a month, I have accounts with 3 waste removal companies and just couldn’t get this bloody thing collected despite customer loyalty.

I imagine the builder has allowed for waste removal from several jobs but as your off street parking it reduces the skip cost so everyone pays less but I do think it’s cheeky leaving it so it can be filled from other jobs if he’s done that, he needs to put one at his property and transferred all waste to it.

If your work is done he’s paid all of the materials and labour already, refusing to pay the final 50% is going to impact his ability to fund works moving on. Cash flow is crucial to small companies and he might be desperately trying to get the skip moved and is at the mercy of a third party ( I currently can’t hand over a project due to one cheap but crucial item that’s been out of stock across the whole country for 2 months, it’s painful, embarrassing and hitting me hard financially but I can’t do anything at all) and their policies. I agree with pp who said pay up all but a nominal amount.

Hmmm....I’m with the builder because he isn’t able to ge the skip collected for you due to circumstances entirely out of his control. He will have used a third party who have been paid, they’re trying to move the skip but it’s the parked cars which are the problem and he’s not able to do a thing about that. Can you help?

This time of year, the builder will be expecting that lump sum payment for his bills, wages, suppliers, skip company etc and by withholding it you are creating cash flow issues all round. The self employed don’t get paid annual leave so the upcoming holidays will already be leaner than usual for him.

Clearly they are trying to get it removed, you’ve seen evidence of that. It’s in their interests to get it removed - it isn’t going to be there forever. I think it’s too harsh to withhold as much as you are. If I were going to hold something back it would be the cost of the skip and no more.

@Marmalizes

The thought of it being there over Xmas is making me ill. All I can think about is skips.

People on the street are putting rubbish in it 😭

Do not pay a penny till skip is gone. 100% with you on that.

It is probably the skip company causing the problem. If they don't need an empty skip then they will be happy to leave it on your drive. If they take it away, they will have to pay the charges wherever they dispose of the waste. Scaffolding companies can also be slow removing their equipment.

YANBU - do not pay until the skip is gone.

Interesting @jcyclops. I've had this issue with scaffolding, had gutters redone and took two weeks of complaining after to get it taken away.

I guess not many people will want a skip the week before Xmas so maybe they are not bothered about picking it up. Hmm.

I've been self employed, so I know the pain late payers cause. I really don't want to be that customer. It's upsetting.
But on the other hand, it's his shit on my driveway!

So if you don't pay the builder then it will be in his interest to get it moved. I would leave it in his hands. He will definitely want his money before Xmas.

Check with the skip company that it is in their books to be collected and if you can push them to collect it. Perhaps suggest some times in the day when your road is clearer or see if you can pin a date and rough time then try and block the area with bins and a friendly note.

If the skip is set for collection so the builder is being truthful agree (in writing) a nominal amount holding some funds until the job is 100% complete which means all unused materials and waste have been removed from site. That way he will get a bit more cash before Christmas but you have some security (of course that depends on how much is left to pay) .

If the skip is not booked for collection with old all funds

It would be better to put this all in writing though so you both know where you are at with it

The builder organised the skip and therefore he needs to organise removal- removal of your bathroom was part of the deal.

Tbh though whether you pay the builder today or not the skip will be gone when it’s gone and the builder hasn’t any control over it, skip companies seem to be a law unto themselves

I'd ring the company and try and get them to move a bit quicker. Wouldn't pay until its gone. I had a skip on my drive for nearly 2 months, it was ridiculous, random people putting rubbish in, even had a young group of lads going through it in the night which was interesting! So glad when it went

Don’t give him any money. It’s your only leverage.

I say this from bitter experience.