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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

107 replies

Skipuation · 12/12/2018 21:04

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 :)

OP posts:
PeonyTruffle · 13/12/2018 06:21

I think as he's filled it with his own stuff, I agree with no payment until it's gone.

cees · 13/12/2018 06:23

When he moves his skip then he gets paid, he will have it gone before Christmas if he's waiting on money. Don't pay him til its gone

TimetohittheroadJack · 13/12/2018 06:24

I’m shocked at the replies on this thread! Pay the fucking builder! It’s the week before Christmas. He has done the work and you are happy with it. Hes paid for a skip and has no more control over getting it lifted than you.

The skipcompany will come and get it, does it really matter that much ? Ok, I get it’s s bit of an eyesore but really, big deal.

Do you not think the builder might need the money to pay for Christmas for his family? Is his kids to wake up on chrustmas morning with no presents as you haven’t paid him for the work he’s carried out. Honestly, shame on you.

Mayrhofen · 13/12/2018 06:26

I have found skip companies super reasonable, I would ring the, and be done with it. I've had loads of skips, live off he road down a long private single drive and have three schools on the street. I just tell them the best time of day to come and why.

Mayrhofen · 13/12/2018 06:27

Oh and yes, you should pay the builder.

AJPTaylor · 13/12/2018 06:27

I too would hold firm.

Puggles123 · 13/12/2018 06:28

He hasn’t completed the work, so YANBU- the it’s nearly Christmas argument is fine, but if you haven’t recieved the service you have paid for then why should you? As an alternative, if he can get in writing confirmation of when it will be picked up and that this has been paid for, pay him then. You could otherwise be lumbered with it, and he has had plenty of time to plan collection.

HugeAckmansWife · 13/12/2018 06:38

I might have more sympathy if the builder hadn't gone for a bigger skip than was needed and filled it with his own rubbish from other jobs. It sounds like the rubbish generated from the OPs job was minimal and could have been taken away in a van.

Mummyoflittledragon · 13/12/2018 06:42

I can’t believe people you are withholding 50% because of a skip stuck on your drive. You are enjoying your new bathroom at his expense. Pay the builder but withhold around £400. Skip hire will be £180/200. The additional £200 is his incentive to get it removed. If worse come to worse, he can manually remove the rubbish to another skip and be there to shove the empty skip on the road when the lorry arrives. All of this is feasible.

Send him a stiff letter stating he has 14 days to sort this situation out. That’s after Christmas, I know. But imagine how ill he is feeling that he’s £1500+ down!

TimetohittheroadJack · 13/12/2018 06:43

To buy a skip (ie new, not a hire company) is expensive. The hire company will come get it - they want their skip back.

What do you expect the builder to do? He has no doubt phoned the skip company up and asked them to collect ASAP. He has no more control or whether they come or not than you do.

TimetohittheroadJack · 13/12/2018 06:46

Taken away in a van to where??

You can’t just rock up at the recycling centre in a van, they only take domestic waste , commercial vehicles are not permitted.

Nicknacky · 13/12/2018 06:49

Pay the man his money, but at a push withhold a couple of hundred.

You are happy with his work and you have seen the skip company come for the skip so you know efforts are being made to lift it.

huge I have a ripped out bathroom in my garden and we have a skip coming on Saturday to out it in. We didn’t entertain trying to dispose of it in a van as there is too much.

Alfie190 · 13/12/2018 06:57

Perfectly reasonable. I would not pay the bill at all until skip is gone. You have no leverage if you pay it.

Flowerpot2005 · 13/12/2018 06:58

Don't pay the balance until the skip is gone.

Plumbers been using it for his own use, sounds like far more than you neeeded & now you have residents putting their crap in it too. Not acceptable.

You agreed for a completed job, you haven't got that until the skip has gone. If it was only your rubbish I'd pay him but it isn't, it's mainly his.

glitterelf · 13/12/2018 07:02

My guess is that either he hasn't paid the skip bill or that it's overfilled or it has asbestos in it which needs to be disposed of safely and at an additional cost. My husband works in waste management and builders are buggers for pulling these sort of stunts of false promises. Ring the skip firm yourself and ask why it hasn't been removed.

Unescorted · 13/12/2018 07:04

I have sympathy with the builder but the job is yet to be completed. The builder has compounded the issue by filling the larger than required skip with waste from other jobs. Presumably because having the skip on a private driveway means that he saves money on stopping up orders if it is left on a roadway or footpath. The op has done him a huge favour by allowing him to leave it there for as long as it took him to fill it.

The waste that has been brought to her site will need to be removed. If the builder does a runner and it is left there it is her responsibility to have it disposed of. As she does not know it's source she will have to have it disposed of as contaminated waste.

In the circumstances I would not pay the remaining bill. Additionally I would make sure to keep any emails that indicate that he is liable for the waste in the skip and that he brought the waste to the skip.

Hidillyho · 13/12/2018 07:48

Call the skip company and tell them you want it removed.
I seriously doubt they said the road is too busy as I have seen skips being delivered to my work before and then putting it in awkward places.
It’s in their interest to move it. I would say December is a busy time of year, especially for commercial companies as they will be using up the last of their money from this year

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 13/12/2018 07:54

I won’t be paying.

I’ve been stung too many times by builders. Let him sort it out.

The money is your only leverage.

glitterelf · 13/12/2018 07:56

Each time the skip firm come out to collect it's costing them money in fuel and time. This indicates there's either a problem with the skip contents or the builder hasn't paid or his account isn't upto date. Either way contact the skip firm to ask what the issue is then speak to the builder.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 13/12/2018 07:59

Also, you say he’s gone for a bigger skip to accommodate other projects as well?

Maybe the bigger skip makes it more difficult. Not your problem and also you could ring up the skip company but your contract is with the builder, not them.

Original poster
Skipuation · 13/12/2018 08:04

@Mummyoflittledragon I can assure you I am not enjoying my new bathroom. I'm not going to use it until the skip is gone. Other than nocturnal toilet trips

I feel builder should have arranged to get it removed on day 7 when it was full up with his rubbish. I should not have had to be asking him. Poor show.

Will be phoning skip company soon.

OP posts:
BabySharkAteMyHamster · 13/12/2018 08:05

Just ring the number on the side of the skip.

Original poster
Skipuation · 13/12/2018 08:06

Yep @ChardonnaysPrettySister I would say it's 10-20% at the most my rubbish. Rest is from his garage and other jobs.

OP posts:
longwayoff · 13/12/2018 08:10

Dont pay until you see it actually being removed or you'll have it til kingdom come. CF.

longwayoff · 13/12/2018 08:12

You should invoice him a daily rate for site rental, a bit of paperwork can work wonders. He'd be paying to keep it elsewhere.