Or is DH about money and builders?

[Buildersdilem]

Hi, please settle the debate. We will do what the MN community says.

DH and I have wanted a garden room for some time. We spoke to a builder who does them and viewed some but he wouldn’t build as we don’t have a driveway so would be difficult. We then had to look at ready made ones. The ready made were minimum £10k and those that you self build were cheaper but DH can’t even put up a shelf.

My brother then suggested his friend. I spoke to the friend, call him John, who text me a company he had used for his garden. It’s a bit like a flat pack summerhouse. John said he could build it. We ordered it and from then, he sent us materials to buy e.g. skirting board, insulation, I ordered/paid, John negotiated delivery etc.

To build he estimated 4 days at £150 day.
Day 1 it rained heavily and he could barely do anything. Day 2 he had a lot of levelling to do as our patio isn’t level. By day 4 he’d built the structure and put the roof on but hadn’t felted it. He came back this weekend and will finish today. It looks great.
He is still only charging (£150x4 days = £600).

DH and I found a company the other day that builds these for a living. They quoted £750 to do it with insulation. However they will literally just build it, not level it out etc that’s our responsibility.

I want to give John a tip for his time/work (he has refused to accept money so far). Even £50. DH thinks no because:

• the guy has been slower than expected, the website recommends 4 days for 2 semi skilled people (John had my brothers help for 4 days)
• he does seem to take a lot of breaks, often smoking
• he shows up by 10am but these past two days it’s been 11
• because it’s over two weekends it’s been annoying (it hasn’t really prevented us doing anything though - John has a normal building job in the week).

So would you give John a bit of extra money. My brother isn’t able to help this weekend (John was meant to be done by now and brother has plans) so John has got another friend to help him who he is paying from his own money.

YABU - pay what was quoted and no more
YANBU - he’s done a good job, give him so extra.

If it’s relevant, DH and I can afford it and are reasonably comfortable financially.

I would pay him an extra £300 , as you say you have it, and can afford it.

You are still getting it cheaper than the other options you looked in to, and you are supporting your brother's friend and you will have a good tradesman onside for the next 40 odd years when you want things doing. I'd rather have someone I can contact who is a bit of a perfectionist and only happy to do a good job when working on my house, than someone who will save me £100 overall on a job costing several thousand.

Its bank holiday weekend, the job has run over and he's had to pay a labourer...and you want to give him £50 and your DH wants to give him nothing.

Jesus. Pair of tight arses.

Pay £100 for the labourer and £100 for John's extra work and be glad he hasn't billed you for the work properly.

I would give him the tip if you are thinking of using him again. Keep him sweet. Good tradesmen are hard to find.

@denverRegina

Its bank holiday weekend, the job has run over and he's had to pay a labourer...and you want to give him £50 and your DH wants to give him nothing.

Jesus. Pair of tight arses.

Pay £100 for the labourer and £100 for John's extra work and be glad he hasn't billed you for the work properly.

I didn't ask him to come now, he has chosen to. He decided the rate, not me. He arrived late / left early some days and it's one of the reasons he didn't finish, so he was well aware of needing to come another day. It's also not my fault he's brought in a friend (an actual friend who can build, not some one qualified or in the profession).

We're not being tight, we are asking what the right thing to do is.

@BackforGood We can't afford £300 that's for sure. At the moment everything is on credit. By comfortable, I meant that we can handle our debts and have a reasonable income.

OP,

Good tradespeople are GOLD DUST - look after them!

And particularly as he's a friend of the family in some way, you should definitely give something to keep the relationship on good terms if he's done a good job - particularly as he's doing it on his days off, so he hasn't had a break, it seems.

We've always given extra for good work. An extra £100 and a crate of beer now, will generate much good will for the future.

I think either a crate of whatever beer he likes, or £50, would be a fair tip. Don't be too generous/ friendly, as I've found that leads to being taken advantage of. Otoh, good tradesmen are hard to find.

"If it’s relevant, DH and I can afford it and are reasonably comfortable financially."

But you're not if you're having to borrow and everything is on credit and it's so tight you can't afford £300. If you'd been honest about that you'd get different answers

@BackforGood We can't afford £300 that's for sure. At the moment everything is on credit. By comfortable, I meant that we can handle our debts and have a reasonable income.

Well, please forgive me for reading this in your OP

If it’s relevant, DH and I can afford it and are reasonably comfortable financially.

and interpreting it to mean you "can afford it and are reasonably comfortable financially"

@denverRegina the builders money isn’t on credit. We can afford giving him a tip, we aren’t living close the breadline. But £300 would put mean going into savings IYSWIM. £300 is almost 50%. We would never have got the garden room if it was the £10k ones as we can’t afford that.

We are both in professional jobs in SE/London with no kids. So we have disposable income. We didn’t save for the summerhouse so it’s on a credit card.

id pay the other guy so john doesnt have to take it out of his money and then buy a case of beer or a bottle of rum etc.

I have RTFT but if you can afford it then I would pay a bit extra. As you DH can't do any DIY, I think John is a good contact to have in case you need him again in the future.

No sorry, don't really get it. If you've had to put a shed on the credit card and £300 would have to come out of your savings then you don't sound as flush as you made out in the OP.

So in those circumstances I'd pay his friend and buy him a bottle to say thanks

Update: we gave him an extra £50 which he seemed to appreciate. However he has to come back again as he didn’t have the right tool to finish completely. I trust him though and his work has been done to a good standard