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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Workmen AIBU

39 replies

Starbeach · 15/03/2022 13:02

Originally posted in the chat accidentally!

I have a builder in at the moment who is taking forever to redo my bathroom it’s not huge but with electric prices as they are, AIBU to expect him to have his tools charged at his own expense in his house before he comes here. everyday, and we are on week 5 with no end in sight, hes charging the batteries for his tools hasn’t asked me and is treating this place like his own. Even putting all his dusty dirty stuff in our back bedroom without our knowledge until I stumbled across it on the weekend, it could have been our room he dumped it in if he had asked I would have told him to put it in the junk room.

I really want to ask him to leave but I can’t as I’m pregnant and workmen are hard to come by where I live 😭

OP posts:
incognitoforthisone · 15/03/2022 13:05

Five weeks is a long time for one bathroom and he should definitely have asked you where he could put his stuff instead of just dumping it in your spare room.

I don't think it's unreasonable for him to be charging his tools in your house, though. His tools are obviously cordless, but if he was using tools with cords he'd have to plug them into your sockets anyway.

WombatStewForTea · 15/03/2022 13:11

Five weeks?!?
Please tell me you're paying a pre agreed price and not by the week

mcplant · 15/03/2022 13:15

Echoing 5 weeks!

I would expect him to charge his tools if he needed them but he really should ask where he can store stuff if at all....

CurbsideProphet · 15/03/2022 13:16

We had our bathroom done in 2020 and it took 7 full days in total. Is he actually doing anything?

nitsandwormsdodger · 15/03/2022 13:18

Tell him you need deadline and I press it’s important to still to it

I would expect him to charge his tools
Please tell me you have agreed fixed rate not daily ?

Oysterbabe · 15/03/2022 13:19

How is it taking 5 weeks?! We had our loft converted, they built a dorma and bathroom up there too, in 5 weeks.

Seasidemumma77 · 15/03/2022 13:21

Guessing he's on a day rate!

girlmom21 · 15/03/2022 13:22

Ours took about 3 weeks with 2-4 workmen each day to be fair.

I think you're being unreasonable getting upset about him charging tools but he sounds a bit inconsiderate generally.

minniep · 15/03/2022 13:22

We had ours done last Easter. It was a full refit with new doors and even a new window had to go in and it took about six days in total.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/03/2022 13:27

He is taking the piss big time. Ours (and most bathrooms we knew getting refurbed) took about a week, with maybe a day or two of the next week for any final rectifications.

Schwarz · 15/03/2022 13:28

How big is this bathroom?! We had three done (one 2x3 m, one 3x3 m and one 5x5 m) and that only took three weeks. One man mainly, two on some days.

Original poster
Starbeach · 15/03/2022 13:31

Yes definitely a fixed price! He is sooo slow and still has soo much left to do. I can’t see him finishing before the end of next week. He originally said 3 weeks. But yesterday he turned up at 9 left at 4 didn’t take a lunch break and all he did was 3 rows of tiles 2 m long!! On Friday my partner said I don’t see why he didn’t stay an extra hour (he finished at 3) to finish off the wall tiling so then he would have a free run to start something else this week. But obviously that’s why!! if I wasn’t pregnant with HG I would do the tiling! At the most it’s 2 days work and I have ocd about tiling whenever I did it with my dad who was a kitchen and bathroom fitter.

My dad always used to do work around my house but he is to ill to do any of it now hence not knowing fully what’s reasonable and what’s not.

OP posts:
SolasAnla · 15/03/2022 13:33

Whats being done?

I presume it includes digging up and replacing waste pipes?
Or its being done piece meal over 5 weeks?Because there is now way a retile and fitting swap out should take 25 work days.

I would be concerned if a workman was storing valuable work tools in my home for 5 weeks as it he should need to use them on other jobs.
If its only over the weekend he should have asked.

Electricity plug in tools would work off your power so recharging batteries is the same thing.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 15/03/2022 13:35

It sounds like the builder is almost flat and needs charging up. Wink

kittenkipping · 15/03/2022 13:36

Yabu re the charging of batteries. As others have said if the tools were corded they'd be plugged in. What's more he probably (well maybe not this guy but most) arrives with a battery fully charged and puts another in so that he won't be delayed should it run out. That's what most do- stick be in charge when we get home and bring the spare to charge whilst working.

However- 5 WEEKS? For one bathroom? Unless there's walls to build/ demolish/ rsj to fit, new windows plus lintels and re routing all the soil and waste pipes- he's taking the piss!

Original poster
Starbeach · 15/03/2022 13:41

No digging up waste pipes just chasing 2 walls to put a new radiator in and to put the cold pipe in for a back to wall toilet other and a small bit of plumbing to move the sink from one side of the room to the other which made more sense as it removed the boxing from around the room. Oh and my partner took everything out for him (other than the loo) and took all the tiles off the wall before he started so it was basically an empty room

OP posts:
cushioncovers · 15/03/2022 13:43

Oh dear that's definitely not right. What's he playing at? He should want to get it done and get on to the next job. You absolutely sure it a fixed price?

girlmom21 · 15/03/2022 13:43

Is he semi-retired or retired and doing your bathroom as a favour?

Those of us who've had quicker plumbers doing bigger jobs have employed plumbers with jam-packed schedules so they've had no choice but to get the work done quickly.

Useranon1 · 15/03/2022 13:44

OP, that's a couple of days of work....

sasparilla1 · 15/03/2022 13:45

5 weeks is absolutely ridiculous!! I really don't understand why he's hanging it out, unless he plans to turn round at the end of the job and say it's more money as it's taken so long. If that happens, please do remember that the amount of work hasn't changed, he's just bloody slow!!

But I think you need a full and frank conversation with him!!

As for charging his tools, that's taking the absolute piss! My dh is a roofer and has a battery operated nail gun, so he charges all the batteries up at the weekend and the odd one or two mid-week if necessary. At home!

user1497207191 · 15/03/2022 13:49

Is he actually there all day? Or is he going off to do other jobs during the day?

We had a kitchen fitter once who took nearly two months just to do a like for like replacement. He'd always turn up first thing just before we'd go out to work, and he'd be there when we got back late afternoon, but whenever we went in, it was hard to see what he'd done. One day, I had a day off, but went out at 8.30 as normal as I had a hair appt, so he arrived as I was leaving, but I was back an hour later and he'd gone, he didn't return until about 4.30 (he didn't know I was in as I was in the study upstairs), did something in the kitchen and then left at 5! It suddenly became apparent why it was taking so long, so OH tackled him the next day and insisted on him spending full days to finish it rather than pretending to be working!

DogInATent · 15/03/2022 13:50

Have you paid him already?

It's barely 5 days work, 5 weeks is taking the .

user1497207191 · 15/03/2022 13:51

@girlmom21

Is he semi-retired or retired and doing your bathroom as a favour?

Those of us who've had quicker plumbers doing bigger jobs have employed plumbers with jam-packed schedules so they've had no choice but to get the work done quickly.

Trouble with "jam packed schedules" is that they often beggar off to do other work elsewhere to try to keep everyone happy, so each jobs takes longer as they're trying to keep all plates spinning instead of finishing one job before starting another.
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/03/2022 13:53

Was he recommended by someone?

Original poster
Starbeach · 15/03/2022 13:54

Thanks for all your comments I don’t mind if he has to change his battery later in the day but he comes in and puts it straight on charge everyday.

I want to say something but I just don’t want to have him ditch me half way through and me not be able to get anyone else to finish the job especially when I’m 6 months pregnant.

I accepted a quote not an estimate thank god and work and trading standards are part of our department in work so i can always speak with them should any problems arise with his saying he’s been here twice as long as expected. Im getting so stressed about this just want my house back 😭

OP posts:
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