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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think we should be compensated for this?

47 replies

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 10:41

We hired a “professional” to do a design job for our house. He did the calculations completely wrong, meaning we have had to spend £20k on rebuilding part of the structure to fit the objects it was built to hold. When we complained to him, he said it was our fault for not checking his calculations and that we didn’t actually need to do the rebuild as it wasn’t a safety issue, so that was that as far as he was concerned and he certainly wouldn’t be giving us any compensation. We obviously followed up but he just repeated that he wasn’t at fault.

We looked into making a complaint to the architect regulatory body but it turned out we had mistakenly thought he was a qualified architect (his website says he’s an “architectural designer”) when actually he’s just done a design course, so he isn’t qualified or regulated at all.

Looking into it, it seems our only option is to take him to court but that costs money we don’t have (it would be thousands in court fees and lawyers). There’s a chance we’d get some of it back if we won, but we wouldn’t get all of it back and we don’t have it to start with to actually pay the initial fee. Also we can’t risk the chance of losing and being required to pay his legal fees!

So it seems like if you’re an ordinary person without huge sums available to take legal action, you can’t actually do anything when a tradesperson screws you over?!

AIBU to think there should be a way of being compensated in these circumstances?

OP posts:

noglow · 23/07/2023 15:22

Was it a bathtub?

Simonjt · 23/07/2023 15:24

Did the plans you approved have the measurements on that he followed for the build, or did the plans have the measurements on that you actually wanted/needed?

Original poster

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 15:27

@Simonjt the plans we approved had the wrong measurements on them. The builders then followed the plans

OP posts:

Simonjt · 23/07/2023 15:30

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 15:27

@Simonjt the plans we approved had the wrong measurements on them. The builders then followed the plans

Argh thats an arse, that could potentially be your sticking point as you approved the wrong measurements.

jennyjones198080 · 23/07/2023 15:56

This really sucks and yes we trust professionals to get the basics right.

but always check. I got spent ages checking a large dining table would fit in my kitchen extension - and checking I could still pull my bin out along the side.

when I got quarts worktops I checked their measurements as best I could.

on the quartz they sent some weird disclaimer and asked me to sign off the measurements. It was £7k! I emailed back to say they measured and I was relying on them doing their job. But I quietly checked in the background because I could lose a month if they had to replace it all.

Catusrusty · 23/07/2023 16:07

No it was not on you to check the dimensions. You are not qualified to do so, it's very odd of him to expect you to.

Even if he is not a qualified architect, he's is offering architectural design services. Therefore he has an elevated duty of care to you. He should have insurance. It would be negligent not to if he is involved in structural design work.

If you have evidence of his mistakes, I would start down the legal pathway. You might be surprised how quickly he crumbles.

bunchofboys · 23/07/2023 16:11

If its any consolation, our actual architect was also shit. He designed rooms that didnt actually fit furniture in. Luckily we caught it before too late.

Original poster

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 18:49

@bunchofboys so glad you caught it in time. We had moved out and were living too far away to visit regularly, so only realised once the walls were up!

OP posts:

ChopperC110P · 23/07/2023 18:59

You can try but you didn’t hire a professional, you hired an amateur. Furthermore, he never claimed to be a professional architect.
So I am not sure that you can hold him to the standard of a professional.

chopc · 23/07/2023 19:18

Wow! I have never checked architect's calculations as I just assume they know what they are doing. Isn't that their job? I check the design and check they have included everything we want but not their measurements. I didn't realise the customer had to do that

drpet49 · 23/07/2023 19:18

You should have hired a structural engineer. Not some designer. You didn’t do any due diligence.

PinkFootstool · 23/07/2023 19:21

Every set of drawings I've ever seen in construction state the end user has to check the measurements. That's one your builder should have known as well.

Legally, not sure the designer has sole responsibility for this, your builder will also have a large chunk of it. What's their excuse?

Original poster

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 20:56

@drpet49 yes with hindsight we should have looked into RIBA and what that meant, but we didn’t know what we didn’t know! We picked this guy as his name was on the planning application for lots of local applications, so we assumed he was a trusted local professional. We’re new to the area so didn’t have a network of people to ask for a recommendation

OP posts:

Original poster

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 20:57

@PinkFootstool I’m not sure what they were supposed to do. They built to the design drawings’ spec. Were they supposed to double check the measurements too?

OP posts:

PerfectYear321 · 23/07/2023 21:00

I've learnt that in this country you have very little comeback when someone fucks up or does you wrong, unless you've got £££££ to pursue it yourself with no guarantee of success

Mummyofdoggies · 23/07/2023 21:22

Do you have legal cover in your home insurance? If so, call them and ask advice as you're already paying for it

PinkFootstool · 23/07/2023 21:24

ConkerGame · 23/07/2023 20:57

@PinkFootstool I’m not sure what they were supposed to do. They built to the design drawings’ spec. Were they supposed to double check the measurements too?

Yes, I'd expect a competent builder to check measurements as well.

What do your plans say? Did the designer put any instructions on there? Usually in the chart legend etc on the bottom right.

strawberry2017 · 23/07/2023 21:40

What were you oh I trying to build? Who measured the objects it was trying to hold?

jennyjones198080 · 23/07/2023 23:38

Can you give an idea what the objects were that needed to fit into the space?

are these unusual prices of art, or big standard household things like a dining table or sofa or kitchen island?

it’s hard to really follow how wrong he got this.

would the objects not fit at all j to the space - how wrong did he get it?

when my builder started the spray painted the walls out in the floor and ground. J could see where new walls and doors would be. We even mocked up a ku tech island and dining table out of cardboard boxes becoase I was concerned both wouldn’t fit and he could see they easily would. That was the builder working off the plans.

be was great - talked to the architect and got a few things changed he didn’t think would work - for example a window I would never have been able to open because I am short.

he was expensive but worth every penny. Caught a few mistakes the architect made

BrawnWild · 23/07/2023 23:42

Would home insurance legal cover be any good? If you have it then it cant hurt to ask them.

Original poster

ConkerGame · 24/07/2023 07:31

@BrawnWild thank you, that’s a good idea. Will look into it

OP posts:

Original poster

ConkerGame · 24/07/2023 07:49

@jennyjones198080 sounds like your builder was excellent. Wish ours had done things like that as then we could have caught the issue earlier

OP posts:

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