To not want to pay?

[MatchesinEyes23]

We hired a builder to update our bathroom, not a huge job (fairly quick replacement of stuff, some handyman/paint jobs Included too). I estimated that it should take no more than a month to finish.
From the start, said builder was completely unreliable. He went from doing a full week, to doing a couple of days, to popping in once a week for an hour or two and pottering around. He was clearly fitting us in around other jobs. All whilst me and my family haven’t got a proper bathroom to use!! Towards the end of the project, we’d have weeks of him not turning up, then he’d turn up on a random Tuesday without notice (he has a set of keys).
The bathroom is now 98% done - we are fully using it again. Builder left in early Sept and has not been back since! No mention of coming back to finish, no mention of requesting final payment - we owe £3k of the balance.
I’ve not chased him since, I thought CF has taken 6 months to do a 1 month job! He’s now got back in touch mid-Nov to finish the final small bits and (I presume) collect payment. WWYD? I feel like he’s messed us around so much I almost don’t want to pay him the full whack for the job. DP just wants to pay and get rid of him, get keys back etc.

Check your contract

There obviously isn't one.

OP I'd just pay him and be done but only if you're 100% happy. Otherwise tell him you won't be paying in full until XYZ snagging is done. Then leave an honest review online of your experience. Get your key back straight away next time he comes.

The time he's taken and flakiness is a piss-take but you can't just not pay him. If you don't want him back, take 2% off the bill and settle the rest of the payment. You aren't going to get a huge discount if you bring this up with him and you'll be asking for a world of pain if you refuse to pay.

Pay him and be done. Trying to withhold payment or mess about with it will cause more hassle

The person has done the work and you need to pay them. If you weren't happy with the progress of the job you could have cancelled at any point and agreed a figure to settle the work to date.

To let him finish the job and then not want to pay what was agreed makes you sound tight and underhand.

Of course you need to pay. Just because he didn't meet your timescales doesn't mean he didn't do the work. By all means ask for a reduced rate because of all of the delays, but workies are renound for terrible timekeeping and delays like this, it's nothing new.

Did you address all these time issues with him? I had this with a tiler who did 10 until 3. Had every friday off for golf. Luckily it was only tiling and I never used him again but he made the job twice as long. Didn't tell me his times or Fridays off when I hired him! I had it too with a roofer where there was always a problem...his back hurt, his MH wasn't good, most Mondays he had "a course" to go to. Couple all that with the weather and my roof went on forever!!! I did bring it up with my roofer though, I did tell him the job really does need full effort now and a commitment just to get on and finish the job.

I think you're entitled to keep some back for the inconvenience he caused to the family with all his messing about....equally there is something in just paying him, getting rid of him and never having to see or speak to him ever again! Id definitely want my keys back and the job finished before I paid him anything!

Once you’re 100% happy you need to pay, yes it’s very annoying but if the job is now done then pay up and be done with it.

Who has a contract with a general plumber for this kind of job?

A month? One guy did our bathroom in about 4 days once- ok it wasn't new fittings but he installed underfloor heating, a new floor and completely tiled it.

Our plumber took about two weeks recently to swap bath for walk in shower and retile- he was fitting us in around other jobs and emergencies but I was still happy with the timing. I think it took him maybe the same working on it full time when we had the whole bathroom done, with his mate doing the painting.

You shouldn't really have to, but did you keep chasing him up when he didn't appear and did you ask to meet him to discuss the schedule when he stopped coming regularly ? If not, he probably thought you were laid back about it all and focussed on other customers who were chasing him. You need to pay the full amount if the work is satisfactory (despite the timescale)
If you were chasing and not getting a response for days on end, or he said he was coming and just kept not turning up, i would be after some kind of discount for the inconvenience.

I had a full bathroom refit done in a week!

I'd suggest a reduced payment of 95% if everything is satisfactory.

I'd be changing the locks as well. I don't trust randoms with my keys.

Thanks all - no we didn't have a contract. Was recommended by a friend who was aghast at the length of time he was taking! And yes, I was allowing a month at the absolute max to allow for any workman faffing about (which I was prepared for). Just didn't think 9 months later he would still be popping in to finish the job!
I did mention many times that the work needed to be finished, especially when it was having a severe impact on our lives (ie not having a toilet upstairs!) and he was full of promises that on this date he'd be finished, and it never happened, just dragged on and on.
I'll see what he says when he comes round. I would feel awkward about suggesting a discount so probably will just cough up, get my keys back and never recommend him to anyone!

I'd calculate how much it would cost to hire someone to finish that 2% and deduct that amount and tell him you no longer need him to finish the job. If you've been satisfied with the actual work you could try giving him an absolute deadline to finish for the full amount and if he doesn't you'll pay the lower amount.

But I'd change the lock barrels rather than get your keys back.

Please tell me you haven’t let a random builder have keys to your house for 6 months without saying anything…

'Thanks for the offer of finishing but I had to get it fijnished by someone else. It's chased you several times and didn't hear anything and I'm certainly not going to wait 9 months for snagging."
Or just pay him.

A month sounds long as it is! Our plumber did two large bathrooms in our house, total refit, tiling, floors in eight days. He did a small shower room in 3 days. There were 2 of them working.

Yes legally you have to pay if he completes the work, timeframe is irrelevant.

He will take you to small claims with proof the work was completed to a reasonable standard, you don't have a leg to stand on.

Consider yourself grateful he came back to finish it, mine was the same as yours but destroyed our entire hot water system and didn't know how to fix it and it cost us an extra 10k to fix. Of course he hid that information until we'd already paid so we were screwed.

I can't believe you've let it drag on this long tbh. I'd have given him a date for completion once he started dicking about and if it wasn't done you'd find someone else (paying him proportionately for work completed).

You've been far too passive, so now you have to pay him. And he has your key ffs. If you start quibbling about paying him don't be surprised if you get burgled (with no forced entry and no insurance coverage)!

You pay him what you owe him up to now and either have him return to finish it or tell him not to come back and get someone else in. You can’t just not pay because you’ve been inconvenienced. You should of told him sooner not to bother coming back and got someone else but you can’t just not pay

No contract
I wouldn't let him in….assuming you can do the little bits left over.
Calculate your time ( based on his rates, or your hourly rate for your current job ) and materials cost to complete and deduct from his bill.

Hope you are not paying cash OP
Hope you’ve got some sort of guarantee if he’s messed about with plumbing, electrics, even tiling.

Same, why on earth would it take a month?

I’d be tempted to pay him in dribs and drabs, give him a taste of his own médecine.

Ask him for a detailed invoice.