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Friend tradesman - damage and overcharging

19 replies

Terracottafarmers · 12/08/2025 23:24

I’ve got a friend in to do various carpentry jobs and it’s becoming a problem. He damaged our carpet (got glue all over it) and I let it go and replaced it. Within a day of him being back here, he marked the new carpet, he didn't come and tell me right away, instead he tried rubbing it and because it's wool all the fibres became lose and it looks absolutely awful. Luckily he's paying to get it replaced. But I think he's tried to cover some of the cost of having to replace the carpet by overcharging me for a full day. He worked 9-3:40 but charged me 8-4 which is classed as a full day. I'm a bit pissed off with this because I'm good to him, offer him coffee every hour, he has a beer when he finishes etc. He’s also banged walls/left dents and cut chunks out of our doors from changing the door handles, cut panelling too short, rectified it and it's not even in line and left knobs wonky. He’s messy, leaves sawdust and rubbish everywhere, and I have to chase him to clean up.

Am I being unreasonable for being a tad pissed off him charging me an extra hour when he wasn't even here and do I mention the chunks out of the door? I mean he can't exactly rectify it now because we're going to need a decorator in to fill it etc and he's finished his jobs... I haven't paid him yet but received the invoice tonight which is why I'm querying the full day charged.

OP posts:
UsingAMansNameInAWomensWorld · 13/08/2025 00:04

You replaced the carpet whilst he was still doing work?

It sounds like he's a very slapdash worker. Possibly taking the piss because you're friends. Is he offering "mates rates"?

It depends somewhat how valuable a friendship it is as to how much fuss you make tbh

But I wouldn't have him back

Fenellasbum · 13/08/2025 00:43

Don't allow him to do any more work. He doesn't give a shit about the damage he's done.

How much do you value the friendship?

9-3:40 isn't much different from 8-4. This is not the source of the problem. The problem is he's wrecking your house and doesn't care.

TheGreatWesternShrew · 13/08/2025 01:51

Pay him and never use him again.

notawittyname1954 · 13/08/2025 03:12

Made a vow never to use friends to do work for us again as when something goes wrong you feel you can't complain because it will jeopardise the friendship.

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 07:31

This is just one example of the damage. This was changing the door handle...

Friend tradesman - damage and overcharging
OP posts:
Moonlightbean123 · 13/08/2025 09:10

UsingAMansNameInAWomensWorld · 13/08/2025 00:04

You replaced the carpet whilst he was still doing work?

It sounds like he's a very slapdash worker. Possibly taking the piss because you're friends. Is he offering "mates rates"?

It depends somewhat how valuable a friendship it is as to how much fuss you make tbh

But I wouldn't have him back

How much area of carpet needed to get changed due to glue and now the carpets getting changed again at his expense but he re couped this by charging you an (only )extra hour?? Wow this carpet changing (wool especially) sounds very cheap and unheard of.

curiouscat1987 · 13/08/2025 09:14

Jesus thats awful! Did he volunteer doing the work for you or did you ask him? It feels like he maybe resents doing it?

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:24

curiouscat1987 · 13/08/2025 09:14

Jesus thats awful! Did he volunteer doing the work for you or did you ask him? It feels like he maybe resents doing it?

I asked him to change door handles as he's a carpenter and should be able to do it. He never mentioned the damage, he did say they were difficult to do but when I went and inspected I was shocked to be honest. It's like this on 2/6 doors. There's other issues too but he's been and gone now and feel it's too late to say anything, I'm just a bit naffed off to be honest.

OP posts:
Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:26

Moonlightbean123 · 13/08/2025 09:10

How much area of carpet needed to get changed due to glue and now the carpets getting changed again at his expense but he re couped this by charging you an (only )extra hour?? Wow this carpet changing (wool especially) sounds very cheap and unheard of.

the carpet were 5 years old so even if we had changed them to the same one, it would've looked odd so I changed it all. I wanted to change the carpets anyway but it wasn't the point. Just typical he then damaged the new carpet...

OP posts:
Bonsaibaby · 13/08/2025 09:28

We never use friends for this reason after lessons learned but why would you change carpet before the work was finished!

AmandaHoldensLips · 13/08/2025 09:29

Nightmare and an expensive lesson learned. I got caught out once by a friend's frankly shocking trade skills, so I feel your frustration.

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:29

Bonsaibaby · 13/08/2025 09:28

We never use friends for this reason after lessons learned but why would you change carpet before the work was finished!

We changed the carpet because he was only working downstairs, not upstairs and somehow managed to mark the bottom step

OP posts:
allmycats · 13/08/2025 09:30

He will need to replace the doors. He should be able to claim on his insurance for the damage caused. Why did you replace the carpet before getting someone in to try and clean it. ?

BlankBlankBlank14 · 13/08/2025 09:31

It’s not too late..

I’d say we need to come to an agreement about covering the cost of your work being rectified. Shoddy work indeed!

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:34

Not sure how to word it to let him know I'm a little naffed off by the shoddiness of the doors but I don't want him back to be honest. Going to have to get our painter in to fill it etc.

OP posts:
Newname42 · 13/08/2025 09:38

The quality of the work and damages are not acceptable. I don’t think the full day fee is an issue. My husband is a tradesman and he always charges a full day fee if a job takes more than 4 hours because he couldn’t squeeze in a second job on that day (but he communicates this in advance with the clients and they can make a decision if that works for them or not).

BoldBlueZebra · 13/08/2025 09:40

Are you sure the damage to the doors wasn’t hidden by the old handles - at this point I would just pay the bill and never use him again

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:43

BoldBlueZebra · 13/08/2025 09:40

Are you sure the damage to the doors wasn’t hidden by the old handles - at this point I would just pay the bill and never use him again

Nope, it was definitely done by him.

OP posts:
Muffinmam · 13/08/2025 10:05

Terracottafarmers · 13/08/2025 09:26

the carpet were 5 years old so even if we had changed them to the same one, it would've looked odd so I changed it all. I wanted to change the carpets anyway but it wasn't the point. Just typical he then damaged the new carpet...

He should have used a drop cloth.

You shouldn’t have changed the carpets until he had finished.

Why would you change it when he was still working?!?

He clearly does shoddy work.

Are you still going to be friends with him after this?

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