To sack my builder

[Amiterriblex3]

We are having some building work completed - a new kitchen and bathroom. The builder has fallen ill and hasn't turned up for 2 months - he is genuinely ill with a damaged back.

He keeps telling us that he will return to finish job but it's been 2 months and the house is a mess: kitchen cabinets in the living room; bathroom tiles in a bedroom. Two rooms are being used to store things.
He doesnt give me a fixed date to return; he says he'll retuen when he is well enough to complete the job. I just want the completed. AIBU to tell him to collect his tools and find someone else?

Yanbu. It’s unfortunate hes unwell but hes not being realistic considering the mess your living in. I would find another builder to complete.

Anyone who can step in immediately is not going to be a great builder.

No harm in getting other builders in to see what they can do and their timeframes. You would be reasonable to fire your builder, but not until you have someone else lined up!

I would start looking now and get this sorted to switch. What a mess, sorry you’re going through this.

I would find a new builder and check how much they will charge first!

Realistically though, will you find someone available to do the work? If they’re available they’re probably not much good - decent builders are busy and booked up. It’s a risk.

No harm looking around and getting quotes but you’ll probably be waiting a few months anyway. At least you’ll have a definite date!

Do you have a contract with the original builder? Are you facing cancellation charges if you pull out? Albeit his fault! If there’s a start date on the contract I’d feel safer terminating as it’s clearly not been met.

Why hasn’t he subcontracted? If he is a good builder then he must know others who can be trusted to do a good job. He’ll just have to sacrifice his fee to pay them. I’m self employed and I’ve had to do that when I was too unwell to work. I got someone else to finish it and paid them, so I just had to accept the loss.

He should be sorting this out for you. I’d get rid and find another if he won’t.

2 months he has been AWOL?

I'd have sacked/fucked him off after 2 days - feckless builder!

YABU - why?

Because you should have got another builder in to finish the work. As for the bad back builder - tough shit - thats life. If he couldnt be arsed to get someone in to help - well hes lost the job.

Amazed and stunned that you havent employed someone else in the meantime. Unreal.

What does your contract say?
Surely he should have made an arrangement to subcontract the job after a certain amount of time?

No says he's a one man band and cannot get someone else to finish the work.

There is no formal contract. He did work for family and friends and came highly recommended.

I’m a one man band. But I know other people in the same industry, I know the good ones. I just asked for them to take a job for me when I couldn’t do it.

If he won’t do the work for you and won’t get someone else in then sack him off.

Tell him you are getting quotes off other people as you need the work completed.
ask if he can recommend anyone and then ask if he needs to collect any tools or anything from your house before work starts and then move on