AIBU to question a builder raising a quoted £200 job to £800

[flowerpot13]

You're a single woman living alone and a male builder offers to do a job for you, telling you verbally, not in writing that it is going to cost £200 including labour. He then presents you with receipts and + labour it has now cost you £800, because the costs for materials has sky rocketed and the job took longer than he thought. Aibu to think it's likely he would've known the project wasn't going to cost just £200. What would you honestly do in this situation - Not what you wish to do, but what you would actually feel comfortable doing.

How many quotes did you get? Hopefully more than 1. I'd use the prices of the other quotes today compare and decide whether it was something avoidable or not.

If you didn't get more than 1 quote, is there someone you can get a 2nd opinion from?

Very bad idea to not get a written quote. Even by text.

Too late now. What was the job? £200 sounds cheap for anything!

What’s the breakdown of the invoice? If you have receipts for the materials& you have labour costs what’s the gap?

lesson learnt to always have a quote in writing and agree if it changes there needs to be a discussion

what was the work?

When you say he "offered" to do the job, does that mean he approached you rather than the other way around @flowerpot13 ?

How long between the quote and the job being done? We had a quote for a bathroom including fittings and by the time the job actually got done a few months later, it did cost a few hundred extra, not because of labour but because of the increase in some of the fittings. Everything was itemised though so it was quite transparent.

Did the work throw up any surprises that had to be remedied before the job could be completed?

In answer to your last question…if I was happy with the quality of the work, and it genuinely had taken longer than expected and it seems roughly in line with what the nature of the job should cost then I would just pay it. If you feel ripped off, I’d email the builder and ask for him to explain the difference and ask for an itemised invoice.

For that much difference, I would have expected a very clear update as the work went on. How long were they there and what doing.

I think that since the original quote was just verbal, I would pay it unless it is unreasonable for the work he did.

Is the invoice in writing with a full breakdown of the work? I would ask for that first and if it is reasonable then pay it. Then I would never agree to any work till I had the quote in writing. Every building quote I have ever had has been in writing.

£200 wasn't a realistic quote for anything unless it was a one hour handyman level job. What was the job? Obviously he shouldn't have under quoted in order to get your business.

What would I do? Pay the bill, and be determined to learn the lesson to always get a quotation in writing in future.

I’ve decided that the rule of thumb is usually double what the builder originally quotes, there’s always extras and it always takes longer.

Quadruple the price is pushing it too far.

Ask him why he didn’t know the cost of materials when he quoted and you’re not happy about this at all. Tell him you will pay it but will be leaving a bad review online. This might make him drop the cost a little.

Also check those receipts are for materials actually used for your job.

You don’t have a written agreement so both of you are in the wrong

what was the job so we can advise if the price is vaguely reasonable

@flowerpot13 Are you still there? Can you tell us what the job was?

I agree he has not acted in good faith he should have confirmed the final price with the increased material cost with you before doing the work. But you should have got a quote in writing before letting them do the job. If it was a verbal estimate they are likely liable to change.