A Tradesman one

[Camelshavehumpstoo]

I needed a new heat pump. I got a quote a few months back and agreed to a price. The work was due to start next week. I have since spoken to the tradesman and stated I don't want the pipes where he stated and also some other parts I wasn't happy with. Today the tradesman emailed saying he feels he can no longer do the job due to the demands I have made. I haven't signed anything or paid any money. I have threatened to take him to court for breech of contract but am I correct? TIA

I very much doubt it, you can't make him do the work and if you could it would be a very bad idea.
What contract exactly do you think has been breached?

Well my old pump is in danger of leaking that's why I need the work done urgently. I said if my house floods I will hold him liable as I now have to find someone else to do the work.

Tbh if you haven't signed anything then its just a verbal contract) agreement?? So his word against yours if you did decide to sue him. .....

Don't be ridiculous. He quoted for work done in a certain way for a set cost using x materials to dk x job (was it a quote or an estimate?).
You have changed your requirements so he is no longer willing to do the job. Given your tone here I strongly suspect you didn't approach it with a 'could we change where the pipes are going' and have a civilised conversation but made demands based on zero knowledge of what is possible.
Not only will this person no longer be doing your work I strongly suspect you'll struggle to get anyone else decent now as its a small community and arsey customers are easily blacklisted.

Is a 'verbal contract' not worth anything then?!

But it was you that changed the goalposts!

Even if the verbal contact was enforcable you're the one who decided to start making changes, so they'd be under no obligations unless you have the job done the way it was quoted

No, it's not. Quite literally it's worth the paper it's written on....

Was it made clear at the start where you wanted the pipework, was his professional opinion sought. What other changes do you want made. Don't you have house insurance to cover any flooding, was did the original verbal agreement include. If you agreed to the work and the price but have since changed what you want how is that his fault.

But he's not liable

No.
But was your quote not in writing?
Do you know the difference between an estimate and a quote?
And even if it was- you changed the requirements. They didn't quote you for resolving your heating pump issues come what may, they quoted you for doing a certain job. You changed your mind.
The only legal requirement would be if they gave you a written quote which you agreed then they couldnt charge you more than that amount unless an updated quote was provided after changes were agreed.
They aren't legally obliged to do the work.

I'd laugh at you OP, sorry but you changed the job, wanted things added/taken away so the original quote won't stand.
What exactly would you take him to court about? He is not liable for anything, you changed the job and he sounds like he politely said no thank you I don't want to do that.

So I have no comeback even tho he has just walked away?

No you dont. He is not obliged to work for you.

If you had decided not to cancel and not have him do the job would you have considered yourself liable to pay him anyway?

Even if it was an enforcable contract you changed the terms. and so would have broken the contract anyway. You didn't pay a deposit . The tradesman has dodged a bullet with you.

No,

Why would you have?

He gave you a price for a job done a certain way
You said - "I don't want it done that way"
He said "OK, I'm not the person for this job then"

Why would you have any "come back?"

Just because he gave you a price doesn't mean he's beholden to do whatever you want in perpetuity!

He has declined the job
He didn't break the pump in the first place so repairing it has nothing to do with him

No. He agreed to do a job, you've since changed your mind about what you want done. and he doesn't feel he can do that anymore. If you decided you didn't want to use him anymore would you be happy for him to threaten to sue you without any written contract.

None at all. You had agreed a quote but then at the 11th hour said you wanted to change an aspect of it – moving pipes – and mentioned other elements you weren't happy with. The pipe change means a new job spec and quite possibly a revised quote and clearly the tradesman decided it wasn't worth the aggro.

What is with the batshittery today?

No, in this country there's no obligation on tradespeople to do work unless you have a contract confirming they will go ahead with no cancellation clauses. This is different to say, France, where a quote is legally binding so if you get a quote and you countersign it then they have to do the work listed for the price quoted.
In this circumstance you'd struggle to "sue". You could take him to a small claims court but as you've not suffered any losses as yet and you have changed your requirements since his original quotation then I doubt you'd get very far. You also would not get an indemnity against potential for damage if your house flooded from the delay to starting work.
At this point, put away your anger with this tradesman and start looking for someone else ! Much better use of time

So you’ve agreed to do X for a certain amount, now you want Y for the same amount, and he’s the one who is in breech of contract? If anything, he should sue you for loss of income as a result of you not sticking to the arrangement you’re agreed on, meaning he’s left with a gap in his work schedule.

He has no obligation to do any work for you. If you had paid a deposit, or if you had accepted his original quote and then he cancelled on you, you might have some recourse. But you asked him to do a job, he quoted how much that job would be based on your requirements at the time. You accepted, and then changed what you wanted. He's not prepared to deliver the job you now want. Possibly because it's too hard, or the materials are not available, or because he didn't like the way you spoke to him. The reason doesn't matter. He was never legally obliged to do the job.

Also the fact that your current pump is leaking is not his responsibility, it is yours. He's not contracted to repair it, maintain it or otherwise care for it. The responsibility for that falls with you. Frankly if you'd threatened me with a court case for breach of contract for something which was absolutely not my responsibility, I'd be coming nowhere near your property ever again.

This has to be a wind up

How old Is the heatpump, is it still under guarantee, have you been in touch with the installer, manufacturers or your insurance.