Problems with building company

[BlogOnTheTyne]

I recently got a building company to do some minor reparative works where damp had come in through windows. Whilst they were extremely expensive, compared with other local companies, I felt it was worth paying for quality and I also wanted to check out whether I'd use them for some more major works.

Sadly, a number of problems then ensued, worka are incomplete and we are currently in 'debate' about different interpretations of the word "window" on the quote. I feel I'm being 'taken for a ride' as I'm just a 'little woman on her own', capable of making cups of tea but of little else! If I'd had a man beside me, I wonder if they'd be treating me differently?

I assumed that as we'd initially discussed complete replacement of the window, that when I decided just to repair around the window, we were talking about the inside and outside - ie the frames to be repaired/repainted etc.

They are being very pedantic and now saying that they only meant the 'inside' of the window and nothing at all outside, yet they also completed works around and beyond the entire outside of that window to the house wall and to the window frame.

This is in the context of their decorator letting us down and reneging on his agreement to complete all works on a certain day. He changed his story so many times, that it was abundantly clear he had no intention of completing all the work that day anyway and had a better job waiting for him instead.

Surely if you agree with a customer to repair around and repaint a "window" and if you are in any case doing external repairs and painting around that window and beyond and also to the external window frame, you wouldn't then leave out painting the window frame outside and say that you hadn't said you meant to do the external window frame - only the internal one?

Am I being exploited here? The amount we're quibbling over can hardly be more than a drop in the ocean anyway for the company (the final bill is a few thousand for works that took about 1.25 days). Or if it isn't abundantly, explicitly clear from a quote that you mean all parts of a window - ie out and in - then maybe I haven't got a leg to stand on?

I'd have understood better if they had only done internal work in the house but 95% of all the works were external and around the window in question!

Should I just give in?

I guess they've now definitely lost my business for the bigger job and my recommendation to friends and neighbours!

My brother used to spend years in dispute with builder cos (the last count is 2 building companies over work they had or hadn't done. He is currently looking at a new flat roof on an extension that is leaking and can't get the repairs sorted. The bigger and smoother the operation, the more difficult it seems to be to get snagging sorted or disputes settled without resorting to legal action. They genuinely don't care what your opinion is of them.

I've always used one builder, rather than a building company. In the end, they want your custom, will recommend other trades if necessary (like electricians or plumbers) who THEY trust. He is slow, he is old, he is irritating, occasionally it works out more expensive. But he is completely and utterly trustworthy and does everything brilliantly, partly because he is a one man band who cares about his work rather than a contractor. He has done painting, taken out chimney breasts, fitted kitchens, laid paving, repaired brickwork, plastered (in small quantities), dealt with damp, fireplaces, flashing, guttering, plumbing.

This builder company obviously doesn't want to work for you again. It may be that their quote was high, because they didn't actually want to do the job particularily. Overheads in building companies mean that 1.25 days work are not necessarily much profit.

Try finding someone in the longterm who you can have a good working relationship with, smaller co/individual the better. Sometimes it means putting up with less than perfect or delays, but it pays off when you can get someone to fix a leaking pipe or paint a bedroom at short notice and you TRUST them.

Thanks Swanhilda. the building compnay have now agreed to take off a few ounds from their collosal bill for the work they didn't complete and for the hassle I've had. As I never want them back here again, I've agreed but they've now lost the much bigger job I was planning.

They still have their advertising board up outside my house and I really don't want it there as it looks like I endorse their company. Hope they take it down soon.

I am still stunned at how they felt they could do half a job, leave wood untreated and unpainted outside the house and yet claim we never agreed that they'd do that bit! It's a bit like a surgeon saying in the middle of an op. - you didn't pay me to sew you back up - only to remove that organ!

I wonder if I'd been male or had a man beside me, whether they'd have treated me better?

Hi I've just joined in having seen your message.

I was a female carpenter.

Just a quick note, please ensure that any builder/ company you get in to do the work has a valid Public liability insurance. Also ask to see their portfolio and actually visit
a few of their ex jobs. (Even better get referrals from friends), Check out all references and search on the Internet & with trading standards to see if they have any red flags! .. Lastly if unsure always ask, the company, to provide a detailed breakdown of the work they have agreed to undertake. I used to happily, walk around with my clients and point out, as well as provide a detailed description of each job. Also whilst working on their project I would ask them in stages to view it and give feedback.

I find this helped both parties. However and being honest, there is the other view (the builders) ... Having difficult customers isn't always easy.

Personally I favour sole traders (like myself... a more personal approach), however I could be biased!!

I do hope I have bought some valid suggestions to your discussion.
Thanks & best if luck.

My husband has never had anything to do with the builders ( moreover he is only a source of trouble in that respect as he does nothing but complain about noise and mess of having a builder in the first place, without considering whether it might actually be worth maintaining the property - anyway that's another matter), and I've never found it caused any problems. The key was to be have a good relationsthip (not literally of course) with the builder, so they want to do their best for you. Everyone has a sense of pride buried somewhere, and they want to believe they are good at their job. My builder/handyman/whateveryou call him, said something else to me which was invaluable. Never employ someone who wants money for materials up front, as it will mean their cash flow is dangerously volatile. Maybe that was just for small scale projects, but I've taken that to heart and never been left in lurch.

Any builder who wanted validation from a man for his work I would feel uncomfortable with anyway. I organise the job, and therefore the builder is employed by me.
My mother has always dealt with builders too, very successfully, and drives a hard bargain, but puts up with a few imperfections for sake of greater good. That is the key I think, not to push too hard or complain about little things if someone has essentially done the job well.

Thanks. The company I used are members of the Federation of Master Builders and as they were also VERY expensive, I stupidly assumed I could trust them. They came round first to discuss what I wanted and very soon afterwards, sent a written quotation. They seemes v profesisonal and personable. I asked them to break this quote down into component parts, which they did.

As it was still hugely expensive, I selected only part of the entire quote - the most urgent repair parts. The dispute concerns the word, "window", where I took that to mean the entire window - outside (where they were mainly working in any case) and inside where they were doing fewer works.

It never crossed my mind that they'd assumed only the 'inside' of the window, as it made no sense at all to me to rectify damp ingress on the inside and fill round and repaint the window - yet leave the outside, newly stripped of paint in parts, some filler removed there, holes from outside to indoors unfilled - and then completely unfinished!

Secondly, their subcontracted painter/decorator agreed, with his company's support - to do some cash in hand work for me at the end. What I now think happened is that as the main firm had not got the full job from me but I'd only accepted parts of the quote, they lost heart in 'looking after' me as a customer as I wasn't as financially viable.

The painter probably decided he'd offered me too good a cash deal and didn't really want to do the job after all. They then reneged on the entire works and the company didn't complete what I believed the quote had meant.

The painter also kept trying to 'touch/pat' my arm and shoulder, when he spoke to me in what felt like a patronising way that he wouldn't have done with a man.

I've now paid -except for a minisclue portion they took off for me - but have an unfinished job that I'll have to try to do myself at some point - although I don't have laddesr to do outside upstairs windows. It's a massive nuisance. They've still left their advertising board fixed to my garden fence!

Ask your friends if they have a painter decorator who does external works (eg has a proper ladder, small scaffold to work off) This is a really straightforward for someone who has the right equipment, you don't need anything other than a personal recommendation, as everyone has had their house windows painted at some point by someone. The only problem I can see is that they get booked up at this time of year because it is supposedly drier. If desperate, walk down a residential street in your area, and see if there is anyone painting windows in white overalls! I don't think I would attempt that sort of work myself, purely because of ladder issue. A workman should charge max of £175 a day, probably much less if you aren't in London area, excluding paint/filler. Possibly hiring a ladder as well might cost extra, he might charge you for that, if he doesn't have one.

It will be worth it, because then you will find someone to do the next job/minor repair, which in any house worth its salt, will invariably materialize.

As far as I can remember Federation of Master Builders really is a marketing thing rather than a guarantee of anything.

just take their advertising off your property?

my valuable advice is not to assume expensive makes it a better job.