Kitchen fitters have left damage - what can I do?

[ilovetosleep]

I'm so angry, but I don't know if there's much point in pursuing any of it and I feel like I'm just being perfectionist and annoying.

Firstly there are numerous scratches on our brand new limestone floor where they have dragged the fridge in place. Ditto across the lounge wooden floor (the units and appliances were all in there while the floor was being laid). There is a big chip in the wooden fridge housing where they have lifted it in and knocked the frame. The existing bifold aluminium doors to the patio no longer seem to open - they claim we left a key in them and assumed we had locked them, but we have never owned a key for these doors! (safe area, no rear access so no problems)

Anyway. Is this normal to be expected wear and tear from builders? We left piles of blankets and obviously there are heaps of carsboard boxes that they could have laid on the floor. They seemed totally not bothered by the floor when I told them, mumbled over it and didn't seem to want to accept responsibility.

They haven't quite finished. DH says there is no point in making a fuss - after all we don't want to have the whole floor ripped up at this late stage. I guess we will work on the floor ourselves to sand out the scratches, and use touch up paint for the chip on the unit.

I'm just really pissed off.

I would expect some form of compensation. God I would be so angry!!!

Take photos and email to their head office.

Give them a chance to fix the damage.

Have you spoken to them about it?

No head office - Its a self employed carpenter and one employee.

I've told them, and they glossed over it and said they dont see how it could have happened...

We had similar when we had our kitchen done. The builders stacked up bags of ?cement in the hall (we weren't living here at that time) and it took the varnish off the engineered oak floor. It looked all patchy and stained and was in effective ruined.

We insisted they rectify the problem themselves or we would get it sanded and revarnished and they would pay. If not we would sue them for the cost.

They coughed up and we had it redone. It did sour relations slightly which was a shame but it would have cost us about a thousand pounds to rectify a problem THEY had caused!

Insist they sort out the damage. When I had a kitchen redone about 10 years ago, the fitters broke the window lock by forcing it without using the key and the tiler scratched the gloss work tops by piling tiles up on it with nothing to protect it. Both had to be replaced by them at their cost.

I think I might what until all the work is finished and then go from there. The room isn't in a fit state to start repairing the floor at the moment. I'll get a quote for the doors to show them. I don't want to piss them off any more while they're still here! I have made sure in the mean time that every inch of floor is covered with cardboard and blankets!

Have you paid them up front? If not, the threat of retention of payment until they make good the damage might work.

Not paid upfront. We paid for work already done at the start of this week so there's at least a weeks work left to pay. will defo withold payment... good plan

We have all manner of tradies in ours, and the amount of stuff that gets scratched or broken is unbelievable. It's mostly the sub contractors - the generally clueless and careless. If your kitchen fitters were any good though they should lay down ply on the floors to protect them.

our builder had us inspect prior to the appliances being installed. installation was by the appliance company and he was not to be held responsible for damage they might do.
getting the fridge in the house as tricky (we had to remover the front door)

obviously he had seen similar damage to you over the years :(
positive thoughts op it is all resolved to your satisfaction.

Could be worth checking if the builder has insurance to cover this? I would definately withhold payment and demand that they fix their errors.