Is it ok to have plumber work in your house when you are not there?

[dotnetmum]

I have got the plumber here for a week, but unfortunately something has come up at work which means I have to go to away for a day. When I asked the plumber about that he seemed surprised that I would consider it inappropriate for him to continue working here when I am away that day. He is a nice guy and it is not that I don't trust him, but it just does not seem right to me. Is it me?

So you are going to send him away in the middle of a job with little notice? Chances are he won't be able to fit another job in for one day, especially if he's a one man band. He therefore loses a day's pay or is forced to make it his day off.

Do you have a neighbour/friend/relative who could go round if you are uneasy having a workman in the house when you are not there?

DH would be annoyed if he wasn't allowed to work for a day due to that - if he doesn't work he doesn't get paid and doesn't just have random jobs he can do for a day so would end up sitting around at home.

Customers often just give him a key so he can come and go

I think it's normal to leave them. What do you think they are going to do?

That is totally strange not to let him work when you aren't there. How do you think most people manage to get jobs done at home? And what on earth do you expect him to do for the day? He will struggle to fit in another job at short notice like that. Are you going to pay him? I'm sure he will be happy not to some in for the day if you pay him his full day rate...

He is a nice guy and it is not that I don't trust him
Well you obviously don't trust him or you wouldn't have an issue with him being there.

Either pay him for an extra day, or get a friend or relative to come sit in the house for you if you can't have a plumber in the house without you.

I know what you mean, I've thought this too, it seems odd to leave someone you don't know in your house alone.

But pp's points about plumber not having work to just chop and change are fair, and I am think - why would they train to be a plumber just to rob people? IYSWIM.

I've let trades alone many times. Hasn't been a problem (tough wood).

Touch wood!

My concerns with this are with the horror stories around d about what they do as soon as they are alone. There was a thread about in Chat once. It made for grim reading tbh.

But, it's impossible to always be with a tradesman when they are doing a big job. I left my kitchen fitters all the time. I liked and trusted them. I wasn't so keen on my plumber but I had to leave him. He just got on my nerves, turned out to be useless and his darth vader breathing annoyed me so probably not a reason to dislike him really .

Hmmm I wouldn't , but that's because we had a workman round I nipped out for an hour trusting him and 2 days later we were burgled. Maybe not connected but I'm definitely less trusting now x

We've had workmen in on and off for months. I always just leave them to it

I hate giving keys out - more often than not I hardly know the people, and it just goes against my instincts. But I find it's almost impossible not to so it's one of those things I try not to think about too much!

My mum had a plumber in completely redoing her bathroom when she was on holiday. Saved her any hassle and saved him packing up every night.

I wouldn't leave someone I'd found in the yellow pages and never met before. However, someone who's done a job or two already for us, who came recommended by personal contacts, yes. In fact, until he moved away, our old plumber used to be our emergency keyholder for the alarm company . Well, he was always in the area during the day, he knew most of the neighbours at least by sight...!

I'd make sure I offered them a cup of tea and biscuits before going out though