We have booked a builder to knock down a supporting wall in our kitchen, separating a dining room and the extension. Had drawings done by a structural engineer, got three quotes, went with what seemed the most reasonable, had good reviews on checkatrade etc.
Said 4 days, we thought ok maybe 5 then..
1st day all good, 2nd day steels arrive, 3 rsg needed as it's a wall supporting the room above and back of the house. Steels are wrong size, as he ordered them from the drawings, not measurements...the drawings clearly state don't do this.
Soooo he asks for more money for extra days work, we say no chance, he accepts this.
4th day, I come home to find he's put in a steel over hanging the wall so that we will either have an odd shaped wall when done or lose a good few inches of wall if he plasterboards it flush with the rest. Hard to describe so pic below.
Also damages to the flooring in hall and a kitchen cabinet.
We call today and he's apologised but has said he will do something to cover the massive bit of metal sticking out and won't charge for the more complicated electrics he's uncovered...
Also we find out today that despite us asking and confirming with him several times that he would contact building control and organise site visits, that he hadn't. So I've done it today and they won't be out until Tuesday and in the meantime we've got a kitchen full of props and exposed brickwork. He can't plasterboard etc as they need to see it all.
Lastly I think he's misunderstood what we plan to do about a doorway leading into the new larger room, as I think he wasn't planning on rebuilding the doorway and replacing the door...kind of leaving it open plan from the hall..which i dont think is a good idea so he'll probably say this wasn't part of the quote. I think we were clear where we wanted it knocked down to but he's not exactly proving himself to be the sharpest tool in the box or the most careful person.
I want to be here when building control come and get the engineer to check it all as I'm worried now about what he's done but we both work full time and cant take a day off. I also want to withold the remaining balance until he's got it perfect and done everything we want, including recompense for the damage (not that it can be fixed, old kitchen and no idea where the cupboards are from or the name of the colour to mend the damage)
DH doesn't want to complain further...he's worried he will just down tools and go or something! I kind of think if he did we'd just get the work checked and do the plaster board etc ourselves.
I don't know the best way forward really..worried the house will fall down, fed up of dust and not having a kitchen with two young children and passed off at this idiot who doesn't seem to care we are paying him thousands to do all this and trusting him.
If you get to the end of this well done!