Cal out charge

[Jess115]

I spoke to a local roofer recommended to us by a friend. We thought we may have a leak. He came out a week later. We didn't have a leak and thought it was condensation from the heating boiler. Today we have received an £80 call out fee. There was no mention of a call out fee before or during the visit. If there had of been we would have de lined the visit. Have had other roofers in the past who have not charged this fee. What should we do.

Why would you have declined the visit? You called him out to to fix a leak. It wasn't his fault there wasn't one. Of course, you'd pay for his time.

Other roofers have not charged a call out fee and £80 pounds is not reasonable when looking at call out fees. He should have been up front a told us before hand

So tell him that - see what he says.

If he has a website, just check on there first. If he hasn't, he should have told you first. If you don't pay, you will need as much evidence as possible because he might take you to court.
One way around it is, if he hasn't got a website, phone him first and tell him that there was no mention of a call out change but, as a compromise, offer him about £30. At least it will show that you are trying to reach a compromise.

But you didn't ask him out to quite for a job for which I would not expect to pay a fee. You booked him to find a lesk which he came out, spent time looking for it, couldn't find one (so I assume some considerable time was spent), then upon there being no lesk came to the reasonable conclusion the water ingress was caused by condensation. And you think he is not entitled to charge for his time? Wow!

*quote not quite

I didn't say he wasn't entitled to charge for his time. He should have said I will charge £80 for a call out. I then could have had the option to decline.

He doesn't have a website.

No mention of call out change, no right to change.

Been in touch with CAB and trading standards will be getting back to us.

You say other roofers didn't charge. How many roofers have you called out?

Trading standards have said he is breaking the law by not stating in writing what his charges are in advance. We have not heard from him since writing to him about this. Trading standards have also contacted him to discuss this.

He needed to let you know charges and what they are for and how you can cancel before coming out. Lots of small businesses ignore this - but it's the law - and it's there to protect you from things just like this !

Sorry OP, did you expect him to do it for free?

Tobuy that's not the point. The point is he didn't say they would be a charge even if there was no work necessary.

wowfudge it is beyond naive to think that a skilled tradesperson is not going to charge for their time. I engaged a roofer last week to look at a roof for me, no work was to be carried out, it was more of an inspection / to look at a leak. Whilst on the phone I asked how much that would be, he said £55, I though that fair and we agreed.

Unless I've completely misunderstood and OP paid him for his time, and the call out was on top of that and not agreed, then I think she is unreasonable for not agreeing costs before engaging a roofer.

Sorry, I may be missing something. Is the call out fee on top of his invoice price or was the call out fee the only cost?

How much would you have been happy to pay ?

Wow! How long was the roofer there OP? Was it an emergency callout type service?We had a leak in our roof. The roofers who came to look called in on their way home from other jobs. None of them charged just for coming out. One didn't go on the roof and suggested it was condensation. The ones who did go on the roof could see the (major) problem and quoted for the work. One then did the job and was paid for it.

Sorry reread and saw he came a week later.