Advice needed on bathroom works after water leak?

[fridaseyebrows]

I’m hoping someone can give me some advice on how we can best approach getting our bathroom sorted out.

we had a leak from upstairs nearly a year ago now. Damage to the window frames and walls and plasterboard ceiling. The room was dried out and we decided we wouldn’t redo the whole room, just retile the one damaged wall. And this is when the problems started with the contractor appointed by the insurance company.

First they said they could match the existing tiles, then they told us they couldn’t and we needed to choose different ones. So we are now going for a feature wall look with the new tiles. Their first attempt at retiling one wall was shockingly bad quality - and they also managed to damage a tile on the “good” wall as they did it.

Their surveyor agreed that the work was shocking and that it needed to be pulled down and redone. So second attempt last week, and more mistakes, this time they have used tiles from two different batches and the colours of the tiles do not match. It will need to come down and be redone again.

We need to consider our options now - do we trust this company to put their mistakes right third time round or do we ask them to cash settle with us for our insurance claim and organise the works with someone else?

My preference would now be the latter, but actually then get the whole bathroom done rather than just one wall as the whole room is tired looking. But I’m concerned that if we cash settle the amount we get offered won’t be anywhere close to what we need to spend to put it right (recognising that the insurance only covers putting right the wall that is damaged with a contribution to the rest of the room). Apart from the shoddy workmanship their customer service has been appalling, not returning my calls to arrange dates, not replying to emails, tradesmen not turning up and no one informing us etc etc. I really don’t want to have to deal with them again!

This is the only bathroom in the house so each time they do the works it’s been so disruptive to us so really want to make sure we can sort this out properly.

Any thoughts / experiences from anyone would be most helpful!! Thank you!

I'd start by sending a letter to your home insurers (not a sub-contractor) headed "Customer Complaint"

set out that the work has repeatedly done to a poor standard and you do not wish these builders in your home again. Request that a better company is used

(they might suggest you choose your own tiler. In that case ask around for recommendations of a local independent, and insist on seeing a recent sample of their work and speaking to the householder yourself. Listings on a paid-for advertising website that you've heard of are not personal recommendations. Do not agree a price with the insurance company until you have a firm quote including materials, grout, silicone etc from a trusted local installer)

Thank you! So far our complaints have gone through the claims handler not the insurance company. I don’t think the claims handler seems to want to do anything bar listen and relay messages though! So yes I will definitely follow up with the insurance company also.

I’m asking around also for recommendations for a local independent too. Agreed re online listings - I’ve had my fingers burned with those types of sites in the past (although on a much smaller scale!)