Builder dispute

[Heathofhares]

We are approaching the end of what has been quite an unhappy build. Relations with your builder have been tense to say the least. We are now trying to resolve what is reasonable in terms of ‘making good’ and finish. Attached are a few pictures of some examples of the ( more minor) issues.

Builder maintains that these come under ‘decorating’ which is not included in the original contract ( both parties are in agreement that no further works will be carried out by this firm.)

Would you say that we should just suck up this finish. Or should we make the argument that we have decided not to get stroppy that the screed has not been paid according to instructions (which will cost us £1000 to fix), that they are not taking responsibility for a faulty electric Velux and they have refused to make good damage to our patio and kitchen and that in return we expect a reasonable finish?

I have completely lost sight of what is reasonable/ expected and or worth it.

*screed not been laid

That's disgraceful- decorating means painting etc- not making good damage. Your builder is completely taking the p*. I'd be withholding a final payment until those issues are all sorted.

I’d not be paying in full either until the faulty velux is fixed etc. That’s not decorating!!

The holes in the walls are not ‘decorating’ either. They are holes.

The holes in the walls are not ‘decorating’ either. They are holes

Thanks! I think this phrase mig he be making its way into an email!

The window sill looks rough as guts. It's not just the gaping gaps around it, the edges of the sill look rough sawn!

Having just had lots of work done and with more to come, I wouldn't be happy with the quality of that at all.

The photo attached is of a newly fitted window board in our annexe. No gaps and neatly mitred edges.

If you leave those kind of gaps to the decorator you will be paying a lot more for your decorating!

The window sill looks rough as guts. It's not just the gaping gaps around it, the edges of the sill look rough sawn
The window sills have also been fixed in place with a nail gun. leave holes in the top of the wood.

I am really unhappy with it and felt it was actually vindictive... but I am so fed up with this arsehole I was wondering if I was being unreasonable.

We are at the stage of paying him to fuck off out of our lives before DH has a breakdown.

Is your builder a member of a trade body? If so give them a shout. I’d imagine leaving a hole up the side of an electric point is a serious H&S issue. Imagine someone dropped a cuppa and it splattered in there. Fire hazard.

I hate to say it, but what else could they have done that you don’t know about? Could this be a matter for trading standards?

The initial works were ok I think. Majot issues began when works fell behind payments and we asked to revise the payment plan. The builder refused to engage with that and we withheld payment until works caught up.

Since then the firm have been nasty. Aggressive and impossible to deal with. Good idea to take it up the their trade body.

Blimey, you aren't being unreasonable. My local council do a better job than that when they come to do a repair and they aren't exactly known for taking pride in their work!

Honestly if these are minor issues I'd hate to see the bigger ones. This is not acceptable by any standards.

As a decorator I would be able to sort most of that but would be unimpressed by the finish to work with. The sockets however are too close together and the hole inbetween would be impossible to fix without taking the covers off etc.

If these are the minor things you are definitely not being fussy.

This isn't the finish you'd expect from a professional builder but we too had a hideous experience with a builder that left us worn down and just desperate to get them out of the house. If they think this is quality work I wouldn't be asking them to remediate. I'd be withholding payment and finding someone else to finish the job.