Builder not finished bathroom on time. What are my rights? If any?

[Fagin99]

Hubby and I hired a builder to gut and re-do our very small bathroom (tiny bathroom in fact - you could almost touch each wall with your arms out). We agreed that it would be done within 14 days, largely because it is our only loo/bathroom, I am 33 weeks' pregnant, and, as such, we've had to move out to an Air bnb for the time he is doing it.

We've popped in today (Saturday) to see how it's going and, I'm obviously no expert, but I find it hard to believe he will be finished by Tuesday.

Hubby seems determined to avoid confrontation and just go along with everything, but this builder has wound me up from the start with his relaxed attitude and disrespect for our home (he helped himself to our central heating, despite it being on a timer, and has been leaving it on overnight etc) and it appears to me that he leaves by 3:30pm every day.

If he asks for more time, I want to go in quite hard now and demand why it's taking so long (no additional plumbing issues have come up). Is there any scope to ask for a discount on the price if he goes over the agreed time? (Fortunately, we agreed a set price and haven't paid it all yet.)

Before I let me third trimester hormones get the better of me, I'd love to know what my rights are - if any - to renegotiate cost or conditions etc with this man. I wouldn't be so livid if I just didn't get the distinct impression that he is a p**s taker.

Thanks all!

What is he actually doing?
My bathroom sounds about 3 times the size of yours. Hadnt been touched since the 70s. My plumbers ripped everything out, pulled out all the old tiling and flooring. Put in new flooring and tiles and then the new bathroom stuff and it took a week.

It took less than a week to get our small bathroom redone. What has been done and what is left to do?

Have you got an agreement from him in writing that it will be completed within 14 days?

If he verbally said something like “should take me about 2 weeks”, then that’s not the same at all.

Assuming you’ve paid something towards materials, don’t pay anything else until it’s completed to your satisfaction.

14 days!

We had a bathroom like that in our first flat. Took them a week (5 working days). Only one day with no toilet… We stayed in the flat throughout.

Is it just one builder working? What is he doing?

A small bathroom can be very time consuming, depending on what is being done. It can be really tricky to work in tight spaces.

Leaving the heating on overnight can help dry things out, which could speed up the job. Sometimes in building you have to do things in a certain order, with drying time in between, so the fact that he has left early sometimes doesn't necessarily mean he isn't doing the job as quickly as he can.

If you haven’t been there almost every day he’s almost certainly taking the piss.

When my bathroom got done it was 2 guys that did it together. One seemed to do the plumbing stuff and the other did the tiling. I imagine it would take longer if its only 1 person doing the whole job

What’s left to do? I think it’d a bit unreasonable to say he’s helping him self to your heating, you want him to work in yhr cold? Just tell him to remember to switch it off.

I don’t see why you needed to move out, you can ask him to hook up the loo and make sure it’s hooked up each night. Most folks stay in their home with a bathroom replacement going on.

Argh how annoying for you. I feel for you. It all depends on how clear you were from the start that it had to be done within two weeks, and how ‘officially’ he committed to sticking to that. Do you have anything in writing?

He probably put the heating on to dry stuff, or maybe he was cold. I can't imagine resenting that!

Just ask him for an updated estimate of completion. I don't think you have any rights though, especially as he hasn't even run over yet. To be honest I'm surprised you moved out for a bathroom refit. If he said that was necessary, I might be suspicious. Being without a loo usually only lasts one day (builders know people need these pretty urgently and make then available early on, even if the rest of the room is a mess) and you can just go out that day. I might say 'we're moving back on X date as agreed, so even if you're running over can you make it possible to use the loo by then, thanks'.

@dementedpixie

When my bathroom got done it was 2 guys that did it together. One seemed to do the plumbing stuff and the other did the tiling. I imagine it would take longer if its only 1 person doing the whole job

Mine was the same, DH knows a plumber who says you can either plumb or tile and stick to what you know.

That said, our standard sized bathroom took 5 days start to finish, that was with two days of a second guy doing tiling/flooring.

The problem with going in hard though is that you don't actually have any control of the situation. You don't want him to walk off the job because then you've got a half finished bathroom for months... I'd be tempted to move back in though. You need to keep an eye on things.

And yeah, don't start with you've been stealing our central heating! He's allowed to be warm at work.

Helping himself to the heating what a odd thing to say . Like others say doesn’t normally take 2 weeks , mine was within a week but It wasn’t one guy so maybe he’s given you a date of about 2 weeks . I suspect he’s got more than 1 job on that’s why it’s not done . I suggest asking him Monday when he will be finished but I’d move back in it’s ridiculous that he’s said 2 weeks when it’s your only bathroom he’s taking the piss for that
I never moved out when my bathroom was being done and it was the only bathroom in the house , we couldn’t use the bath for a couple of days but the toilet was ok to use as they did that last .

Are you able to pop into your home unannounced eg your lunch break to see what he is actually doing.

I do think it seems a long time. How much has he done?
Is he tiling it as well?

You have no rights unless you have a contract with a penalty clause in it. I always think it's better to resolve disputes by being reasonable at first , not going in hard - he'll be more willing to get it done. You first of all need to find out the reason for it taking longer than he said and take it from there (he might have had Covid, family emergency, can't get hold of parts, etc).

Unless the contract specified time was likely the essence no you have no right to a discount if you agreed a fixed price or even a daily rate.

Heating will speed up processes along the way and I actually laughed at the thought to him helping himself to your heating!!

At various stages he may have needed the electrician in and if he wasn't available at the time he was needed then that may have delayed matters.

A big bathroom may be quicker if plumbing isn't being moved than a smaller where it is. A small one may be longer if it involves more tile cutting.

I suspect you could move back in if the toilet is in working order in any event.

But in answer to your main question No not if time was not of the essence.

You’re being quite petty about the heating as for going over time unless you’ve agreed in advance that there will be a discount if he runs over then I doubt you have any rights at all

What are you having done? My bathroom refit took 1 man 2 weeks. Have you had it replastered? That takes time to dry, and so do the tiles. He might not be there all day everyday

Stealing our central heating... now I’ve heard everything

…what does your contract say? If nothing specified then it just has to be done within a generally reasonable time.

You need to be on top of any home renovation project ; never just leave tradesmen to it. That's how misunderstandings arise. Go round daily (as PP have said, though, it's really unusual to move out for a bathroom refit). Discuss progress as you go.

Ok, firstly, to everyone jumping to conclusions about the heating. I left it on a timer from 8am - 6pm every day for him at maximum of 24 degrees. He's overridden this and left it on at 28 degrees all night. I personally would have preferred for him to call and ask permission to do this first, especially with energy prices rising. When I found out, I did ask him to make sure it was turned off before he left and he initially agreed, but he stilI doesn't do this. If you have the budget to not care about this kind of thing, then good on you, unfortunately I am not in that situation.

He isn't doing any decorating. Just ripping everything out, tiling up to half the wall, putting down vinyl flooring and installing new loo, bath, shower, sink and towel rail.

Yes we have it in writing that it would take 14 days, so I have this to go back on.

Thank you to everyone who left a kind reply.

We recently had our hall decorated and he estimated 5 days. It took 2 days longer. It’s an estimate and as soon as they start they often find issues. Our bathroom took just over a week but the main bulk it looked messy then last two days came together. Just ask if he’s on schedule as you’ll be back on x day and need access to a working toilet. Worst case he pops back for finishing off the tiling. If it’s not done it’s not done. I’d rather give them a day extra than piss off a plumber!

With jobs like this it can be 75% prep 25% finish await till tuesday before you kick off.

has he had any supplier problems ?

With the heating sounds like he was struggling to get something to dry plaster or tiles that could of been holding him up .

I think it will be more constructive to speak to him before the deadline and remind him of the agreed deadline and as a casual ish chat ask him what is left to do and which days he's scheduled in what.

You need to keep things friendly OP or he could walk out without finishing, cause damage or just do a poor job.

I appreciate how frustrating this must be but nothing good will come from venting at him or threatening him.

Just don't wait for it to go wrong speak to him before.