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!

It doesn't matter that it says 14 days even if writing if it does not state that time is of the essence.

builders often underestimate how long they take

and as pp says it sometimes seems like slow process because the preparation takes a long time. tiling can be reasonably quick and once that's done fitting of the plumbing should be a doddle.

the heating is to speed up the tile glue drying. industrial gas heaters are not suitable for finished properties.

ask the builder!

Not sure why you moved out to be honest. My plumber did the pipe work for the old loo last and replaced it with the new one first. Just told us to be careful as it wasn’t screwed down and wouldn’t be until the flooring was laid under it. Ours took a week and had new floors, new plasterboard and plaster and he was on his own. The floor and glass walls came later from other tradies but we had a loo to use all the time and a sink for bath for washing most of the time.

I’d move back in, he’s probably doing three jobs At the same time.

Have you asked if there is a delay? Builds are like icebergs..... it looks as if nothing is being done and then hey presto it all gets done in a day.

Having said that there are materials delays across the sector so they may be struggling to getting something that needs to be done before the finishing can take place. It will also be why they have given you a longer build time. I am guessing most of the people with the huge bathrooms fitted in a week had them done at least 2 years ago and were done in the summer.

There are also COVID delays - maybe one of the fitters came down with lurgy.

Re the central heating you have to bring materials up to the normal indoor temperature so that plaster can go off without cracking and joints don't split. If your house is normally warm and you tuned the heating off as you left the walls will still be warm & will expand at a different rate to ceramics and taps. The easiest way to prevent this is to ramp the heating up to get everything to the same temperature. Also would you be happy if your employer didn't have the heating on in your office at this time of year - if it is cold and miserable working conditions of course they will go to the nice and toasty house where they can use the kettle first. I don't understand the attitude of the workmen cannot use facilities in the house - what do you expect them to do?

In terms of "rights" it depends on what your contract says. If it has an end date then yes you can renegotiate costs. If not then you will have to suck it up.

Did he turn the heating up to dry the plaster?