Rant - Terrible tradesmen

JaffacakeJanine · 2023-03-25T09:52:30+00:00

Nearly every tradesperson we have used on our reno has done a half arsed job, and frankly I'm sick of it! Is anybody else experiencing the same? I wonder with so much demand that some tradesmen are doing half arsed jobs as they can get away with it Latest casualty is having some skirtings fitted, and the guy left a huge gap (I could probably get three fingers in there!) between one of the skirtings and the wall because he cut another skirting too short. The gap was filled with caulk, which to me is mental as caulk is only meant for sealing tight edges? My DH got so frustrated he has removed the caulk and is going to do it again himself with some backing rod. We don't want to call him in again in case he makes even more of a mess This tradesman had come highly recommended locally - we try to only use tradespeople with a good reputation. Is this a new phenomenon? Is it now ok for a tradesmen do a 'man look' and decide it's okay when it completely obviously isn't? Is it because me and DH are new to renovation and the tradesmen are doing low quality jobs because they think they can get away with it? I have multiple examples of the same thing happening with works in our house, and every time the tradesman acts like we are being sooo unreasonable and unbelievably fussy when we ask them to fix what they fucked up, sometimes it's even gotten a bit aggressive from the side of the tradesman Any similar experiences?

Rollercoaster1920 · 25/03/2023 10:15

Yes. Sadly lots of threads on here.

Hairybaker · 25/03/2023 14:11

Yep seems to be so hard to find good quality.

we had someone attempt to fix our squeaky floorboards. They hammered something through to the living room ceiling that we had just had repainted! So now we have a horrible lumpy ceiling where it couldn’t be fully repaired without an entire replastering job. Absolutely no apology from the tradesman at all for his incompetency… apparently “it happens all the time”! Well if you’d told me that beforehand I would not have bothered to go to the expense!

and most annoyingly of all, the floorboards are still squeaky! 🤬🤬

johnd2 · 25/03/2023 14:27

What's a "man look"? It's it caused by a sexist attitude?

donttellmehesalive · 25/03/2023 14:31

I think it's just because they are so in demand that they do not have to fight for jobs, quote competitively or even bother to do a decent job. It's a bit short sighted of them though, to assume that they'll never need repeat business.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 25/03/2023 14:35

Yep. I would now not buy a house that needed major renovation/an extension because of this. Not only this but if I were to buy a house that had already been extended I would have to have multiple visits to make sure it had been done properly. I think a lot of old school competent builders have now retired. I noticed on Your Home Made Perfect that people are starting to make similar comments about builders not wanting to do certain things. I just don’t think we have enough people with the skills, or pride, in this country. It’s a “just throw it up and get paid then onto the next job” type of attitude. However I think some parts of the country are better than others.

Cottipus · 25/03/2023 14:37

We’re struggling to even get trades in to do minor jobs. I have contacted 4 joiners to do some kitchen cabinet adjustments and still waiting on a date from no4.

megletthesecond · 25/03/2023 14:41

Yep. I ended up with a damp patch near my bath. I spent months thinking it was me and the kids splashing water over the side when showering. A different, competent, plumber came round and established that the original plumber probably didn't fill the bath with water when sealing it so every time we showered the water trickled into the gap. We couldn't see the sealant gap as we were showering above it.

donttellmehesalive · 25/03/2023 15:45

Lots of decent trades went home with Brexit, or during covid. The good ones we've got left are busy and so in demand that they rely on word of mouth and don't need to advertise.

Original poster

JaffacakeJanine · 25/03/2023 17:28

johnd2 · 25/03/2023 14:27

What's a "man look"? It's it caused by a sexist attitude?

I do think there is an element of sexism involved in that I'm usually the one speccing and overseeing the work as DH isn't in during the day. I swear they think they can get away with more as I'm a clueless, helpless woman! For example, one job was creating a flowerbed symmetrical to the one on the other side, which is a curved shape. The guy made it a square right angle and then got annoyed when I said err I asked you to make it the same as the one on the other side?! It's like he didn't see the issue with it whereas it was burning my eyeballs. If I didn't bring it up he would have thought it was a job well done...somehow

Out of the ~10 we've used, we have had ONE guy who cared about the details and worked really hard so it looked perfect. The rest it's so slapdash.

OP posts:

Wanttobeyou · 26/03/2023 04:58

Yup.

It's so frustrating.

Currently doing my house up and we've decided to do as much as possible ourselves, I've done a better job of tiling, painting and patching plasterwork than guys I've contracted previously!

It's incredibly demoralising to pay for shoddy work. It may take longer but at least I do a decent job.

Merrow · 26/03/2023 05:02

We happily wait months to get the people we know are great in, and finding those people was luck really! Personal recommendations are definitely the best, and while a long time to wait can be frustrating it's usually a good sign. We have found that there seems to be no interest in small jobs though, or that the price has ratcheted up for them, presumably as there's so much demand.

beguilingeyes · 26/03/2023 08:49

I agree about Brexit sending all of the European tradesmen home with their competence and work ethic.
Now we seem to have gone back to olden times with cowboy builders who don't have to try too hard because there's a lot of demand.
Having said that, we had our bathroom completely replaced recently and we used a local firm who've been there for years and have a great reputation. They were fantastic and the work is immaculate.
Don't get me started on our electrician though...

evergreen2 · 26/03/2023 15:37

We did ours before covid and it was just as bad.

Wonder if it's because it's a male dominated industry and they just don't care? Obviously a generalisation but in the last 4 years we've had a lot done and met lots of tradesmen, all come recommended and they've all been absolute trash.

MissHavershamReturns · 26/03/2023 15:38

Recent experience we’ve had here has been dire

LoveLabradors · 26/03/2023 16:10

After a renovation and large extension I entirely agree! Some trades were good but overall most were expensive and slapdash. And these were highly recommended too. I think until recently they had huge amounts of work and could charge what they wanted. Bitterly disappointing to pay so much for at best average work. I will never do building work again!

spiderlight · 26/03/2023 16:33

We have just had the worst tiler ever. It was only a small job but he put all the tiles on a really obvious slant with a huge gap between them and the wooden rail at the top, and then said it was the wall that wasn't straight and that he was going to move the rail in line with them. It was only when we got out a spirit level and showed him the angle that he very begrudgingly re-did them, and then he left loads of tile adhesive/grout all over the floor despite us asking him repeatedly to put down a sheet.

BlueMongoose · 26/03/2023 20:42

CurlyhairedAssassin · 25/03/2023 14:35

Yep. I would now not buy a house that needed major renovation/an extension because of this. Not only this but if I were to buy a house that had already been extended I would have to have multiple visits to make sure it had been done properly. I think a lot of old school competent builders have now retired. I noticed on Your Home Made Perfect that people are starting to make similar comments about builders not wanting to do certain things. I just don’t think we have enough people with the skills, or pride, in this country. It’s a “just throw it up and get paid then onto the next job” type of attitude. However I think some parts of the country are better than others.

I get you up to a point. Some people who have worked for us are older and very experienced, and thorough. Our plasterers are youngsters though, but are excellent. I think it's a mindset thing- they really care about doing a job right. Same with our roofer and electricians, none of them oldies like us.
Due to our old jobs we are both pretty good judges of workpeople. One plasterer who quoted, when he had left the house, we both looked at each other, and shook our heads. No chance. No need even to discuss it. He wasn't interested enough in the awkward bits, wasn't thinking through how to deal with them as he walked the job, or thorough enough with his questions about the job, he was too offhand by half. He was getting on for half the price of the jewel we finally found (see above) but I wouldn't have had him plaster a stable, never mind a house.
Our roofer we found because we saw a beautiful reslating job on a very similar house and noted his name on a sign. Plasterer came recommended by the electricians 'he can do the really fiddly jobs like this where plaster has to join to old plaster and get the wall dead flat' -and indeed he can.
We're in the NW of England....

BlueMongoose · 26/03/2023 20:51

JaffacakeJanine · 25/03/2023 17:28

I do think there is an element of sexism involved in that I'm usually the one speccing and overseeing the work as DH isn't in during the day. I swear they think they can get away with more as I'm a clueless, helpless woman! For example, one job was creating a flowerbed symmetrical to the one on the other side, which is a curved shape. The guy made it a square right angle and then got annoyed when I said err I asked you to make it the same as the one on the other side?! It's like he didn't see the issue with it whereas it was burning my eyeballs. If I didn't bring it up he would have thought it was a job well done...somehow

Out of the ~10 we've used, we have had ONE guy who cared about the details and worked really hard so it looked perfect. The rest it's so slapdash.

Show quote history

We've been luckier. I do make the point that I do the decorating round here- and the bricklaying. Concentrates the minds of any sexists, especially if they see the walls I built (I'm slow, but careful and neat, and my walls are flat and level). I have found, though, that none of our tradesmen here have been sexist or dismissive of me as an older woman, even the younger ones. (Luckily for them, I might add. 😉)
The plasterer even asked me if I'd like to have a go at a bit of the skimming, even, and I did, under his instructions, and I enjoyed it. It was mirror flat when he'd finished, though I suspect he went over my bit again.

rrrrrreatt · 26/03/2023 22:49

We’ve had a mixed bag, great electrician and structural builder - absolutely couldn’t fault them.

Our heating engineer has done a bit and then gone, he’s a lovely guy and we’re still in contact but we’re lower down the to do list because our house isn’t occupied and needs loads of other work. He always come from over jobs and he knows we’ll wait so it is what it is.

The guy who was meant to do our plastering and bathroom has vanished before he even started the job!! He was working with the structural builder and something’s gone on so they’ve stopped work together and we’ve been ghosted. Good tradespeople are always in demand so I guess he’s got plenty of jobs where he doesn’t need to work with someone he no longer likes. I’m really gutted though - I’ve spent weeks stripping plaster ready and our bathroom is a leaking toilet pan and a bucket so it really needs doing.

Theres definitely some sexism - we’ve had lots of tradespeople come round to quote but only speak to my partner or dismiss everything I say. I’ve done the lion’s share of planning, gutting the house, etc and I know more about building work than him because all the men in my family do trades!!

RidingMyBike · 27/03/2023 12:32

We've just finished a major house reno and haven't found this BUT it was project managed by a building company with a good reputation. They charged 18% on top to manage it all but have brought in excellent trades who've done a great job. They all seem to be long-standing local companies (the plumber and roofer are both father and son companies) with good reputations.

I have no idea what it's like trying to find someone for smaller jobs though.

MishaBukvic · 27/03/2023 12:52

Yep!

I wanted a brand new patio putting down, couldn't get anyone to quote for it, I ended up trying 10+ companies before someone actually picked up the phone and booked in a quote. They didnt turn up at the agreed time.
After two or three no shows, someone from another company turned up (late!) . I went with them in the end, he did a good job but it was such hard work. Turning up a midday, having teas and coffees, then leaving at 2pm. Left his sandwich wrappers blowing around my garden. There's just no care.

We had a new central heating system put in. I have burn marks on my walls from where they used their blow torches.

I worked for a tradesperson a couple of years ago in the office but didnt last long. There were dozens of complaints about things not being fixed correctly, but the tradesperson didnt care. Got paid, got on to the next job. How they didnt end up in small claims court, I dont know.

There are weekly horror stories on here about tradespersons, it's a nationwide problem.