What happens if a tradesman ruins materials?

[IBetGordonRamsayDoesntHaveTheseProblems]

This hasn't happened yet, but I fear it could. I've ordered some rather expensive compact laminate worktops which will need scribing due to uneven walls, despite replastering.

I've had to find a tradesman myself to do it as the kitchen fitter said it was beyond his competence (fair enough).

But - in the event the worktop fitter messed up, cut the worktops wrong and new ones had to be bought, who pays? Do they have insurance for such things?

The standard process is to sand down bulges/fill hollows of the wall to make it even in a narrow strip exactly behind where the countertop will be flush against the wall. There won’t be scribing of a wobbly line along the countertop to fit around bulges/hollows in wall plaster.

All laminate countertops are scribed before cutting, regardless of wall type. So the scribing itself would be no different than in any other home, unless your kitchen is also not square (corners not 90 degrees).

Make sure the handyman is familiar with working in historic homes.

If the handyman damages the materials, they are usually liable to make good as in repair or replace. The handyman should have professional liability insurance that after they repair/replace the damaged materials they would then file a claim for reimbursement.

If the handyman fucks it up and then fucks off and does the “see you in court” your homeowners insurance may pay the legal costs for you to file a claim in small claims court for damages.

Unfortunately none of the angles are 90° and we've managed to end up with both a convex and a concave bit of wall despite the plasterers best efforts (my builder now admits we should have dry lined with plasterboard, but it's a bit late for that now). I'm not sure how they'd achieve it without a wobby line.

They need to “template it’ using a thin piece of plywood first, before they cut the worktop. It also should be possible to flatten the plasterwork using a carbide rasp on a multi tool.