Builder etiquette for jobs not finished in time

[Sundaycoffee]

Pretty much at the tail end of a kitchen renovation that was supposed to have finished this week. There is about 1 day of work left to do. I have already paid in full as work left is only a coat of paint and finishing off/snagging.
He is now telling me as the job has gone on a day longer than expected, that I now have to wait an extra 6 weeks until he next has time to come back to complete the job as he is fully booked until then.
Pretty frustrating!! Is this the norm or do builders usually just tend to start their next jobs later in this case?
He said it wouldn't be fair to his other customers if he pushed back their jobs to complete mine so the next day he has free to come back will be at the end of September.
I asked for a sum of the money back to pay someone else to finish it and he has refused saying the job has already cost more than what I am paying due to various bits going wrong.
Anything I can do or do I just suck it up and wait 6 weeks?

There’s no builder in the world who would have carried on with the work if it’s costing him more than you’ve paid. Don’t believe that for one minute. Like he’s doing you a favour? Nah, rubbish. He’ll still be making a tidy sum. Your mistake was paying him before it was done. If it was me, there’s no way I’d put up with waiting that long. You’ve paid him to do a job and he’s not done it. If he hasn’t costed it out right, or gone over time, that’s no your problem. I’ve just been through a similar project so I know how you feel - totally over it, ready to move on etc. You start to lose sight of what’s reasonable and what’s not because you’re so peed off with the whole thing. What sort of relationship do you have with the builder? You could appeal to his better nature and say “look, I was happy with the work, but don’t want it to end on a sour note. I want to be able to recommend you” etc etc. Also - my builder occasionally had to switch to others’ jobs during mine due to weather etc. think that’s expected. He just doesn’t want to come back. The danger is he won’t come back in five weeks either and is just saying that in the hope you get someone else in!

Builder etiquette? No such thing. Pay a handyman a day rate to finish the jobs (mine charge £190/day), move into your lovely new kitchen and forget about the twatty builder.

Realistically, he won't be back in six weeks. He's just fobbing you off and hoping you'll get someone else or do the snagging yourself especially if cosmetic like painting. Paying before it's finished is a big mistake, you always need leverage to get them back.

My dh owns a reputable trade company and they wouldn't in a million years leave a job unfinished to move onto the next one. They just put back the next job. The only excuse really is if you have given them extra work?

So there's no danger of him not coming back as he is one of my friends ex husbands so he can't just disappear (they have kids together etc) so I am not worried about that and we have booked in a specific day for him to return. Just pretty peed off with the wait and don't understand why an upcoming job wouldn't just be pushed back??

There were complications that added an extra day or two but we had already agreed on a price and he's not putting it up but now acting like he's doing me a favour because of that and keeps saying "I'll come back and I won't charge you for it"...Well no you won't because we agreed on a price and it's not my problem if you didnt price it up properly!

Because the other party stomped their feet more than you and because he is taking advantage of you because you are not a complete stranger.