Plumbing

Right to cancel payment or refuse to pay for substandard work?

Anonymous user 14/03/2024 - 2.30 PM

I employed a plumber for full bathroom refit. I bought bathroom suite, shower, radiator, floor and wall tiles and all fittings myself spending about £1100. He quoted £509 for the refit and said about 8 days. I thought the quote was cheap, but he'd refitted a colleagues for £400 and they recommended him saying he had done an excellent job. I gave him a key and left him to it, occasionally popping round to check progress. On 1 visit he said there had been a leak, which has caused some decorative damage to dining room and cloak room. Day 26 called round again - he wasn't there but found another leak and had to call out emergency plumber. This plumber said the refit was not acceptable with 4 leaking joints, radiator not fastened correctly, bath not flush up against brickwork but tiling behind bath and silicon put in the gap, bath moves, tiling is not level and mosaic border is covered in grout and is also uneven. The shower connections are not far enough into the wall and he has knocked the plaster of the wall in the adjacent room. He has split the bath panel. The whole job is horrible and the emergency plumber said it all need removing and redoing. I have lost approx £300 in tiles and new bath panel. I have not paid anything yet and don't feel like doing so because I've completely lost faith with the guy. Do I have the right to cancel him and refuse to pay, or even claim compensation? I don't want him to try and put things right as I don't think he's capable. I just want to pay a professional to do the professional job I wanted in the first place. Any advice would be appreciated.