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Extensions

my builder has gone ove his quote, stopped work & wants more money - pay and get rid or legally pursue him?

Anonymous user 01/03/2024 - 2.51 PM

Agreed a quote with builder for an extension work started in June and was suppose to finish at the end of September. Towards the end of September my builder started mentioning that he was out of pocket and he wasn't going to do any more work unless a) I paid for extra work and b) I was liable for the vat on materials (not mentioned in quote) - we basically feel he is blackmailing us - he is now asking us to pay an extra £18000 which he has then come back and amended to £10000 because he is now going to pay the vat!!! Though after seeking CAB advice we were never liable for in the first place. At no point until the end of the supposed finishing date of the job did he mention vat or needing extra work done. Over the period of the job I have already paid an extra £5000 for extra steel work. Can someone advise as we know he is trying it on but are not sure if best course of action is to pay and get rid or legally pursue him, costing more than what he is asking and still no work completed. We also are not able to live at the property and haven't done for 6weeks as no kitchen, bathroom or toilet as he has removed from house and originally stated that we would only be out of house for 2weeks though cleverly not mentioned in his quote. Please any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

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2 Answers

Anonymous user

Have you signed a contract with the builder? Unless you have a contract and you've signed it, and you were given a fourteen day cooling off period at the start of the works, you can't be held responsible for the money you owe or any extras. The 'Doorstep Selling Regulations' state that a cooling off period must be adhered to as well as any work over £35 should be carried out under a formal contract. The builder is breaking the law if he has failed to issue you with the correct paperwork, so regardless of any extras or work carried out, he/she will be unable to get the case into court without the signed paperwork.

Answered19 November 2014

Neil Hirst Building

Rating: 5 out of 5

Louth

Hi, This is terrible, is this builder VAT registered? Did the builders quotation letterhead have a VAT registration number on it? Did the original quotation have +VAT listed? The builder cannot possibly charge you all these extras unless you have genuinely asked for a lot more work. I would be tempted to tell the builder that you will have a word with the VAT office unless he gets the work finished to your original specification before the end of the year! Just remind him that the VAT man does not like this kind of behaviour and if you are found out to be frauding the VAT man then a spell at her majestys pleasure will be on the cards! please keep in touch as I hate dishonest builders when I try to work by the book!

Answered8 October 2014