Hi, really need some advice!
In October I hired a plumbing and heating engineer to install central heating, a bathroom suite, and plumb in a sink and dishwasher.
To cut a very long story short, the communication towards the end of the installation was poor. The toilet was installed incorrectly twice and it took over a month to have the guy properly fix this. Then, our whole house was flooded due to an error in the shower pump installation. It meant my ceilings needed to come down and be replaced and re plastered, all during which I was heavily pregnant, and rooms in my house were out of action. I'm still cleaning dust from this now, which sounds silly, but having a whole ceiling down and refitted causes so much mess and I am constantly cleaning left over rubble from cupboards etc. It has been a nightmare, and the pump leak was very serious. If we were out, our house would have been condemned, not to mention that the ceilings could have fell on our heads. We also lost groceries and some personal belongings in the process. We allowed the plumber to do repairs so he didn't need to use his insurance and pay excess, and told him to adjust the final invoice to what he feels is fair, taking into consideration all the errors and inconvenience.
We never really wanted the pump anyway, but agreed due to low pressure. We were never warned about the noise it would make, and every time it is switched on, it sounds like Heathrow. We decided to put up with it as we couldn't really afford to set work back further. However, now it starts every time a tap is turned on in our house, but I can't face using the same plumber to fix it again, after the problems we have had. It wakes us in the night and will need to be fixed.
Also, the boiler he installed has needed the pressure topping up twice in the past two months, which from research, I have learnt is not normal.
We then received the invoice, which he did not adjust, but added a page of things he said he had done out of good will, before the escape of water, by way of compensation! These were all very small, petty things, such as unscrewing a bolt! Not only that, he tried to charge us more for the shower pump than originally quoted!
We already paid a 60% deposit, but wanted some advice on what percent of the final bill you would expect to pay, taking into account the fact that he very nearly destroyed our whole house, the repairs we had to sit through (which again, were poorly communicated with appointments missed) and the fact the shower pump is still not functioning in the way it should.
Thanks
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Your first mistake was paying 60% up front...... he likely spent your deposit and then had no interest in finishing the work for the final 3rd which probably covered the materials.
If the contractor has made the damage good then You should deduct any money lost from personal items lost or any carpets etc damaged, do not pay any extra for the items he has added on as good will he is just trying to get some more money out of you.
You are within your rights to refuse paying him at all, all he can then do is take you to small claims court where I imagine he will end up owing you money not the other way around.
I hope this helps
Answered27 February 2015
5
Anonymous user
Hi,
It looks like you had a nightmare with all this being pregnant I just hope you took photos of the damage he caused to your house if so I hope you kept them safe on a computer in case you need to provide them to a court at a later date.
I would like to know how and why you paid 60% deposit before they started the work was this to cover the cost of the boiler.
Going on what you say about the celling coming down due to flooding from the plump plus the on going mess plus the boiler and toilet etc.
You also go on to say he fitted a new boiler for you, (did he supply you a Gas and plumbing certificate) for this work..????
As for the plump you will find that there are many different types on the open market and they all do the same job, the good ones cost more and make less noise and you can cut this down even more by fitting it correctly.
Before you pay him any more money I would make sure he supplies that Gas Certificate for the boiler and then tell him to remove all the un agreed extras from the invoice that were not pre agreed price wise first.
Then I would ask him to apply 20% discount across the board for your trouble.
But the main lesson to take from this is to make sure you get the right builder to do the right job in the first place not just go on the cheapest price, always spend time and look into who your taking on and try and visit a few jobs they have done before.
Don't just let them show you photos of work as they can down load 1000 from Google visit and talk to other customers.
If they have nothing to hide they will be more than willing to take you and show you the work.
I've lost count on how many times I get called out to repair other builders mistakes and that cost the customer more in the end.
Good luck with all this and I hope things get sorted soon.
Regards
George Kalavashoti
Blank Canvas Constructions
This is not an easy situation to answer, as you have not stated who's idea it was for the type of heating system installed. So I can only comment on what I do know. First the leaking shower or DHW booster pump, this is an installation issue not an equipment failure, even the cheapest of new pumps do not leak if installed correctly.
As for the final bill you state the installer made good all repairs at his own cost so this implies he has accepted responsibility, also you state the boiler needed re-pressurising twice since the installation, this needs to be monitored as there could be a system leak if the pipework is run in a
floor void where leaks are not apparent. My advise would be to solicit a second opinion from a independent qualified heating engineer, ask around for recommendations and invite him to appraise the work, then base your case on his report. Expect to pay a nominal fee for this survey, and get it in writing. If the report is damming or proves element's of sub-standard work this will strengthen your case for a reduced settlement figure.
