Extensions

How soon after completion do I have to make my final payment to my builder?

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 2.42 PM

We are in the final stage of a six month two story side extension project. Relations went well at first, with a reasonable payment schedule, some extras quoted for and agreed as we went along, and some little things thrown in. Now we are at the snagging stage and have several issues. A couple of the bathroom fittings we bought through a third party bathroom shop were faulty. The builder's plumber spent 4 hours trying to stop a faulty cistern from leaking. The builder now wants to charge us for this. Is this justified or can we say the plumber should have twigged earlier that the cistern was faulty? In the course of the build, the cooker hood chimney had to be dismantled (unforeseen). The builder did not quote a cost for reinstating it, and we assumed it was thrown in for good will. It was reinstated. Now he clearly wants to include that labours and materials in his final account. Are we at his mercy as to what he charges for this? Throughout the build the garden has been turned into a builder's yard. Understandable, but a largish area is not going recover, ever, without some serious roatavting and reseeding. Where the concrete mixer stood, concerte has sloshed out and covered an area 1 metre square. Are we justified in insisting he digs up the concrete and rotavates the worst bits of the lawn? The original contract allowed for removing some decking, as the extension was slightly larger than the conservatory which stood there before. The contract also allowed for restoring the decking around the new footprint. Early on in the process the builder said that the state of the decking timber and the way it had originally been constructed wasn't good enough for him to do this. He agreed to refund the money allowed for this, but the amount is not specified in the contract. We suspect he will underprice that refund. Are we justified in requiring him to stick to the original contract and reinstate the decking, even if it means supplying new timber, and him creating better footings? The original contract also specified moving the conservatory from the side to the rear of the house. The builder was confident he could do this and the glazing firm he subcontracted also came round and measured up. Once work had commenced, however, the ground levels meant that reinstating the conservatory as it was would have jeopardised the foundations of the main house. We agreed an alternative level which involved us paying for a new roof at a cost of £5000. We swallowed this at the time, despite feeling that he and or the glaziers should have taken responsibility for saying they could do it. The builder says he expects to complete the project by the end of this week and will present his final account then. How long can I reasonably delay payment while we haggle over these issues? Advice on any or all of these points gratefully received!