Why won't builder to provide receipts for insurance claim?
Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.13 PM
Hi
We are currently mid renovation. Our main contractor, whom we have worked with previously is now proving quite challenging to work with.
Our house was re-underpinned and the sun contractors we used (got three quotes, investigated work etc) made a hash of things with the house moving and causing £££££ damage. It's been a 2 year nightmare and lots of stress with now solicitors involved. The other sides solicitors want to see build costs and have been asking for several months now for receipts. We have paid our main builder on a day rate and would give him funds to pay for materials. We have asked for the receipts and he first told us they are in Poland, then said that the accountant is away (for 2 months) and now saying we can only have copies as he needs them for HMRC.
I'm a bit confused - surely if we are paying for materials and we are even ordering them on the phone for pick up at times, we're entitled access to our receipts?
To be clear - the underpinning contractor is DIFFERENT to the main builder we have been using. They aren't in question here.
Thank you
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
May be ask your so called build to give you a full itemised bill (and I mean full) of all works undertaken and material costs if he is being funny with the receipts.
(You should've had this in the beginning when he quoted for the job).
Still take all copies of the receipts making sure he validates them all
Just remember he is working for you not the other way around these are the problems you get with unprofessional people.
By the sounds of it. Your underpinning works should have been carried out by a specialist contractor. Who would have provided a detailed estimate for the works and invoiced at agreed points of the work. They would also provided copies of their liability insurance, to show they are insured to carry out this type of work. Paying day rate and giving money for materials is fine for small building maintenance work. But not for the type of work you described. A professional builder would have never worked like this. Probably not what you want to hear and I'm sorry you are now having problems. But getting the right contractor at the beginning and maybe paying a little more, could have saved all this stress.
Hi sorry to hear about your troubles
If you have paid cash then sorry to say you may as well forget it especially if he’s talking about accounts in Poland
However if you have made bank transactions then it’s all traceable and you may have a way out
This type of work is normally done by a company with a background you can check as it is normally insured
If this was work carried out under insurance then the insurance company paying would normally ask for only vat registered quotes
So not quite sure how the builder has got the work if not vat registered
Best of luck any how
