Pay 50% up front for a building job?

[maryjane 11]

If they've not yet started work, and you've not given em any money, PM me,I will give you some advice.

 

have pm`d you

[truman 10]

I wish they would do one about rogue customers who when you get to the end of the job find faults just so they dont have to pay. That is probably why now builders are asking for money upfront.

 

If there are faults then why should they pay the full amount?

[ryanman1 10]

My Parents just had a bathroom fitted, and they agreed to pay for the materials ie shower sink and things and to pay the fitting costs when it was complete and they were satisfied with the quality of the work. have the materials delivered direct to you so they cant disapper with them

[xfox3x 10]

If there are faults then why should they pay the full amount?

 

Some of the 'faults' are entirely ridiculous excuses not to pay.

OH is self-employed builder.

case 1. woman wants to knock £2000 off extension bill because the woodwork was not painted. He is a builder, not a decorator and painting the woodwork was not part of the original quote.

case 2. man 'checks' the new path by raking the concrete between the paving flags with a dinner fork to see if it's set, then complains because it's flaking. OH agrees to return, re-do it for free and tell him not to touch it for a couple of days. We then get a solicitor's letter asking him to 'make right' the path running under the kitchen window that OH had not even laid. Just trying his luck.

case 3. new outside stairway built, customer then decides he wants the steps coming from the other direction meaning that the new back door has to be re-hung to accommodate this. 2 days extra work means another job is delayed and the customer cannot understand why he wants more than the original quote.

Don't believe ALL the hype about rip-off builders. We are sometimes lucky to break even on a job.

I type all the quotes for him and everything is set out precisely about the work to be done, if any sub-contractors are involved, what furnishings/units the customer will provide, what OH will provide and the hire of any skips etc.

No-one would expect to go into a shop, buy a dress and then decide to pick up a matching handbag for free when they leave, so why do people think that it's OK to expect a builder to work another couple of days or supply a previously unthought of addition to the plan for free?

[truman 10]

Some of the 'faults' are entirely ridiculous excuses not to pay.

OH is self-employed builder.

case 1. woman wants to knock £2000 off extension bill because the woodwork was not painted. He is a builder, not a decorator and painting the woodwork was not part of the original quote.

case 2. man 'checks' the new path by raking the concrete between the paving flags with a dinner fork to see if it's set, then complains because it's flaking. OH agrees to return, re-do it for free and tell him not to touch it for a couple of days. We then get a solicitor's letter asking him to 'make right' the path running under the kitchen window that OH had not even laid. Just trying his luck.

case 3. new outside stairway built, customer then decides he wants the steps coming from the other direction meaning that the new back door has to be re-hung to accommodate this. 2 days extra work means another job is delayed and the customer cannot understand why he wants more than the original quote.

Don't believe ALL the hype about rip-off builders. We are sometimes lucky to break even on a job.

I type all the quotes for him and everything is set out precisely about the work to be done, if any sub-contractors are involved, what furnishings/units the customer will provide, what OH will provide and the hire of any skips etc.

No-one would expect to go into a shop, buy a dress and then decide to pick up a matching handbag for free when they leave, so why do people think that it's OK to expect a builder to work another couple of days or supply a previously unthought of addition to the plan for free?

 

Still doesn't address the question of if there are "faults" then why should the full price be paid? No-one would expect to go into a shop and be charged full price for a dress with a rip in it...to use your analogy..unthought of additions aren't faults, that's not what I'm talking about..I expect that you build a bit of "leeway" into your prices anyway..

[Phili Buster 10]

Go somewhere else.

 

Couple of years ago I had roof replaced, without any up front or staged payments.

 

Brilliant job and very happy with their work.

[xfox3x 10]

Still doesn't address the question of if there are "faults" then why should the full price be paid? No-one would expect to go into a shop and be charged full price for a dress with a rip in it...to use your analogy..unthought of additions aren't faults, that's not what I'm talking about..I expect that you build a bit of "leeway" into your prices anyway..

 

The cases I have described were what the customers in each case decided were 'faults' and wanted to either lower the price or not pay extra. In the second case the man even employed a solicitor and lied to try and get an old path repaired.

Competition for work has been fierce in the building trade for many years now and there is not a lot of leeway in quotes for work if you want the job.

You haven't really used my analogy - your dress has a rip in it, mine doesn't.

[truman 10]

You haven't really used my analogy - your dress has a rip in it, mine doesn't.

 

I haven't argued that you shouldn't pay the agreed price if the job has no faults...as determined by the original contract...my point,in a reply to Katie3 by the way,was that if there are faults then why would someone expect the customer to just cough up..

[kidley 48]

I think i could find faults with every house brickwork in the country, and ime not a Bricklayer

[PeteMorris 10]

Try this website

 

http://www.ratedpeople.com/local/builders/south-yorkshire

[xfox3x 10]

I haven't argued that you shouldn't pay the agreed price if the job has no faults...as determined by the original contract...my point,in a reply to Katie3 by the way,was that if there are faults then why would someone expect the customer to just cough up..

 

Neither Katy3 nor I have suggested that money should be paid for faulty workmanship.

Katy3 was talking about customers looking for faults.

You asked why they should pay if there are faults.

They should not.

As that was obvious, I then gave examples of faults that people 'find' and expect a good wedge of the money to be dismissed.

This was an attempt to broaden the question of whether or not it was right for any tradesman to ask for (whatever %) deposit and discuss the rights and wrongs on both sides of the contract.

The woman who wanted £2000 off for not painting the door, window and skirting board - even if it had been part of the quote and not done, was she justified in asking for that amount? Would she pay a decorator £2000 for that work?

The man who scraped the concrete with a fork - would he have expected a decorator to return to patch up if he'd run a fork down his paintwork to see if it was dry? Would he go to a solicitor and ask for the painter to return and decorate his back bedroom for free because it was looking shabby?

 

Perhaps I should not have quoted your question in my first reply - you are obviously unable to discuss any variables in a given statement or question, but are ploughing on regardless until everyone acknowledges that shoddy work deserves to be penalised and that is probably the first lesson in O level 'Stating the bloody obvious'.

So, to keep the thread on the track you have chosen,here's my reply to the OP

I definatley would not give a 50% deposit.

Here's what I should have replied to your post.

They absolutely should not - well said.

Carry on.....I'm going to a more interesting thread!

[truman 10]

Neither Katy3 nor I have suggested that money should be paid for faulty workmanship.

Katy3 was talking about customers looking for faults.

You asked why they should pay if there are faults.

They should not.

There you go.. we agree... you're the one that went off about things that weren't faults...