Paying tradesmen

Chichi_2

I ave 2 tradesmen doing kitchen fitting and external painting. They have quoted a reasonable price for cash and have all the tools needed for the job icl scaffolding. They work well together, arrive on time and are generally polite. They've asked for payments and I've agreed to a fixed sum for every 7 days worked. However kitchen fitting has been delayed due to electrics and rain has prevented much painting. There are internal jobs however I feel after the second instalment , I need to see something finished before the next payment. Should I have even paid instalments or right at the end of the job which due to weather might take 3- 4 weeks?

misgrace

How long is it supposed to take to paint the external of your house?

A weeks work at the most?, therefore they shouldnt expect you to pay until they are finished.

If I take on a 3/4 week job, I will work a whole week for nothing, but on the second week I will mention on the Monday, that perhaps on the friday they can give me a payment, and pay the balance when I have finished.
By then I have finished X amount, and they can see what I have done.
I even have clients offering me a payment before I have to ask them, I am very lucky with my clients, I have never had any problems regards payment.

I know the weather as been against them, this is why I stopped doing exteriors, as its a nightmare to finish jobs, but sometimes the painters can fit in interior work when the weather is against them.

looby-loo_2

I was caught out big time by builders wanting weekly payment but then not doing any work some weeks. Then they were offended when I refused to pay after they had spent only one hour on the job in the past ten days!

Canucklehead

Good morning: My OH (plumbing and heating sole trader) requires a 25% payment on the first day of the job, then further stage payments as the job progresses (depends on the length of the job i.e. a boiler can take to 4-5 days but bathrooms can take weeks).

Unfortunately, tradespersons need to the protect themselves from rogue customers as much as customers need to watch out for rogue traders: someone has even started a website dedicated to exposing cowboy customers.;)

Misgrace: you have been very lucky indeed!

HTH

Canucklehead

will-he-payitoff

Have you not got a price for the whole job, is so you should be able to have a rough guess at how complete it is and pay them accordingly. If not I think you may have a problem

Chichi_2

Thanks for replies as always!!

We have a price for all the work interior and exterior . I have divided this cost by 5 weeks even though the job will take 3-4 weeks. I realise that it's quite hard now for tradesmen to get decent jobs so they need money to live. Hopefully, they will do a good job if they know I can trust them and believe that they won't do a bunk!!!

aliasojo

Canucklehead wrote: »

Unfortunately, tradespersons need to the protect themselves from rogue customers as much as customers need to watch out for rogue traders: someone has even started a website dedicated to exposing cowboy customers.;)

Very dangerous idea imo. I completely understand the logic behind it, but this is open to all sorts of abuse.

I personally know of a builder who is the most arrogant, jumped up, person who ever walked the earth and is universally disliked by his fellow tradesmen. His word is law and if anyone dares to disagree with him, he badmouths them to all and sundry and sees no wrong in shifting context or fact should it benefit him to do so.

Now he may well be the exception, but what's to stop someone like him bad mouthing people for exaggerated reasons?

Even if a tradesman has a difference of opinion with a customer, would that be enough to in effect, name them and shame them?

Canucklehead

aliasojo wrote: »

Even if a tradesman has a difference of opinion with a customer, would that be enough to in effect, name them and shame them?

Good afternoon: A sad state of affairs any way you look at it....next thing we'll see will be 'Approved Customers' schemes.:D

Always best to go with personal recommendations as a client and as a tradesperson....less chance (hopefully) of either party being stiffed.

HTH

Canucklehead

misgrace

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good morning: My OH (plumbing and heating sole trader) requires a 25% payment on the first day of the job, then further stage payments as the job progresses (depends on the length of the job i.e. a boiler can take to 4-5 days but bathrooms can take weeks).


Misgrace: you have been very lucky indeed!

HTH

Canucklehead

Yes Canucklehead, I am very fortunate in the clients I have,:D they are just nice ordinary working people, and the most genuine people you will ever meet.

Its different for me regards payment upfront, as I havent the outlay your OH would have, or a builder/plasterer etc, so I dont have to spend loads of money upfront, plus I am not the only breadwinner in the family, I have a husband that works, unfortuantely the majority of tradesmen are the only breadwinner and rely on thier wages to keep the house running.

I do agree in certain trades it is the usual to get some money up front, and pay in stages, specially if its a long job, but I wouldnt expect to get paid if or even if I was in loobyloo's shoes pay the trades under the circumstances she mentioned.

We can never get it right lol.

McKneff

you say that the tradesman are doing the job for cash. I would ask for an invoice for the job before the last payment is handed over or you will have no comeback if there is a problem later on. Do a walkaround with him/them also before payment.

john0612

i always invoice after the jobs done and NEVER ask for it before or at the start.

it took us into the 3rd week to complete an exterior of a house,it was a big job tbh, lots of windows to be painted, very high apexes etc...
should have took 8-9days, but the glorious weather had a hand in that.
we lost out but it was a previous customer and the word of mouth does get you more work.


a decent tradesman has accounts with suppliers so their bill is not till the end of next month. I would be wary if the guy says can i get £150 to buy the paint tbh.

cash payment sounds like he's on the fiddle, i assume there is no VAT ???