How to get snag list sorted?

BatCat

Hi Folks,
We have some great builders who have done frankly excellent job on a substantial house renovation. I thought we had a fairly good relationship with them and we also held back 10% of the build costs until they had completed the snag list.
We're now having trouble getting them to come back and complete the last bits. Most are little bits and pieces (hole needs filled in here and there, shower screen put up, floor edging) but they've promised us twice they are going to devote a day to sorting the house and twice they've not showed up.
Any ideas on how we can stir them into action? We still have their money so you'd think they would actually be keen to get it!
Cheers,
BatCat

keystone

The best lever you have is what you hold in your hand. Write to them (don't telephone) recorded (Signed4) delivery and formally record the agreed snagging list (there is an agreed one in writing isn't there?), remind them that you still hold 10% of contract value agsinst completion of snagging, say that they have missed 2 appointments to attend to them, that this is unacceptable to you and give them a deadline by which you expect the snagging to be done.

They may have perfectly valid reasons why they have missed the appointments but thats no excuse for not contacting you.

Tell them that you expect a response within a certain number of days or you will have to further consider your position. Don't threaten them with anything at this stage.

Cheers

BatCat

Hi Keystone,
Thanks for your post!
Yes, we have a fully documented snag list complete with photos of each snag!
I think a deadline is a good idea. I will get Mr BatCat to post it out to them and ask to have it done by the end of the month.
Cheers,
BatCat

misgrace

Depends on how much the 10% is, as sometimes they would rather lose the money than come back and do snags, as they might have another big project on and need the manpower on the job.

I have seen this happening a few times on jobs, it might not be the case with you, but it does sometimes happen.

spursfan323

I wonder if anyone can advise on a similar situation I find myself in.

As we neared the end of our 6-month renovation of house (incl. extension), we decided to withhold some money (under 5% of total project cost - about £4,000) so that we could live in house for a few weeks and ensure that everything had been completed properly to a satisfactory standard. This was partly due to a poor decorating job done to a low standard for a lot of money. (We never had a formal detailed contract per se, so there never was a written agreement to withhold money.)

We moved in a few weeks ago and discovered quite a number of faults - rooflight leaking in several places, extension roof felted poorly, bathroom leaking down into kitchen, boiler programmer not wired properly, shower valve not fitted properly, taps not plumbed properly... So we emailed contractor a detailed list of the faults.

Other than sending a plumber to stop the toilet leak (after a week of waiting) he has not made any effort to see to the other jobs. Nor has he responded to my emails. Last night we had a long phonecall where he stated that as 'he was worried he would never see his o/s money,' he would not continue to do any work until we set up a fixed payment plan acceptable to both of us.

We on the other hand are very reluctant to pay anything at all, until after all the repairs have been done competently. Frankly the presence of so many errors has filled us with a big lack of confidence in the quality of his work.

(Also, I told him that if he would not do the o/s work, I have no qualms bringing my own workers in. So he said I'd be paying twice, as he is a member of a credit agency and would send round the baillifs to collect his money. This I found interesting as the o/s money relates to jobs he has not even invoiced me for yet, so i don't know how he would prove to the agency that he is owed money. In any case, wouldnt I be able to point to the unfinished jobs and explain why I am withholding the money?)

Any helpful advice gratefully received.

keystone

Spursfan your problem is that you and your builder are not communicating. You may be sending emails but you are both permanently on transmit rather than receive.

You don't want to pay him until you see resolution of problems and he doesn't want to resolve the problems until he sees evidence of payment. So this is going to get increasingly antagonistic if you are not careful.

For goodness sake just sit down at a table with him, discuss it face to face, come to an agreement, put it in writing, both of you stick to your side of the agreement, job finished, everybody happy.

Cheers