Builder finished work on house yesterday and I am not happy with the finished work

funstuie

We purchased a house 2 months ago and it needed a lot of work. I got a number of builders in and got 3 quotes. I ended up going with the cheapest but not because of the cost. I got on with the guy and some of his suggestions were very good.

Anyway the work started fine and I was very impressed with this works on the house in constructing stud works walls etc.

The issues have come in over the past 2 weeks with the finishing. Right from the start we said we would be getting an ikea kitchen which he said he could fit. He couldn't, it took him over a week and he complained constantly about it not being right and how no trades person would fit an ikea kitchen. He's put handles on wrong, he hasn't finished the dishwasher install (it's the slim ikea integrated one) as he couldn't work out how. He hasn't fitted end panels as he didn't think we needed them.

Anyway my main issue is the windows. It was in the contract to replace all the windows with double glazing. He has replaced them but they are not sealed on the inside (the sealing on the outside isn't great either). Attached is a couple of photos. Is this normal? Would a builder normally leave something like this? I am withholding his final payment as I don't think this is right. He's claiming that the inside is decoration which was not in the contract. We can't even decorate over this at present.

It seems I am not allowed to post pictures, here is an album hxxp://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa303/funstuie/house/ (change the http to see it).

He also did the tiling in the bathroom and en-suite and I did some testing last night and both leak so are unusable for the moment.
What do you think? I am being out of line?

anotherbaldrick

No, make a comprehensive list with photographs at the relevent points and insist you want it right before making final payment.

PS you need better photographs, the ones you have taken are badly out of focus

cox377

I would personally say, that window fitting would include making good.

Is the builder Fenza or Certass registered or is he / you putting a building notice through on them?

The tiling should definatly be put right, it's no where near out of order to ask for something to be made, fit for purpose.

funstuie

Thanks guys, I didn't realise the photos were quite bad. I will take more with my camera (not my phone) and detail them.

keystone

Irrespective of focus none of those pictures show a job complete to a "suitable for decoration" standard. Sorry. What does your contract say about retentions and snagging?

Either he can fit kitchens or he can't. IMHO Ikea stuff is a PITA but eminently doable.

Yes you should have FENSA certification for your windows.

What do you mean by the tiles leak? Has he not grouted them? Has he not sealed to bath or shower tray?

Cheers

funstuie

To be honest i am not sure if he is Fenza or Certass registered.

It's been a bit of a nightmare to be honest. Everything is extra - took out all the old pipes and the plumber put in new ones but the old holes have not been filled in and that will be extra, boxing in of the pipes - extra, fit new skirting (he removed the old stuff) - extra.

This has been the most stressful 2 months of my life. I always hoped he would finish up and make good but it didn't happen. He's going to go ape now I have sent him an email telling him that I am not paying his final payment. I don't actually want him to come back, I would prefer to get another tradesman to come in and then deduct the fee from his final payment.

keystone

funstuie wrote: »

To be honest i am not sure if he is Fenza or Certass registered.

It doesn't matter if he isn't it just means that he can't self-certify and would have to get Building Control along to inspect.at a cost to himn which he should have included in his price calculations.

It's been a bit of a nightmare to be honest. Everything is extra - took out all the old pipes and the plumber put in new ones but the old holes have not been filled in and that will be extra, boxing in of the pipes - extra, fit new skirting (he removed the old stuff) - extra.

So no Contract Variation Clause then? No "If there are problems resulting in extras we will discuss them and the solutions first and agree theb additional cost before work is carried out" agreement?

This has been the most stressful 2 months of my life. I always hoped he would finish up and make good but it didn't happen.

Sorry and this is going to sound brutal thats as much your fault as his. Hope is neither relevant notr helpful in this type of project.

He's going to go ape now I have sent him an email telling him that I am not paying his final payment.

What does your contract say about retentions and snagging. An arbitrary decision to withhold payment that isn't in accordance with your agreement could land you in hot water if he chose to pursue it.

I don't actually want him to come back, I would prefer to get another tradesman to come in and then deduct the fee from his final payment.

Well you need (and you have an obligation to yourself and to him) to give him the opportunity to put right what is wrong TBH.

Cheers

vax2002

Any builder who has worked on any site will be more than aware of a "snagging list"
Go round, make a list of bits you want finishing, give him the list in a friendly way and say, once we have finished this bit of snagging we should be able to pay up, with finished been the optimum word.
If the builder is not at custom with a snagging list, then you may not have actually hired a builder, but a one trade man that has bodged the rest.

DVardysShadow

funstuie wrote: »

http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa303/funstuie/house/

Clickable link

glp

Hi, those photos are shocking, we've just taken our bathroom suite out because it was shoddy and it looked like that. I wouldnt be paying him a penny more until it was sorted out to reasonable workable area, and if it isint or you dont have him back, get consumer direct involved. They will direct you, and involve trading standards. It may help someone else not having the same trouble and sort your problem out too. Good Luck.

funstuie

The builder was a recommendation from an acquaintance. He had done a lot of work for his friends and family and I went round to see some of the work and it looked good. Turned out that he didn't do any of the final fixing, finishings. He has worked on site most of his life and it shows, the "behind the scenes" work was very good and to a high standard but the final finish is very bad.

I kind of got suckered into a spit and a handshake contract. It's not an official one just something he knocked up in word. Nowhere does it mention finishing or snagging. He was to manage all trades as needed and work to complete the works by the 23rd of December, he finished up early yesterday and wanted his final payment. The house is 60 miles from our current house so I have been going down as much as possible but I paid for him to be onsite and completely manage the project. It was agreed that his fee would not include materials. He closed the trade account 2 weeks ago and has not paid any money out to get any materials in, everytime I arrived on site I would have to go down to b&q to pick up something for him.

He has responded to me saying he is shocked that I would criticise his work and he wants to make it right without having to go through small claims (something I never mentioned). I don't think he has a leg to stand on with this one but I don't know really.

he has been working for the past 2 months and I paid him 2 installments already (£2k each time) with a final £2k on completion. My issue is he is not a tiler (or not a very good one), he is not a plasterer, he can't fit the kitchen (even though he is saying no one would fit an Ikea kitchen other than Ikea fitters!). Also I will have to buy everything in for him to finish the other works.

I will admit this is probably a nightmare of my own making.