Kitchen fitting prices - invoice just received - HELP!!

keystone

Mmmm even at £ 1,200 it looks expensive from what you've said. The only circumstances in which you should be asked to pay a fuel surcharge is when the daily mileage exceeds that which he has allowed for in his rates and if thats to be applied it should be declared and agreed to (or not) at the quoting stage.

Otherwise as you've agreed to hourly rate (no I won't say it) and he was on site for the hours claimed then you don't have a lot of choice in the matter I'm afraid.

Cheers

southcoastrgi

unless you are fitting tiles after the kitchen has been fitted (not the best idea) i can't see why he had to cut the plints in the first place unless he didn't put the units in at the correct height

Mealybug

I thought he must have put the units at the wrong height for the plinth to be too big. It was only a fraction but he has taken off quite a bit. Leveller2012 I think I will see if I can negotiate a deal with him. I don't understand why someone would try it on when they are short of work and I have already said I can get further work for him (well, I said that at the beginnning of the job!). Thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply to my post. Wish me luck!

john.h

southcoastrgi wrote: »

unless you are fitting tiles after the kitchen has been fitted (not the best idea) i can't see why he had to cut the plints in the first place unless he didn't put the units in at the correct height

Its always best to tile after the kitchen has been fitted. Why waste tiles, and what happens when you want to re-tile the floor? Try removing tiles from underneath kitchen units?
The units may be level but the floor might not be, thats why he may of cut the plinth down.

John..

southcoastrgi

john.h wrote: »

Its always best to tile after the kitchen has been fitted. Why waste tiles, and what happens when you want to re-tile the floor? Try removing tiles from underneath kitchen units?
The units may be level but the floor might not be, thats why he may of cut the plinth down.

John..

i disagree, but i didn't say tile right under the units just to under the front legs & into any areas without units that are going to be used for appliances ie dishwasher/washing machine there is nothing worse than fitting units to a certain height then laying tiles & finding the worktops are too low to get the machines in or putting a machine in then having to try & lift them onto the tiles to remove them, if the floor wasn't level then this should have been done before the units were fitted not after, it also makes a neater finish to where the plint meets the tiled floor, worktops are normally 900mm what height have you got OP ?

john.h

You should just tile past the unit legs and under the areas where appliance's go. Then fit the plinths.
There should also be enough room under the worktops to fit appliances even if the floor is tiled, laminate etc.
The kitchen fitter would not level a floor before fitting units.

John..

phil_kirsty

The units were already made up ;can easily fit a kitchen in a day if all materials are present and carcases made up
Day 2 floor tiles
Day 3 wall tiles and plinths

Mealybug

I'm not having floor tiles but thats not really my issue. Its the time he took and the fact he is having me for a mug that I'm really unhappy about. There are loads of things on his invoice that I'm unhappy with, £261 for a 3m length of laminate worktop from Howdens with upstands? Does that sound reasonable? £46 workshop time (it appears he doesn't have his own workshop so pays to use one) I wasn't even aware of that when he started, he made out the workshop & factory he used was his own (or jointly owned). £120 to route (not sure how to spell that) a table top and oil it? I had already paid for the wood and it looks awful so needs more work before I would be happy to have it in my kitchen. I could go on..... I'm in the process of writing a letter.

Phil_Kirsty - thanks for your reply but you are making me feel even worse!! I think I've been more than generous allowing him 5 days when he estimated 3-4!! And he hasn't fitted the sink or the extractor fan or done any tiling as we had upstands.

john.h

phil_kirsty wrote: »

The units were already made up ;can easily fit a kitchen in a day if all materials are present and carcases made up
Day 2 floor tiles
Day 3 wall tiles and plinths

So in a day you can rip the old kitchen out, fit the legs on the units, level all the base units (maybe scribe the backs and cuts for pipework), fix together, fix to wall. Fit any infills , decor end panels, fit wall units up, cornice , pellets, doors,doors handles, intergrated appliances, fit and join worktops, cut outs for sinks hobs etc, fit and duct extractor fan in a day??????
Some crap basic kitchen maybe.
John....

Mealybug

Thanks John. I think 76 hours is excessive but I wouldn't have expected it done in a day. He estimated 3-4, I allowed for 5 and he didn't fit the doors I paid for them to be factory fitted and he didn't fit the sink or the extractor fan, I had to pay other trades. No tiling or floor laying and just a fridge and dishwasher to integrate. All the drawers, wirework etc were already in place. No old kitchen to rip out, newly plastered smooth walls and an empty room. I like to think I'm pretty fair and would rather someone took a bit longer and I paid a bit more for a good job.