Advice - Claiming from a botched plumbing job

iandv

Hi

We had a new sink installed in our downstairs wc about 6 months ago, however tonight my wife noticed that in the room right next to the sink when pulling out a large item of furniture and where the TV is that the carpet looked mouldy.

On closer inspection and touch the carpet is wet and mouldy, as was the skirting boards.

Looking under the sink (vanity unit style) we removed some tiles that were starting to come away from the boxed in area, and found that where the isolating valves where there was a constant stream of water running.

We had reservations at the time about the plumber when he started the work and we had a leak previously in the waste of the new sink that my father in law fixed.

However this time what would be the process of claiming of the plumbers liability insurance to pay for the damage, and what if he becomes difficult - what should we say?

Any advice would be welcome

keystone

There is no mechanism for you to claim off his insurance.

You claim off your insurance. If your insurance hold him liable then they negotiate with his insurance.

If he's not insured then they will sue him for the costs.

However, you should give him the opportunity to make good what is wrong first and seek his proposals for remedial work to deal with the water damage.

Cheers

iandv

We don;t really want to deal with him again as he was very rude and aggressive when we questioned him about his standard of work, and based on the amount of problems we have had since he did the work I would not want him trying to fix things.

So do we just need to contact our insurance and tell them what has happened and who the plumber is? We have all of his invoices etc?

keystone

So make a claim on your own insurance, tell them who he is and let them deal with it. Don't forget that when you claim off your own insurance it will affect any NCD you have built up and theny excess may be greater than the cost of putting it correct.

What guarantee did he give you on materials and workmanship? If this event falls within that guarantee period thenj he has a contractual obligation to put it right. Whether you liked him or not is immaterial. I don't see why you should let him off the hook purely on the basis of not wanting to deal with him again?

Alternatively if the cost is less than your excess and you want to preserve any NCD anyway and you don't want him involved then you just pay yourself for it all to be sorted and just take it on the chin.

Sorry if I'm beingoverly practical.

Cheers

iandv

No thanks for your advice

It looks as though we need a new carpet, underlay and gripper rods and skirting boards to start.

Tiling in the bathroom where tiles have become dislodged, moved because of the boxed in area warping - which will also need to be reinstalled. Regrouting of another area of tiling where grout has become powdery etc

I know what you mean about the NCD but its going to cost more than £200.

Thats why I would want to claim of the tradesmans insurance why should he get off the hook, I thought I just phone him tell him about the problem and say I wish to claim against your insurance?

phill99

The problem here is proof. When he left the job, there may have been no leaks. Bit leaks develop. That's why plumbers get called out to fix them.

Playing devils advocate, you may struggle.

iandv

I agree that leaks could occur but a building surveyor / loss adjustor could tell I think just from looking at the gripper rods, floorboards and the boxed in woodwork that this leak has been going on for quite a long time

phill99

iandv wrote: »

I agree that leaks could occur but a building surveyor / loss adjustor could tell I think just from looking at the gripper rods, floorboards and the boxed in woodwork that this leak has been going on for quite a long time

But that still doesn't prove that your plumber caused it.