Shoddy Building Work - Legal Position

DespotDespondency

Hi,

We recently had external insulation installed on the front wall of our Victorian terrace house. It has a parapet wall with coping stones on the top of the wall.

During the installation of the external insulation the coping stones had to be replaced, for which the renderer charged me £300.

It is now apparent that the work his did was to a poor standard and the new coping stones are defective. This is leading to streak marks down the front of the property, and I think this will soon lead to penetrating damp.

I've had a surveyor around (for other aspects of the house) and he has confirmed that the coping stones are defective and need to be replaced. He is going to include this in his report, so I will have it in writing.

The external wall insulation came with a ten year guarantee from both the manufacturer and the renderer himself.

Before I contact the renderer I want to get a better understanding of my legal position. What can I demand of the renderer in terms of rectifying this shoddy work? Any information in this regard would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

TBagpuss

Normally you would have to give him he opportunity to correct it. If he won, or cant do it to an adequate standard, you would then be able to get it done by a different contractor and to sue him for the cost of the remedial work, but you have to give him the opportunity to put it right, first.

DespotDespondency

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

That sounds promising. Do you have a reference? Or know where I can find more information about my rights?

I suppose I am a bit concerned that he will turn around and say that the guarantee is for the external wall insulation, and not the coping stones. Would he be able to get away with something like that?

the_matrix

http://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/Building_and_Construction_Disputes

the_matrix

http://www.smartsurveyor.co.uk/building-dispute.html

the_matrix

http://www.mylawyer.co.uk/disputes-over-building-work-a-A76052D76263/

DespotDespondency

Thanks for the references.

I will have a look at them over the weekend and go from there.