Urgent help re painting on friends house

whippetman_2

Hi fellow money savers

My neighbours are having their windows and doors painted and some general maintenance done.

The houses are both 2up 2down type terraced houses with a downstairs 8 panel bay at the fromt, front and back doors, and 5 other small windows.

I was just chatting to one of them, N, and he has told me that he was quoted a daily rate of £125 per day for the work, problem is the work has already taken over 6 weeks. N has paid over £3000 already and is expeccting to pay the same or more again.

I believe that he has already paid well over the odds for the work and he is being ripped off.

Am i correct?

What legal right does N and my other neighboir have?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

Moderators, if you believe there is a better forum for my questions would you kindly move it for me.

gardner1

whippetman wrote: »

Hi fellow money savers

My neighbours are having their windows and doors painted and some general maintenance done.

The houses are both 2up 2down type terraced houses with a downstairs 8 panel bay at the fromt, front and back doors, and 5 other small windows.

I was just chatting to one of them, N, and he has told me that he was quoted a daily rate of £125 per day for the work, problem is the work has already taken over 6 weeks. N has paid over £3000 already and is expeccting to pay the same or more again.

I believe that he has already paid well over the odds for the work and he is being ripped off.

Am i correct?

What legal right does N and my other neighboir have?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

Moderators, if you believe there is a better forum for my questions would you kindly move it for me.

were they told how long it would take

whippetman_2

yes, but i believe only 4-5 weeks.

getmore4less

When we got quotes(4bed detached) for our windows(15, 16 openings) 1/2 Georgian so fiddly outside only

<week forget the exact quote but 125 would fit.

What else are they having done.

In the end we changed the windows, got the guys to do the barge soffits 2 of them day and 1/2 £400, worth it not be up a ladder.

steve2000

Depends on the size of the house but an average 3 bed semi in my area would cost less than 500 to paint it.
2 houses... no more than 1000.

It also depends on the work being done.
Did they strip the paint, prime it, undercoat it and then gloss it?

or did they just slap Dulux one coat across it?

1500 for any house would have me going crazy....

I could do it myself in less than 6 days. and I haven't even seen your house yet!

I always insist one a price per job. that way no one can be accused of wasting time and money by sitting around drinking coffee when they should be working.

I also would ask for an agreement that if the work is hourly or daily based, then the work should be done within X amount of days.

if the job takes longer, then it's the responsiblity of the contractor to have the job finished before you pay.
(once they have quoted 5 days then they can't go back on it)

If they try to raise the price later, then it causes all kinds of problems and arguments.

If they are pushy or demanding at the start, they will be VERY demanding at the end.
get the agreement straight before you begin.
if they argue with it... walk away.

whippetman_2

Thanks Steve,

Pretty much what I thought. Although they do seem to be doing a good thorough job it is much too expensive.

Anyone know if they have any legal comeback over the price and how much work they do in a day?

Tia
Matt

Craftingmama01

I guess it would depend on the reason it has taken longer than expected. If the decorator has mis quoted then unreasonable, if they came across problems which could not have been forseen then not their fault.