Builder charges

MrsBSaver

Hi,
Need some advice. We have almost finished a single storey extension to our home and the contract with our builder states that the final 10% be paid on completion. Unfortunately, the builder has been hounding us for the final payment despite the fact that there are still some items outstanding on our snag lists and a very leaky kitchen tap that has caused significant water damage to our new kitchen cabinets. Surely, we are right to withhold this final payment from a legal perspective ? Thoughts please ??

comeandgo

if there are outstanding works to be done then it is not completed. Write to him and explain that there are outstanding issues and when these are completed you will pay.

Chrishazle

Had the same years ago on a kitchen/utility job, wrote to the builder stating outstanding work, returned their final invoice with letter stating "agreed terms are balance on completion of work, job not complete so invoice returned". They never completed, we did the outstanding work, time went on, 2 years later the building firm wrote off the outstanding balance (about £2500!!).

rosie383

Definitely pay according to your contract, which is balance on completion. Our builder was great to begin with, but got slower and slower. Reluctant to finish off the last bits as he had his men working on other new projects.
We told him that we would happily get someone else to finish the few jobs, or do them ourselves. Some were done by other tradesmen, little bits by my dh, and a couple of final 'builder' jobs done by the original builder for which he was paid the agreed amount. We communicated with him throughout, so he knew exactly what he would get paid from the final balance remaining, and that it would only be on completion.

konark

Pay him now and you'll never see him again.