Unsatisfied with a tradesman

noisla

Would appreciate a bit of advice on dealing with a tradesman and a botched job.

I got a roofer to fix a leaking roof, and after 2 attempts, the "completed" work in our opinion is still well short of the quoted works (and they have left a mess on the roof). The leak into the bathroom remains as before.

Quote was nearly £1,500 and I have so far paid 50%. I would like to cut my losses, walk away and get a more reputable roofing company in. Can I do this?

Citizen's advice suggests I have to give the roofer chance to do a better job. I'd rather not though. He says he's done all the work "necessary", if the leak remains it must be humidity from bathroom shower or some such. He has, through gritted teeth, offered to do anything else we ask, but I am not a professional roofer, it shouldn't be for me to dream up an exact schedule of works and pick an appropriate sealant product to use. If he maintains the work done so far is fine, I have no confidence in him doing any more.

Any suggestions?

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/problem-with-home-improvements/

Doozergirl

You should formally offer him the chance to fulfil the job within a certain timeframe. No doubt the CAB website contains plenty of info.

Do you want to share what the problem is and where it is?

teneighty

If he quoted £1500 to undertake specified works and some of those works have not been done then you only need pay him for the actual works completed on a pro rata basis.

If he quoted £1500 to investigate roof leak and undertake repair you probably owe all the money. It is up to you to demonstrate his work is deficient which if you cannot identify will require a second expert opinion. As he says the "leak" might actually be caused by something completely unrelated.

He's had 2 goes at it and apparently offered a third attempt which doesn't sound like your usual cowboy.

noisla

Doozergirl wrote: »

Do you want to share what the problem is and where it is?

Sure - just didn't want waffle on!

Original quote:

• All coping stones to have a waterproof resin coating
• All lead flashing to be lead sealed.
• Render underneath coping stones on right side of property to be taken off also to be scratched coated skimmed with a waterproof brick seal.
• All broken tiles to be replaced.

Work done after first visit:

• Re-rendered part of the wall under coping stones. Said it wasn't necessary to do any more.
• Replaced 4-5 tiles (leaving a dozen or so broken ones).
• Left loads of mess on the roof, bags of sand in the front yard.
• Labourer (who was given a key, as was scheduled to come the second time when everyone out at work) just wandered in at 8am without knocking. Had no idea what work he was meant to do, inexplicably re-plastered a small patch of wall inside the bathroom, which they say they aren't charging for as a 'goodwill gesture'. (This is not even helpful as the entire wall will need attention once the leak is fixed, and the plaster cannot dry with running water down it.)
• Asserted all work done and demanded payment before sending an invoice.

After phoning and discussing the shortfall in work done vs claimed to have been done, they returned 2 weeks later for another 45 min visit:

• Applied thin layer of Acrypol sealant to the top and one side of coping stones, and lead joins (lead to lead). No primer, despite the coping stones being concrete slabs. Not sealed where lead flashing meets the wall, nor where coping stones meet the wall, nor one whole side of the coping stones - despite originally explain by phone that this was intended (and the quote saying "seal all..."). There is a visible gap where the lead meets the wall that seems a common way for water to capilliary down, but he insists water does not capilliary.

After politely emailing with our 'concerns':

• Picked up the bags of sand.
• Asserts that he looked over the roof and doesn't think it is necessary to anything more, no further sealing needed.
• Has provided a handwritten invoice and guarantee as a 'goodwill gesture' - apparently not normally provided until after payment.

Fair play if he doesn't want to do 'unnecessary' work, but he surely can't expect payment for work not done. Over £700 paid for a little plastering, 4 new tiles, a little sealing and a huge mess on the roof, seems more than generous.

I also think the Acrypol product is not appropriate for a long term solution to a leaking roof. In earlier phone calls, I had understood it would be the type of product that involves a fibreglass layer then painting on sealant on top. However, I (stupidly) didn't get this in writing so could be my fault for misunderstanding

I honestly think I need someone to go over all his work with a proper product, whether or not I strongarm him into completing the original quoted works. And with 4 weeks of the leak now, probably I will also need some serious re-plastering and redecoration in the bathroom as well.

The water itself is running down the bathroom walls in 2 particular places, when it rains (and not when showering - not internal damp), right to the floor. No change to before the work being done, just the wall looks more of a state now.

noisla

teneighty wrote: »

He's had 2 goes at it and apparently offered a third attempt which doesn't sound like your usual cowboy.

You're right - it's all the more awkward if he believes he has done a good job as isn't a cowboy! It hasn't made any difference to the leak though (pretty obvious it's a leak from photos, and when you see the roof). Whether or not this was my "fault" for agreeing to works that would have no hope of fixing the leak, he hasn't even done those works in full.

teneighty

Reading that breakdown of the scope of works he is a bodger of the highest order.

No decent roofer would use acrypol for anything other than a short term temporary repair.

I would just pay him for the highly dubious work he has done so far maybe £200 and get a proper roofer to actually fix the roof.

Don't tell me, he's on Checkatrade/Rated Builder etc. with lots of excellent reviews?

docmatt

He sounds a bit of a patcher. Get rid of him and contact the NfRc for a suitable roofer in your area. Don't go on any review sites.

noisla

teneighty wrote: »

Don't tell me, he's on Checkatrade/Rated Builder etc. with lots of excellent reviews?

Yes. I had a bad plumber from one of those sites as well. I really have no idea where one is meant to find tradesmen. I do always try friends but they either haven't had any such work done, or their tradesman has moved away or something.

chib

These people have good feedback? I used MyBuilder to source a plumber, plasterer and electrician - each of which had great feedback but were not the cheapest and did the work to a great standard.

noisla

chib wrote: »

These people have good feedback? I used MyBuilder to source a plumber, plasterer and electrician - each of which had great feedback but were not the cheapest and did the work to a great standard.

My feedback for the plumber somehow never made it onto the website, now I think about it. In that case he wasn't that bad, just left a mess (cut the hole in the ceiling in such a way that it was really hard to repair afterwards) and charged a small fortune. My feedback wasn't terrible, but not glowing either.

Maybe it is luck of the draw - but googling or the phone book seem as good a chance as these websites to me.

robatwork

noisla wrote: »

My feedback for the plumber somehow never made it onto the website, now I think about it. In that case he wasn't that bad, just left a mess (cut the hole in the ceiling in such a way that it was really hard to repair afterwards) and charged a small fortune. My feedback wasn't terrible, but not glowing either.

Maybe it is luck of the draw - but googling or the phone book seem as good a chance as these websites to me.

All those rating websites are nonsense and fiction.

Apart from which? local - I have used tradesmen from there before and always been satisfied.

Other places you can look - your local council may have a list of trading standards approved tradesmen.

And trumping all of those - a recommendation from someone you know.