Please help, conflict with fence supplier.

Lbuk

Hi,

I asked for a fence to block out the neighbours.

He said I needed a fence to accommodate the wind.

I expressed concerns about privacy and he assured me it would be fine.

Due to the storm he made the panels up at the unit and put most of them up whilst we were out this morning.

I am not happy with the level of privacy.

I tell him my view - I made myself clear and figured he understood to accommodate both my privacy and the wind.

He tells me his view - the level of visibility is inherent with these type of fences.

Then we stand in awkward silence for 10 minutes.

He wants more money for alterations and I feel it's because he's financially fully invested in the job. I think he's a bit skint.

What do we do?!

Aylesbury_Duck

Pictures would be useful.

I'm guessing you envisaged a solid fence and the supplier has fitted a slatted fence to permit wind flow? Is it double-slatted? Is the height the problem? We need more information really.

At the end of the day, why did you and the supplier not agree to the specification of fence before work started? You then allowed them to build the panels and erect them out of your sight. It's a bit late to be disputing what they've done. Equally, it's odd that they proceeded without seeking your agreement to the final design.

I think you're probably going to have to compromise to get what you want.

Chanes

You did choose the panels and agree about them on the quote before the work started?

Lbuk

He said that we needed hit and miss fencing and I googled and pointed out the line of sight on the diagonal.

He said he would move the planks closer together to 1" apart and assured us the visibility would be minimal.

So basically he was talking in specifications and I was saying "privacy, privacy, PRIVACY!!!" and he said no worries.

The fence has a 1" gap every 5" but it just on the diagonal instead of straight on. You can see right through the fence!

He said they don't do gaps closer than 1" and I questioning why he didn't just widen the planks.

Aylesbury_Duck

Lbuk wrote: »

He said that we needed hit and miss fencing and I googled and pointed out the line of sight on the diagonal.

He said he would move the planks closer together to 1" apart and assured us the visibility would be minimal.

So basically he was talking in specifications and I was saying "privacy, privacy, PRIVACY!!!" and he said no worries.

The fence has a 1" gap every 5" but it just on the diagonal instead of straight on. You can see right through the fence!

He said they don't do gaps closer than 1" and I questioning why he didn't just widen the planks.

What exact specification did you ask for? Or did you just leave it to him?

You can see the problem here. You gave some pretty vague instructions about privacy, accepted his fairly dismissive assurances, let him go away and construct panels, then erect them all before complaining that they're not what you wanted.

It's no good shouting "PRIVACY!" as a form of specification. If it was an essential part of what you wanted, you needed to have the specification agreed before proceeding.

At best, I think you might be successful in agreeing a discount. What's more likely is that the supplier will simply ask for payment for what he supplied and fitted, which you implied agreement to before work started.