Builder’s final invoice 160% more than what was estimated!

Hanzy13

Hello,
I agree - the original estimate sounded cheap compared but we got three other quotes and in total they all equalled around the same amount.

I!!!8217;ve been back and forth with him and he has reduced his final bill by £600 and he has actually given me a breakdown of costs this time:

£640.00 for labour- vanity unit ( 2 days) & rendering & plastering work (3 days).

£174.63 total extra materials for Vanity unit & Plastering.

£388.50 - 30% on top of estimate due to labour for extras.


+£1295.00 (original estimate)

+£130.00 Skip

Total = £2628.13



What I don!!!8217;t understand is the £388.50. He has added +30% on top of the estimate amount of £1295. Is this fair? Should I ask him to be more specific?


By the way, we have now paid him the amount for the skip and the estimate amount but before we pay anymore I just wanted to check if you all had any comments.
Thanks again for all your advice on this.

photome

Hanzy13 wrote: »

Hello,
I agree - the original estimate sounded cheap compared but we got three other quotes and in total they all equalled around the same amount.

I!!!8217;ve been back and forth with him and he has reduced his final bill by £600 and he has actually given me a breakdown of costs this time:

£640.00 for labour- vanity unit ( 2 days) & rendering & plastering work (3 days).

£174.63 total extra materials for Vanity unit & Plastering.

£388.50 - 30% on top of estimate due to labour for extras.


+£1295.00 (original estimate)

+£130.00 Skip

Total = £2628.13



What I don!!!8217;t understand is the £388.50. He has added +30% on top of the estimate amount of £1295. Is this fair? Should I ask him to be more specific?


By the way, we have now paid him the amount for the skip and the estimate amount but before we pay anymore I just wanted to check if you all had any comments.
Thanks again for all your advice on this.

I dont understand the £388 either


how can he add 2 lots of labour on


I understand he has added £640 for an extra 5 days (seems a long tome to do those jobs) and the extra materials but what is the £388 for as it looks like the £640 is for extra

DoaM

£640 for 5 days extra work seems reasonable - depending on how many hours per day he actually worked. At 8 hours per day that's £16 per hour.

But was it really 5 extra days or has he just made up that number?

Hanzy13

Yes, he definitely did 5 extra days but I have no idea how many hours a day he worked because he would turn up at about 10.30am/11am.
He was basing it on a day rate of £128.


I really can!!!8217;t work out what the £388 is for - he never mentioned this in the first two invoices. He!!!8217;s just started mentioning it in the past few days and claiming that it is for extra work. I need to ask him yet again what that is for.

I have tried so hard to add all of his workings out up to see how he has reached the various totals he has given me but nothing works out and the prices change each time he messages me?!

So odd.

Hanzy13

I have asked what the 30% is for and he came back to me this evening with a really aggressive text saying that he is !!!8216;ENTITLED!!!8217; to this 30% for extra labour on original estimate.

Literally have no idea what it!!!8217;s for! As I thought the £640 was for the extra labour work from original estimate.

powerful_Rogue

Hanzy13 wrote: »

I have asked what the 30% is for and he came back to me this evening with a really aggressive text saying that he is !!!8216;ENTITLED!!!8217; to this 30% for extra labour on original estimate.

Literally have no idea what it!!!8217;s for! As I thought the £640 was for the extra labour work from original estimate.

If it was me, i'd be telling him its all well and good, but he won't be getting it until he goes into more detail and breaks it down as to what its actually for.


If he doesn't want to do that, then he can raise a SCC case and see if they believe he is entitled to it.

Hanzy13

So I have just asked him yet again and he said that and he said that the 30% is for !!!8216;making it look as good as it does!!!8217;.
Wow...

iammumtoone

I think if you pay him the £640 for labour you are being generous. I can't comment on the rendering & plastering but does it really take two whole days for a professional who knows what they are doing to make up a vanity unit.


I would not pay the £388.50 he has already told you the labour cost in the £640 there is not such thing as 'extra' labour it should all come under the same heading.


As above let him take you to court let a judge decide, Keep all evidence where you have tried to be reasonable by asking him to explain the extra costs and he is refusing to do that.

iammumtoone

Hanzy13 wrote: »

So I have just asked him yet again and he said that and he said that the 30% is for !!!8216;making it look as good as it does!!!8217;.
Wow...

Great that is just the evidence you need for a court case. Leave it now and don't pay it. I am fairly certain you are not allowed to put a cost on that, I can't see a judge thinking that is reasonable grounds for payment.

pinkshoes

Hanzy13 wrote: »

So I have just asked him yet again and he said that and he said that the 30% is for "making it look as good as it does".
Wow...

This would make a wonderful case on judge Rinder!!!

Don't pay the extra. Utter b*llocks!!