Advice please about electrical work not being completed.

xdm941

Hi all,

Long story cut short but I contracted a company to perform a full renovation of a small house. They installed a steel joist in the kitchen and began re-wiring the house. The re-wiring began about two months ago and is still not finished. Anyway, I basically sacked the company from doing any further (new) work. There were no real fall outs as they understood they did not performed very well during the time of the renovation. It was agreed two weeks ago that the electrician would return yesterday and finish the rewiring of the house. The previous evening I receive a text saying that the electrician had postponed his visit. I managed to speak directly to the electrician (sub contracted through the company I contracted) and he said he had not postponed but was told not to come back as there was money outstanding from a previous job.

The money outstanding relates to the steel joist that was installed. I am currently waiting for the council's building control to approve the work and they advised not to make any final payments until the work was confirmed as being safe and correctly installed etc etc.

I was absolutely furious to find out the company performing the works had stopped the electrician from coming down even though he had already completed half the job and I had paid 50% so far. For me this is not related to the other work.

Not having the electrician down to complete the house rewiring has caused delays now with the new building team I have doing the renovations.

Is there anything I can do here? I basically told the original company they had 48 hours to get the electrician back down or I would have to find another one to complete the rewire and as such they would forfeit any remaining balances to be paid.

Any suggestions??

Thanks!

Doozergirl

Building Control usually come out within 24-48 hours. The construction industry would grind to a halt if they didn't. When did they install the RSJ? When did you request an inspection?

Furts

Did you get a design for the steel by a Structural Engineer? Did you then apply for Buildings Regulations? You have a peculiar delay here which, logically, suggests you have never applied for Buildings Regulations. Regardless, why is your Structural Engineer not doing and Inspection? Have you ever paid your Council for Buildings Regualtions? If not then they are not going to visit you FOC.


You may be "absolutely furious" but only you know the full story. You admit you have not paid your contractor yet you are using the Council as a scapegoat.



I suspect there is far more to this story. Were I the contractor I would not be working for you - because money is owed. I would also be warning the sub contract electrician to avoid you - because money is owed. Then if I were the sub contract electrician I would refuse to work for you, because this would jeopardise my relationship with the main contractor. Equally as a sub contract electrician I would not be trusting you to pay me - because money is currently owing.



Instead of showing professionalism you try threats to the main contractor!

xdm941

The council here say they are backlogged with applications and it is taking time to get through them (two weeks now). Yes you don't know the whole story but 50% of the RSJ work has been paid with the remainder on completion. Yet the LABC advises not to make payment to the builder until all work is certified.

If I settle the full amount with the builder and there's a problem - and they don't fix it - then i'm the one out of pocket. The electrical installation was a separate agreement. So far all monies due have been paid.

Doozergirl

Building Control require 14 days notice before starting work. If you are in charge on Building Control then you needed to make an application in good time before you do a thing.

If they haven't processed it, there are other providers if Building Control services.

Building Control are in no position to advise you on who to pay and when. The builder extends you a credit line to carry out work and if you are delaying payment then you are at fault. In the circumstances, I think it's quite normal that the builder doesn't carry out any more work until you pay your bill.

You don't get to make demands about carrying out work within 48 hours even when you're squeaky clean. It should be in writing, giving them 14 days. A proper contract would say that, or something similar. It would also say that if you are responsible for Building Control that you do it in a timely fashion and it would also give payment terms.

I'd not be continuing works for a customer that refused to pay for something when it's their own fault it hasn't been inspected. I don't think you're in the position to be making threats.

No wonder the relationship broke down. The whole thing sounds ridiculous. They can only have done a couple of days work before you sacked them. You don't sound very organised.

Furts

xdm941 wrote: »

The council here say they are backlogged with applications and it is taking time to get through them (two weeks now). Yes you don't know the whole story but 50% of the RSJ work has been paid with the remainder on completion. Yet the LABC advises not to make payment to the builder until all work is certified.

If I settle the full amount with the builder and there's a problem - and they don't fix it - then i'm the one out of pocket. The electrical installation was a separate agreement. So far all monies due have been paid.

We do not know the full story, obviously because we only know what you want to tell us. What comes across is a client who has been trying to evade their legal duties under the Buildings Regulations. Coupled to this you have made no comments when asked about your Structural Engineer. This suggests you never engaged one. If so, this is further evasion on your part. Your Structural Engineer could have inspected the work - but again this has been evaded by you. Instead you expect the Council to undertake your duties, when they are neither your Project Manager nor your Clerk Of Works.



Your Contract will clearly explain procedures. However you have not mentioned the existance of a Contract is so one wonders if there has been further sloppiness or evasion here? 48 hours notice is naughty, inappropriate and outright bullying.




You could get everything sorted within days, but this will require a little effort on your part. Here you seem prepared to sit back, not accept your personal responsibilities and duties, and seek a scapegoat


In life there are Clients From Hell. There are also Cowboy Builders. But Cowboy Builders tend to work for Cowboy Clients. You come across as a Cowboy Client who is also a bully threatening your contractor with 48 hours notice.



A Cowboy Client - by definition - may have a Cowboy Contractor working for them. If so, it sounds like a marriage made in heaven.