Builders keep delaying Snagging completion

Mile2go

Hi everyone,

We've recently had a kitchen knock through done by a local building company which has been a bit of a nightmare process. We finally have a finished, use able kitchen but are not on good terms with the builders. We still have quite a bit of Snagging left to do which includes:
Replastering kitchen ceiling as skim came down when we painted it
Reconnecting garden tap which they seem to have disconnected when they moved the sink
Filling in gaps in tile grout
Patching up properly where the extractor fan vents to outside

We have now paid them in full which was naive of us but we were assured that they would be back for the snagging the day after and we were told none of the builders were getting paid until we paid them and this was on the 20th Dec. Yes now in hindsight I see how silly we were... They are barely answering our calls or replying to messages, on the only 2 occasions they've answered this month they have set 2 different dates to come to finish off but I am predicting they will keep pushing the date back...

It's my intention, if they don't come back, to take them to small claims court to get some money back to cover the costs of us putting everything left over right. My question is how long is a reasonable time to wait for them to do the snagging before we start this process? I don't want a judge to dismiss the claim because we haven't waited long enough for the builders to do their job. It's been over a month since any work has been done and them not answering our many calls is making me doubt their intention to finish.

Any advice would be appreciated!

jk0

I think they've already had a reasonable time. You need to get a quote from someone else to finish the work now.

snowcat75

Unfortunately you know your mistake NEVER pay for any work in full from any builder, 5% of total for 30 days, then 2.5% retention for as long a period as necessary. Never feel guilty for this the rest of us living in the real world of business have to often wait 90 days for total job payments, never mind just 5%.

Firstly write and email listing defects and take pictures along with the quote stating the works to be done.

30 days is a reasonable timescale to rectify, and clearly state that your intentions will be to seek compensation for the work.


Get someone to quote for remedial works and also pass this on to the builders.


Small claim is a reasonably simple process unfortunately the building trade being what it is, Builders have a habit of having nothing (on paper at least) or going bankrupt.

Good luck, but unfortunately without retention leverage is hard, and even with, many would rather walk onto another job than be bothered to finish properly.

Doozergirl

You write a Letter Before Action, in that letter you can sa that practical completion was 20th December, in that you paid them in full. List the dates you have called them and they failed to arrive.

List the work that needs doing.

Tell them you are giving them 14 days from the date the letter is served (that means the day they should get it) to come back and finish it before you contact others to quote to finish the work, which you will be forced to recoup from them.

Keep it professional. Short, factual, to the point.

14 days is what a JCT minor works contract allows, iirc. Hence I've given that number.

Mile2go

Thanks so much for the quick responses! It's very reassuring to know we're well within our rights to be getting frustrated now. This is our first experience with house renovations tbh so we weren't sure what it acceptable. They've told us they'll be back on the 31st Jan so if they are a no show on that date I'll get writing!

Mile2go

Just as an update the builders predictably never showed on the 31st so we've got our quotes and have sent a letter before court action. We've given them 14 days to respond, it's currently 10 days in and nothing so far...

If builders have professional indemnity insurance will that be used as a means to pay us back if ordered by the court? I know our builders do have it so I'm hoping they can't play the 'we have no assets' card?

Doozergirl

No, it won't come from their insurance.

I doubt you're asking for enough for them to go bump over. You'll get it, eventually.

Mile2go

Thanks, it's reassuring to hear that. We're claiming for £1600, the main cost of this is because they ripped out and destroyed wires from our house alarm system, and as the house alarm is so old two companies that specialise in fixing these old alarms have said it can't be repaired and we need a whole new system installed. The replacement alarm quote came to £950 + vat as we have pets and it's a big house.

Mile2go

For anyone who might be in a similar situation I've started up a government petition to introduce compulsory regulation for all domestic builders and tradespeople.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/247923

If anyone has had trouble with builders taking money for a poor job and not returning to finish properly please sign and share!

scumboss

Are you taking them to court?