Builder keeps delaying snagging work on our garden

bengaltiger

We have had major renovations carried out on our front and back gardens that have cost a significant sum of money. The builder applied a sealant to the slabs and as it dried we ended up with what I can only describe as a receding waves effect. We asked the builder to rectify this and also to sort the jointing that was loose between the capping stones. He agreed to as part of the original cost. He told us that the solution to the the sealant was for it to be removed and that it needed to wait until we had some dry fine weather. This has now been going on for a least five months, with promised dates and no shows. To complicate matters he sold his business (which was essentially equipment) to his future father in law and seems to be abdicating all responsibility for jobs that were completed prior to this. His future father in law has an established business. We have now given him a week to give us a confirmed date or we will contact the new owner. Is there anything further that we are able to do please? It’s not in our nature to be awkward, but we have tried to be pleasant and polite and it’s getting us no where. To add salt to the wound, he came back to complete some work for a close neighbour after they had contacted the f-I-l. The only difference being that when their work started, he had begun to be an employee rather than self employed.
We were careful when we chose him and actually checked previous work. Other than the issues mentioned, they have done a wonderful job. It’s so frustrating to not be able to get the snagging done!

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

PaschalFun

bengaltiger wrote: »

We have had major renovations carried out on our front and back gardens that have cost a significant sum of money. The builder applied a sealant to the slabs and as it dried we ended up with what I can only describe as a receding waves effect. We asked the builder to rectify this and also to sort the jointing that was loose between the capping stones. He agreed to as part of the original cost. He told us that the solution to the the sealant was for it to be removed and that it needed to wait until we had some dry fine weather. This has now been going on for a least five months, with promised dates and no shows. To complicate matters he sold his business (which was essentially equipment) to his future father in law and seems to be abdicating all responsibility for jobs that were completed prior to this. His future father in law has an established business. We have now given him a week to give us a confirmed date or we will contact the new owner. Is there anything further that we are able to do please? It’s not in our nature to be awkward, but we have tried to be pleasant and polite and it’s getting us no where. To add salt to the wound, he came back to complete some work for a close neighbour after they had contacted the f-I-l. The only difference being that when their work started, he had begun to be an employee rather than self employed.
We were careful when we chose him and actually checked previous work. Other than the issues mentioned, they have done a wonderful job. It’s so frustrating to not be able to get the snagging done!

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

I'd hate to think who you'd have got had you not been so careful! :eek:

bengaltiger

Paschal Fun we did check with previous customers and there weren’t any negative responses. It all seems to have gone pear shaped when he went from self employed to employee. We do owe him a final payment, which of course he will not receive until we are are satisfied. The only problem with that is I don’t think he is bothered!

hollydays

Send him a letter before action

motorguy

hollydays wrote: »

Send him a letter before action

+1

Lets be honest, he doesnt want to do the work and hes already been paid.

We'd a similar situation with leaking windows. It took a LBA to "motivate" him in to replacing them.

Gary123456790

If you havent paid him the final payment then pay someone else to finish it?

DoaM

Gary123456790 wrote: »

If you havent paid him the final payment then pay someone else to finish it?

Include this in the LBA ... if he doesn't come and finish the job to the required standard then you'll use the balance due to engage a 3rd party to complete the works, and then you'd sue for any additional cost involved in completing the works.