damage during building works

starving_artist

We're nearly at the end of a refurbishment project.  At the start I asked the builders to take care with a large set of floor to ceiling double glazed doors and they put protective film over them.  However one of them now has a scratch about 10 inches long. I'd rather avoid falling out with the builder but at the same time I don't think it is reasonable to expect me to just ignore it.  The doors are 3 years old and the glass unit is approx 2.4m x 1m so would be expensive to replace.  What is fair in this situation?

Doozergirl

The unit will cost about £200.  It's tough because if you've got major work going on, it's hard to work around something brand new.  No one would choose it.  That said, they do have some responsibility to it.  

What's the value of the works?    If it's a big project then I'd say knock the cost of the unit off the bill and see if you can sort it yourself to take the effort of it away from the builder?   It gets really bitty at the end with snagging and they end up running here there and everywhere.  It's the stressful bit.    

I've been able to replace a unit myself with ease and I'm really not hands-on. 

starving_artist

Doozergirl said:

The unit will cost about £200.  It's tough because if you've got major work going on, it's hard to work around something brand new.  No one would choose it.  That said, they do have some responsibility to it.  

What's the value of the works?    If it's a big project then I'd say knock the cost of the unit off the bill and see if you can sort it yourself to take the effort of it away from the builder?   It gets really bitty at the end with snagging and they end up running here there and everywhere.  It's the stressful bit.    

I've been able to replace a unit myself with ease and I'm really not hands-on. 

It will cost considerably more than £200.  It's approx 2.4 metres high by 1 metre wide and not something I could do myself.  The works have been around 50K although I've paid around a third of that myself.

Doozergirl

I literally got a quote for a toughened, 4/16/4 sealed unit online to double check my gut feeling before I posted.  

https://sealedunitsonline.co.uk/regular/default_mob.aspx

£205. 

theonlywayisup

starving_artist said:

Doozergirl said:

The unit will cost about £200.  It's tough because if you've got major work going on, it's hard to work around something brand new.  No one would choose it.  That said, they do have some responsibility to it.  

What's the value of the works?    If it's a big project then I'd say knock the cost of the unit off the bill and see if you can sort it yourself to take the effort of it away from the builder?   It gets really bitty at the end with snagging and they end up running here there and everywhere.  It's the stressful bit.    

I've been able to replace a unit myself with ease and I'm really not hands-on. 

It will cost considerably more than £200.  It's approx 2.4 metres high by 1 metre wide and not something I could do myself.  The works have been around 50K although I've paid around a third of that myself.

I'm not sure if there is a misunderstanding, but the glazing unit should be able to be replaced by itself.  That is an easy job that any handyperson (or diy-er) could do.  The £200 price tag is spot on and you would likely be charged £50 to fit (depending on where you are in the country).  

I would point it out to the builder and ask what he thinks is best.

starving_artist

Doozergirl said:

I literally got a quote for a toughened, 4/16/4 sealed unit online to double check my gut feeling before I posted.  

https://sealedunitsonline.co.uk/regular/default_mob.aspx

£205. 

Interesting.  I actually had to replace the glass unit in a window earlier this year (which had been damaged by my neighbour's builders).  I got three quotes from local suppliers.  The cheapest was £276 for the unit plus £200 for fitting.  That unit was 1m by 1m.

theonlywayisup

starving_artist said:

Doozergirl said:

I literally got a quote for a toughened, 4/16/4 sealed unit online to double check my gut feeling before I posted.  

https://sealedunitsonline.co.uk/regular/default_mob.aspx

£205. 

Interesting.  I actually had to replace the glass unit in a window earlier this year (which had been damaged by my neighbour's builders).  I got three quotes from local suppliers.  The cheapest was £276 for the unit plus £200 for fitting.  That unit was 1m by 1m.

£200 for fitting.  Where is local?  That is daylight robbery. 

starving_artist

theonlywayisup said:

£200 for fitting.  Where is local?  That is daylight robbery. 

London (sigh)

theonlywayisup

I feel your pain. I have property in Rock; without doubt the most expensive place in the UK for building works.  

Jeepers_Creepers

Fitting cost should be zero in this case. Your builder does it...