Landscaper cancelled job and overinflation of costs

swajarbal

[PREAMBLE:]

We hired a local recommended landscaper to block pave our garden and driveway around 2 months ago. He insisted on a large deposit upfront (£4923) to the cover the cost of ordering materials and to pay the digger man and grab man. Regrettably I paid this, as it all seemed plausible at the time and I had no reason to suspect he would mess me around. 

He dug up the drive and garden and then gave one excuse after another, to the extent that after 7 weeks we still had no driveway and 2 large piles of soil and bricks where it used to be. Last week he finally sent a grab man to collect the 2 piles of waste and deliver the stone needed for the sub base. After more excuses, this week he cancelled the job and told us to find someone else to do it.

We are considering taking him to small claims court, but as his business was dissolved 2 years ago and he lives in a housing association property (no property owned), we have been advised a judgement in our favour, although highly likely to succeed, would having a very low chance of being enforced.

[QUESTION:]

This is what the trader is claiming his costs are, and so far has refused to provide any proof in the form of screenshots, emails or receipts etc:

Complete dig off of 120 square metre area garden = £900. 

2 mixed material grab loads away £500.

20 Tons of stone = £900.

5612 block paving blocks Various colours are brindle,charcoal and buff =£2220.

Other costs of £700

Total: £5200

 

I know that the dig would cost £250 maximum (mini digger plus operator 1 day hire). His diggerman was only here for 2 hours.

Grabs cost £180 each (x2 = £360). I have checked this with the company he actually used.

18 (not 20) Tonnes of stone were actually delivered - I have checked this with the company he actually used. Cost @ £14 a tonne = £252.

So his total costs for work done and materials supplied to date = £612.

He intends to either make me either pay for the blocks, or a handling charge to return them.

Is he entitled to over inflate his costs to date, to the point where he says I owe him money?

(when he originally sent me the quote, it was based on a price per square metre and a total cost, with no kind of breakdown of his costs.)