Inflated quote for gutter replacement

itm2

We share a roof gutter with our neighbours, which needed to be replaced. They got a quote for this, and some other work specific to their own roof, and we agreed to share the cost of the gutter replacement (£1,440 inc VAT). 
When the roofer was doing the work yesterday he told us that due to the structure of the space under the roof tiles he would not be able to install something with enough gradient to drain the rainwater along the full length of the gutter - the existing gutter drained away into a drain on our neighbour's side.
He said that to resolve it he would advise having a separate downpipe on our side (in addition to a downpipe on our neighbour's side), and that it would cost £300 inc VAT. I said that I thought his original written quote specifically included the cost of any downpipes, but he said that it only included a single downpipe - i.e. the one on our neighbour's side. I took his word for this, as I was on my way out, and he completed the job yesterday.
Today he sent me an invoice for the £300, so I took another look at the original quote. I definitely says: "To install new black round UPVC downpipes and fixings where necessary" (i.e. downpipes plural), so I was right to query this with him yesterday.
I've just replied to his email to raise this point (I haven't paid the invoice yet).
I was wondering if anyone had any views regarding whether not his additional £300 charge was reasonable?

itm2

...just had this reply from the roofer:
"As we spoke about yesterday the downpipe quoted for was the right hand side and we never anticipated when taking the gutter off that you had no fascia board. 

In light of that we could have charged a lot more to install a new fascia but we worked around the issue and continued with the intended work. 

We had a verbal agreement yesterday to install a new downpipe for yourselves and the costs involved of £250+vat. 

As a goodwill gesture I will  add a 10% discount to the invoice and resend but would expect this to paid with no issues. "

subjecttocontract

I should think that the original quote shows downpipes as plural because they don't come in one piece they have joins to make up the total length.

travis-powers

I agree with you, all my downpipes are one piece and the devil is in the detail the quote state downpipes!
 £250+vat to supply and fix 1 length that’s a nice little earner!

stuhse

I'd have been telling him the gutter with one downpipe has been working just fine for the last xx years as long as I've lived there. How come he can't install it to the same gradient ?

You can price guttering and fittings here....3m downpipe is £ 7.49  ...if he needs 2 or 3 lengths and a few fittings you've might have £25 worth. 30mins to fit ? https://www.screwfix.com/c/heating-plumbing/guttering/cat831536

I think I might have to get into gutter installation. 😀

ThisIsWeird

itm2 said:

We share a roof gutter with our neighbours, which needed to be replaced. They got a quote for this, and some other work specific to their own roof, and we agreed to share the cost of the gutter replacement (£1,440 inc VAT). 
When the roofer was doing the work yesterday he told us that due to the structure of the space under the roof tiles he would not be able to install something with enough gradient to drain the rainwater along the full length of the gutter - the existing gutter drained away into a drain on our neighbour's side.
He said that to resolve it he would advise having a separate downpipe on our side (in addition to a downpipe on our neighbour's side), and that it would cost £300 inc VAT. I said that I thought his original written quote specifically included the cost of any downpipes, but he said that it only included a single downpipe - i.e. the one on our neighbour's side. I took his word for this, as I was on my way out, and he completed the job yesterday.
Today he sent me an invoice for the £300, so I took another look at the original quote. I definitely says: "To install new black round UPVC downpipes and fixings where necessary" (i.e. downpipes plural), so I was right to query this with him yesterday.
I've just replied to his email to raise this point (I haven't paid the invoice yet).
I was wondering if anyone had any views regarding whether not his additional £300 charge was reasonable?

Hi itm.

When you were shown the original quote, and what your contribution to the gutter replacement would be (half of £1440 - phew), did you at any point consider that this would include a brand new DP on your property? I suspect 'not'. In which case your subsequent choice - after discussion with this roofer - was to either accept this new DP and pay for it, or refuse it based on you believing the status quo gutter arrangement was working fine.

You chose to accept.

I don't think that quibbling over plural semantics is reasonable. Who knows how many DPs the roofer intended with that quote? Not me, not you, possibly not even him.

IF what he now says is true - the gutter layout would really benefit from an additional DP (and considering our weird climate, that doesn't sound at all unreasonable) - and also that you didn't have a fascia board and he has fitted one for you for now't, I would personally prostrate myself on t'ground before him, and kiss his boots.

You have accepted these quotes. I would not argue over an 's'.

Having said that, his original quote for a line of guttering was pretty steep :-)

By the way, what does your new DP drain on/in to?

TELLIT01

As a matter of interest where does the new downpipe drain into?  Hopefully they haven't just installed a new downpipe and left it to discharge onto the path/drive or garden.

stuhse

Pretty steep....I love it.....no not enough gradient apparently.   Did he not spot the missing barge boards during pricing.?

itm2

Yes I was conscious of being seen to quibbling over the "s" in the quote, but it was mentioned in the plural in two places on the written quote, and in my view it was a pretty significant part of it (particularly at £250+VAT a pop):

• “To remove the necessary downpipes”
• “To install new black round UPVC downpipes and fixings where necessary”

There's a more-or-less identical gutter at the back of the house, which we had replaced a few years ago. It had exactly the same issue with the fascia, but on that occasion the roofer just worked around it and there was no additional cost. 

The new downpipe discharges onto our drive, as there's no drain nearby.

Adamhoward20

stuhse said:

I'd have been telling him the gutter with one downpipe has been working just fine for the last xx years as long as I've lived there. How come he can't install it to the same gradient ?

You can price guttering and fittings here....3m downpipe is £ 7.49  ...if he needs 2 or 3 lengths and a few fittings you've might have £25 worth. 30mins to fit ?

I think I might have to get into gutter installation. 😀

This is exactly what we did. We had quotes in a similar region to OP. Decided to borrow my Dads portable scaffolding and get the bits from screwfix. Granted we had access to the scaffolding, but it would have still been possible with step ladders. 

stuhse

Can you post a photo of the gutter, so we may view how it was possible to miss a facial board and why getting the gradient was so difficult ?