Fixed quote now double!!!

JJ829

Hi,

Looking for some advice please.

We fitted our DIY kitchen ourselves and got a joiner to come out and price up finishing it off for us. This included fitting worktops/pelmets/cornice/kickboards/filler panels/hob surround cutout/cutout for sink, fit two room doors, cut a few tiles and skirting. He gave us a fixed price of approx 1000 to do everything on the list we gave.

He told us he would get all the jobs done over a couple/few nights.

After his quote we realised we hadn’t included the following jobs so added the below to the list:

Reverse our integrated fridge/freezer doors and install it in the housing unit with end panel & hole cut out for socket.

There were 3 small filler panels needed to cut and fitting.

Add hinges and fit washing machine integrated door.

We didn’t get a price for them but thought it would possibly be a further £200 or so.

When he started, he also said he had to adjust/level some of the wall units as they were not level. Even though they all appeared level to us/spirit level he didn’t inform us before, he just altered them so we thought this might be an extra hours work or so to also add.

When we first went up to see what he had done we noticed he had cut the hole for the sink in the wrong place, he hadn’t centred with the base unit and was noticeably off by about 20 cm to the left.

We also noticed he put the light pelmet on upside down and attached with screws though the wall unit rather than using those little screw blocks so have holes now on the inside cupboards.

We had to replace both the worktop and pelmet as both could not be used. This cost us nearly £300.00

Today/tomorrow he will now be finished. He called today and said how everything has taken so much longer and the price will be nearly double. I hit the roof (as calmly as possible).

He mentioned the extras we asked for (which I said of course) but then he started to say how he has had to re-do things (IE: the sink and pelmet) I said this was his mistake and he started saying because it was a DIY kitchen he’s had to do more as there was no plan. I said he’d seen all this when he came out and gave the fixed quote for what was on the list.

He didn’t bother to ask which way the pelmets went before it was too late.

There are a few more thing his mistakes have cost us. I said we would be not paying double.

I also think the price of the worktop and pelmet should be reflected in his costs.

Based on the above, if it was you what would you be thinking should be fair?

We obviously don’t want to rip the guy off but we don’t want to be either.

As one piece of worktop wasn't quite long enough he's had to do a join. Surely he should have known or checked this before pricing to fit the workstops? 

Sorry for the rant.

comeandgo

How many hours did he work and what materials did he supply?

Risteard

This is why it should always be supply & fit.

HampshireH

You say your quote was "approx £1000" did he give an actual quote for a list of works?

Take that, work out what the extra you were at fault for. Then when you have that figure offset by the expenses of the materials you had to rebuy due to the Carpenters errors

I would start there

bluelad1927

You can't dwell on it bring a fixed quote when it was you who began adding the changes to the work being done.

What you should have done was got  firm figures for the extra work being done. There isn't much you can do now other than negotiate a price that you are both happy with

JJ829

Thank you for your replies.

He said it would only take him a couple of nights with a few guys & all the work on the list would be a fixed price of £1000.00. He supplied a door trim, and screws for plinths & pelmets.

We didn’t change anything; we only added a couple of extras that we’d forgot to include in the list. We have no idea how fitting a fridge/freezer with end and filler panel, fitting a washing machine integrated door and 2 small filler wall panels equates to double.

I really have no idea why it’s taking him so long? It’s not a huge kitchen.

As he gave a fixed price, surely it doesn’t matter whether it takes him 5 hours or 15? (I completely understand the extras need to be charged to us)

I’m guessing he has worked about 25 hours, he also had some other guys with him at certain times.

He’s saying it’s taken him longer because it’s a DIY kitchen. In that case he shouldn’t have taken on the job. He could see exactly what needed to be done when he came to quote. It was all fitted and he said it would be no problem. Now that he’s almost finished it’s suddenly double because it’s taken him longer than expected and also putting right the mistakes he made.

We are not dwelling on it being a fixed quote. What I’m trying to say is all the work on the list should not be more than £1000.00 if we did not change that?

I think what HampshireH has suggested is fair…..

If we ask him to itemise any costs over the £1000.00, this surely should not include any work that was listed in the original quote and on the original list? Just the extras & then minus the replacement worktop and pelmets?

GDB2222

If there was no plan, how was he expected to know exactly where you wanted the sink?

Did you specify how you wanted the pelmets fitted, and which way up? 

He has had to do some of this work more than once, because you had something specific in mind, but failed to communicate it. That's bound to add to the cost. 

JJ829

How about asking rather than doing his own thing? We would have thought a kitchen fitter would fit a 1000mm sink over a 1000mm sink unit and not offset it so it rests partially on another unit and partially on the 1000mm sink unit!

The pelmets are standard, instead of putting them running across he put them on the side. They wouldn't hide the lights the way he put them on. That's the whole purpose of a light pelmet to hide the lights?

We didn't have anything specific in mind, just common sense would suggest a pelmets purpose is to hide the lights and if you have a 1000mm sink and base, the sink fits in the base. How is this specific?

We also provided him a picture of what we were after.

GDB2222

JJ829 said:

How about asking rather than doing his own thing? We would have thought a kitchen fitter would fit a 1000mm sink over a 1000mm sink unit and not offset it so it rests partially on another unit and partially on the 1000mm sink unit!

The pelmets are standard, instead of putting them running across he put them on the side. They wouldn't hide the lights the way he put them on. That's the whole purpose of a light pelmet to hide the lights?

We didn't have anything specific in mind, just common sense would suggest a pelmets purpose is to hide the lights and if you have a 1000mm sink and base, the sink fits in the base. How is this specific?

We also provided him a picture of what we were after.

It's unlikely he deliberately did stuff to annoy you, so I'm suggesting that next time you spend an awful lot more time communicating what you want. Clearly, and in writing. Then checking that it's been understood.

Without seeing the pelmet, it is not clear what you are talking about. That's my point, really. You have such a clear idea in your own mind what you want, and it seems so natural to you, and yet you have not made yourself clear to me. 

JJ829

I'm sure he didn't do it to deliberately annoy us. I just find it hard to believe we have to explain to a 'competent ' kitchen fitter which way around a pelmet goes. I've never fitted a kitchen before but know it doesn't go on its side and you don't screw it on from inside the cupboards. 
It's basic stuff that should not need explaining to a professional. It has nothing to do with our vision of how we wanted things. I don't understand how this has anything to do with our vision.
It's similar to a mechanic putting the wheels on a car the wrong way.
If you had a 1000mm sink base unit and 1000mm sink, where would you expect the sink to be placed? 

Thanks for your input, I do appreciate.
 

GDB2222

JJ829 said:

I'm sure he didn't do it to deliberately annoy us. I just find it hard to believe we have to explain to a 'competent ' kitchen fitter which way around a pelmet goes. I've never fitted a kitchen before but know it doesn't go on its side and you don't screw it on from inside the cupboards. 
It's basic stuff that should not need explaining to a professional. It has nothing to do with our vision of how we wanted things. I don't understand how this has anything to do with our vision.
It's similar to a mechanic putting the wheels on a car the wrong way.
If you had a 1000mm sink base unit and 1000mm sink, where would you expect the sink to be placed? 

Thanks for your input, I do appreciate.
 

I can't comment on the pelmet being on its side, but our pelmet and cornice has been fixed by screwing through the carcass of the cabinet. I suspect that, if it's not done that way, it's often just glued in place, with something like No More Nails.

It could be done with blocks, but it's fiddly, and it would need a fair bit of ceiling height above the cabinets for access. It would add to the cost.

I haven't seen your kitchen, but it is quite common to centralise the sink in the run of worktop, for example. 

There's nothing you can do to avoid the present conflict, but I think you should try next time to spend more time discussing precisely how you want the job done. 

You have clearly come here looking for justification for your views, but that's pointless.