Am I being ripped off? Plumber's bill

Gracie_31

So, we are having work done on our house by a builder, a small project. We asked his recommended plumber who has already done a small amount of plumbing on the current job, if he would provide a quote for a new boiler to be relocated to the garage. This would be completely separate to the job being done by the builders and is right the other end of the house and doesn't impact on the building work at all. The quote was provided to us personally.
The work has been mostly done - not by the original plumber but by his sub-contractors: we have a new boiler and it heats water. There is no thermostat installed yet, so we have no heating; the electrics where the hot water tank and old boiler were are a mess with possible live wires, wires trailing, the pipes need lagging,  and holes in the wall need sealing. We have not seen a plumber for 3 weeks.
We had a bill 3 weeks ago though! - for extra roofing costs associated with the flue, and a large additional bill for electrical work. We have said we are not paying the extras, as he quoted for the whole job. We told him to get the job finished or we would pay someone else to and deduct it from his bill.
He has responded by saying that because we already had other trades working on the rest of the house it was clear that his quote was just for plumbing. He is refusing to finish the installation until we pay him in full.
This is probably the 6th boiler we've had installed (in other houses) never had to pay for extras like this. What are people's thoughts?

Mark_d

You are having building work done on your property and you asked the builder's plumber to do an extra bit of plumbing work.  Does your quote from the plumber say that it included non-plumbing activities eg. electrics and roofing?

Failing to pay for electrician/roofer and threatening to withhold payment would explain why your house has been left the way it is.

ThisIsWeird

What does the quote actually say?
May we ask what the amount is?

Gracie_31

Mark_d said:

You are having building work done on your property and you asked the builder's plumber to do an extra bit of plumbing work.  Does your quote from the plumber say that it included non-plumbing activities eg. electrics and roofing?

Failing to pay for electrician/roofer and threatening to withhold payment would explain why your house has been left the way it is.

Actually the building work is going fine and we are prompt payers. Relocating a boiler is not an 'extra bit' of plumbing work?

Gracie_31

ThisIsWeird said:

What does the quote actually say?
May we ask what the amount is?

Hi it's for £3800 for supply, fit, install and test a combi boiler. No idea what the extra electrics and roofing charges are as he's asked them to bill us separately - just to confirm we were not told anything about them at the quote stage or as the work was ongoing.

ThisIsWeird

Gracie_31 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

What does the quote actually say?
May we ask what the amount is?

Hi it's for £3800 for supply, fit, install and test a combi boiler. No idea what the extra electrics and roofing charges are as he's asked them to bill us separately - just to confirm we were not told anything about them at the quote stage or as the work was ongoing.

Is that all it says - "supply, fit, install, and test a combi boiler" in that location?

If so, then that too-brief an outline, but with no obvious stated omissions, and going by what I'd normally consider to be a typical-if-slightly-high 'all-in' price at £3.8k for a new combi install, would suggest to me that there should be no extras; it should have included the flue, making good the flue exit, wiring, and all that jazz. The whole caboodle. That is what, "supply, fit, install, and test a combi boiler" means to most reasonable and impartial folk.

If it didn't include all this, the GasSafe should have made it perfectly clear from the outset. It is no excuse to say that the leccy and roof are not included, just because these tradesfolks are already there.

To only literally install a combi boiler, run water pipes to it, stick a flue on top, and add a gas supply - leaving the flue naked, and with no wiring - would - imo - be pretty darned expensive at £3.8k.

Is this garage attached?

PinkCristal

"Supply, fit, install, and test a combi boiler" suggests to me that's a quote for the whole job, and there should be no extras on top. If the plumber was expecting you to pay additional money for electrics and roofing his quote should have made that clear, in which case you could have also gotten a quote from the electrician and builder to do those bits. That way you'd have had the full picture of what you'd need to pay. You shouldn't be expected to automatically know that electrical and roofing work will be needed. 

ThisIsWeird

PinkCristal said:

"Supply, fit, install, and test a combi boiler" suggests to me that's a quote for the whole job, and there should be no extras on top. If the plumber was expecting you to pay additional money for electrics and roofing his quote should have made that clear, in which case you could have also gotten a quote from the electrician and builder to do those bits. That way you'd have had the full picture of what you'd need to pay. You shouldn't be expected to automatically know that electrical and roofing work will be needed. 

I agree 99%.
I think most layfolk would understand - if asked - that a new boiler install would require 'electricity' and 'it has a flue, which will need sealing as it goes through the roof or wall', and would expect this to be included in a quote worded like the OP's.
They wouldn't question that a gas supply or water pipes also need connecting before the 'install' can be 'tested'. "Supply, fit, install, and test a combi boiler" seems pretty unambiguous to me.

ListysDad

Having come across this a few times, should you take it to court the judge would almost def find in your favour. It is my job as a trades person to specify exclusions should there be any. You are paying for a system to be installed such that it fully functions upon completion. He's takin the rise, or he's a thick as mince, but either way its not your problem.
Give your local citizens advice a call for advice.