Complete new roof.

Silvertabby

Not me - asking on behalf of (older) friends who are normally quite savvy, but.....

4 bed house with a dorma window (nowhere near London or South East)

They were concerned about mould in their bathroom, so asked a local builder to have a look at it.  He promptly declared that their whole roof was on the verge of total collapse, and needed changing immediately.  But, they were in luck - he could put off a couple of his pending jobs and sort out their problem before it got any worse/collapsed on their heads.

Quote was for a whole new roof, including skips/removal of old roof, new soffits and fascias, and scaffolding.  Estimate could increase if they find more problems - but is currently £74K.  

They live some distance from me, but seems work has already started with most of the old roof being spread over their garden.  They weren't told to move out (despite the claim that the old roof was so dangerous) so are now complaining about the noise and the cold.  Thankfully, it's been dry since they started ripping bits off.  

I did say that I thought £74K was expensive, but was assured that 'this was the going rate'. 

Thoughts?  At this stage I can only pray that they actually do a decent job, and don't walk out half way through..... 

FreeBear

Silvertabby said: They were concerned about mould in their bathroom, so asked a local builder to have a look at it.  He promptly declared that their whole roof was on the verge of total collapse, and needed changing immediately.  But, they were in luck - he could put off a couple of his pending jobs and sort out their problem before it got any worse/collapsed on their heads.

Two red flags - One. The claim that the roof is at risk of immediate collapse. Two. The builder can juggle pending jobs to fit in this "repair". Both are classic in order to do an overpriced job (often of poor quality).

I'd have suggested getting a couple more quotes from roofers (not builders), but by the sounds of it, that is too late.

Has Building Control been notified of the work ?

If not, the council will have up to 10 years to serve enforcement notices and could issue fines for any non-compliance.

Tucosalamanca

It's a scam, unless they're living in a 5000+sqft mansion.

Refuse entry to the 'builder' and report to trading standards asap. I would probably report it on the local Facebook group as well to warn others.
It will probably be best to have a 'tin hat' scaffold erected until a suitable contractor can be employed.
This will cost several thousand but will still net a substantial overall saving.

It's not the going rate, not even close. I'm not a cheap contractor by any means. For comparison, I've just priced for a four bed fire damaged cottage, that needs a total roof rebuild (everything, the entire lot).
The roofing costs are less than £50k inc vat (that's first quality Spanish slate, so at the higher end).

The builder is a crook, I hope not too much money has already been paid to them, so many red flags in your post.
It's a terrible (but all too common) situation to be in.

victor2

Oh dear. Hope they haven't paid in advance....

Silvertabby

Thank you both.  It seems I was right to be concerned, but I fear it's now gone too far for them to back out. They haven't said how much they have paid in advance, just that they have had to take a loan out to cover it.

Because they are both 'always right', I can only hope that they do a decent (if way overpriced) job.  Fingers well crossed.

I'll mention building control to them - including having them take a look mid-build.

Silvertabby

victor2 said:

Oh dear. Hope they haven't paid in advance....

So do I.  I know they've had to take a loan out - I'm clinging on to the hope that they are paying in instalments.

Silvertabby

Silvertabby said:

Not me - asking on behalf of (older) friends who are normally quite savvy, but.....

4 bed house with a dorma window (nowhere near London or South East)

They were concerned about mould in their bathroom, so asked a local builder to have a look at it.  He promptly declared that their whole roof was on the verge of total collapse, and needed changing immediately.  But, they were in luck - he could put off a couple of his pending jobs and sort out their problem before it got any worse/collapsed on their heads.

Quote was for a whole new roof, including skips/removal of old roof, new soffits and fascias, and scaffolding.  Estimate could increase if they find more problems - but is currently £74K.  

They live some distance from me, but seems work has already started with most of the old roof being spread over their garden.  They weren't told to move out (despite the claim that the old roof was so dangerous) so are now complaining about the noise and the cold.  Thankfully, it's been dry since they started ripping bits off.  

I did say that I thought £74K was expensive, but was assured that 'this was the going rate'. 

Thoughts?  At this stage I can only pray that they actually do a decent job, and don't walk out half way through..... 

UPDATE

Well, the roof is finished, and my friends say they are pleased with it even if they are still in shock at the final bill of £74K.  They reckon that the roof comes with a 10 year guarantee, but didn't know if that had been underwritten by a professional body.....

It's still dry where they are, so will have to wait and see what happens after the first downpour.