Unexpected additional building costs

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Hi,
We have recently had a kitchen extension built. We we were quoted for the work this included everything for the extension but not the kitchen. We had agreed however that he should also do the kitchen fit and had verbally agreed prices. In hindsight we should have seen the problem coming as each time we asked for costs he was very vague and although he said he would get the costs to us in writing they never appeared. We weren't worried at the time, he seemed genuine.

However on completion of the job we were presented with a huge list of extras. Obviously we were expecting some of these and more than happy to pay but many items on the list had never been mentioned to us before and others seemed hugely inflated from what we had agreed verbally. The extra's totalled over £15,000 plus vat!

There is a clause in his contract that states: "The employer may direct additions or alterations to and omissions from the works. The parties shall agree a reasonable adjustment to the price resulting from such changes as necessary, save that the contractor shall only be entitled to additional payment where such increase to the price I see agreed in writing prior to carrying out additional or altered works"

We have tried talking to the builder but he is not budging on any of his costs. So after some advice we are trying to come up with reasonable costs. We have paid him in full for the original quote but he is pushing us for a payment schedule for the rest.

Does anyone have any recent experience of what a reasonable cost would be for the following:
1. Digging an extra 0.6M of foundation totalling 5.03m3. Cost should include materials (concrete), labour ( there was already a mini digger on site for digging the foundations) and removal of spoil (although he did dump this all over our garden totally ruining the grass and it wasn't removed for over 2 weeks. He is charging us £996.46. He didn't tell us about the extra castings at the time. Does this sound reasonable?
2.We verbally agreed a kitchen fitting cost of between £2000 and £3000 for pre assembled units. He said it would be up to £5000 for flat packed. We bought a preassembked kitchen yet he has charged us £4500. He has also charged us £1028 for kitchen electrics. A cost that was never mentioned and we assumed was included in the kitchen fit . The original extension electrics in the quote were half this cost.
3. He has charged me 2 days labour (£250 a day) for tiling 3.4m2 of splashback (there were 6 sockets to tile around) . It only took 2 half days (3 hrs and 2 hours respectively) and I am sure only one man was doing the tiling but he's now telling me 2 were doing it. How long would you expect this area of tiling to take?

There are lots of other niggly costs but I think we'll just have to pay them. Any help and imformation you can give would be very welcome.

We live in the Cambridge area so costs are relatively expensive.
I want to get this resolved and pay the man but at the moment am feeling a bit foolish and ripped off.

Sorry for the long post.

Comments

  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,104 Forumite
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    Flipper73 wrote: »
    Hi,

    1. Digging an extra 0.6M of foundation totalling 5.03m3. Cost should include materials (concrete), labour ( there was already a mini digger on site for digging the foundations) and removal of spoil (although he did dump this all over our garden totally ruining the grass and it wasn't removed for over 2 weeks. He is charging us £996.46. He didn't tell us about the extra castings at the time. Does this sound reasonable?
    2.We verbally agreed a kitchen fitting cost of between £2000 and £3000 for pre assembled units. He said it would be up to £5000 for flat packed. We bought a preassembked kitchen yet he has charged us £4500. He has also charged us £1028 for kitchen electrics. A cost that was never mentioned and we assumed was included in the kitchen fit . The original extension electrics in the quote were half this cost.
    3. He has charged me 2 days labour (£250 a day) for tiling 3.4m2 of splashback (there were 6 sockets to tile around) . It only took 2 half days (3 hrs and 2 hours respectively) and I am sure only one man was doing the tiling but he's now telling me 2 were doing it. How long would you expect this area of tiling to take?

    .

    We are in the process of getting a new kitchen.

    1. If the digger was already on site, then surely this would only take an extra day, so £250, then material costs and disposal. I would ask him to itemise the materials for this.

    2. £2k-3k is perfectly reasonable for assembling a flat packed kitchen of say upto 12 untis. How big is it?? We have a HUGE kitchen and the quote from Wren was £3500. We are fitting it ourselves though. £4500 sounds ridiculous. I would be getting quotes from a couple of other people on how much they would have charged.

    3. It took ME two days to tile my previous kitchen as I was a novice. Again, get someone to quote for how much it should have cost.
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,863 Forumite
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    I had tiling done in my kitchen just over a year ago. Approx 6m² Charged at £25 per m², around at least 5 sockets and a window sill & recess. Took half a day. Although it was brick sized tiles. If yours was a mosaic then I'd expect it to take considerable longer.

    What did he provide to you in writing before starting the works?
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • Flipper73
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    Thank you guys. My tiles are also brick size. And it is a fairly uniform rectangular patch of wall. We only had the initial extension quote, which was reasonable. Problem was we were a little naive and trusted him. He reassured us all the way along that it wasn't going to be excessive. Trouble was he was running behind by about 8 weeks and Christmas was looming, he never seemed to be available for paperwork (we did ask) but our primary concern at the time was not to be in a building site over Christmas. Project was meant to complete first week on Nov.

    I realise we were a bit naive but this was our first building job and we thought we had been carefully getting the original quotes and insisting on a contract. Hindsite is a marvellous thing.
  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,104 Forumite
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    Flipper73 wrote: »
    Thank you guys. My tiles are also brick size. And it is a fairly uniform rectangular patch of wall. We only had the initial extension quote, which was reasonable. Problem was we were a little naive and trusted him. He reassured us all the way along that it wasn't going to be excessive. Trouble was he was running behind by about 8 weeks and Christmas was looming, he never seemed to be available for paperwork (we did ask) but our primary concern at the time was not to be in a building site over Christmas. Project was meant to complete first week on Nov.

    I realise we were a bit naive but this was our first building job and we thought we had been carefully getting the original quotes and insisting on a contract. Hindsite is a marvellous thing.

    Even though you don't have a quote for the latter part, he needs to charge reasonable charges.

    By the sounds of it he has run over time and is trying to recoup some costs.

    Get some written quotes from a couple of other people, then get back to him in writing asking for itemisation for the job 1, then stating that the money demanded for the other jobs arevexcessive, and based in other quotes you are only prepared tompay £XXX.

    If he had two poeple tiling, then it should have taken half the time!!!
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
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