A builder wants me to supply all materials for fixing my roof and replacing timber eaves with UPVC. I think what he means is that he sorts out supplying them but I supply them on paper.
Could he be anything other than a cowboy?
"Materials have been priced but are to be supplied by the client. A skip is to be provided buy client for all waste materials."
Thanks!
Harry
Could be he's doing it to stay under the VAT threshold, or it could be he has cashflow or credit issues.
Yes, it means he's being "creative" with his accounting.
Fire him and get a proper roofer.
I said roofer, not builder.
Builders should not be trusted with roofs.
jim wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Thanks.
The estimate (although I expected a quote) says he won't charge me VAT, so it could be he isn't registered.
He wants ?5540 for labour and ?2410 for materials for the following work:
1) roof (replacing chimney cope, water-sealing chimney, replacing maybe 5 roof tiles near the chimney re-leading a metre or so of a valley elsewhere on the roof, re-felting the perimeter of flat-roof garage when he does job 2 below)and
2) eaves (replacing timber eaves with white UPVC around the whole house (4 bedrooms plus large garage; house has three gables) and carport (clean and restain plywood underside).When I saw the labour cost I thought he must be pulling my plonker.
What should it be? Something like ?200-?300 per day for two guys? A week's work? I don't know; that's why I'm asking.
The way he said on leaving after looking at the job that he was sorry he'd been the bearer of bad news also made me think "like yeah, right - you think I might be a complete moron, don't you?".
Does anyone think I should do anything other than bin his offer?
Harry
jim wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Are you saying he sounds so dodgy that Trading Standards would appreciate it if I reported him?
(I probably wouldn't. I live on the Isle of Lewis and could get ostracised! :) ).
I don't *much* like the sound of it, but have you seen other examples of his work, or have any recommendations from someone who has used him? If it is mainly replacing bargeboards and some simple roofing repairs then a builder *might* be OK. But if a skip is needed, sounds like a lot of work, you should certainly be getting at least three quotes unless you have other good reasons to trust him.
newshound wrote in news:Gfudnai8JL- snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Nope, I haven't seen any other examples or had any recommendations. I'm waiting on another quote. A couple of firms came, promised quotes, then I heard no more from them. It's not easy to find tradesmen on this island, especially given that I'm an incomer.
I'm not sure whether the roof repairs count as simple or not. I think they do. I've described them in another post.
The UPVC job is replacing the full works: soffits, fascia boards, bargeboards.
The waste would be say 5 roof tiles, the old cope, the existing timber eaves, guttering if it breaks, and a foot of felt around the roof of the garage and carport that they have to remove because it will split when the replace the timber fascias there (if that is the right word).
I tend to think that if a tradesman needs a skip he should sort one out and charge me, rather than expecting me to get one.
Sounds like a lot more than a week to me, with all that timber replacement if it is being done properly (and not just slapping PVC cladding on top of existing timber). No mention of scaffolding, so just a tower and/or ladders?
newshound wrote in news:BKudnfK snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
It's a full replacement job, not overboarding. He didn't mention scaffolding, but I'm not sure how the cope can be cast in situ. The property is a bungalow. How many days' work does it sound like to you?
Harry
Properly replacing facia boards can turn into a nightmare job depending on how things are fixed. That bit of the job alone could turn into two to three man weeks worth of work if it does not go to plan. It often easier to over estimate and then if it turns out to be straight forward, bill less. Customers will be far more agreeable to that than the other way around.
Case in point; a mate of mine (retired builder) was asked to do a facia job for a friend of a friend. He only took it on as a favour and was not really interested in making money at it - just covering costs and having something to keep him busy between rounds of golf and snooker etc.
He estimated it would take him a day and a half to two days (this was to replace some facia above a bay window and repaint). Knowing his tendency to wildly underestimate jobs - I priced it up and suggested that he quote on the basis of it taking 4 to 5 days - with materials on top - not included in the price.
In the end it took nearer 7 days. What you could not see when looking at the job was that the soffit and facia had few of the expected timbers in place to support anything, so when you tried to remove the facia, rather than having the soffit sat in a rebate in the back of the facia so it could be removed independently, it was nailed to a batten fixed to the back of the facia. Net result was that the asbestolux soffit broke up as you attempted to get the fascia off. It also turned out there was no proper felting under the bottom rows of tiles on the eves (hence why the facia was getting soaked on the top and back and rotting). So by the time he had stripped some tiles, refelted, retiled, added extra woodwork to fix to, made up the new facia boards (customer wanted real timber), and then bought and cut in new ply soffits all around the bay, and then finally primed, undercoated and painted the lot, he was well fed up with the whole job and vowing "never again!"
I don't see any reason to be suspicious. It might be a bit unprofessional. I have come across builders who just want to be paid a fair rate and work hard without any hassle. Totally honest and not particularly businesslike.
If you pay someone a rate and buy the materials then you are in a very different arrangement with them to a contractor who you pay for the job. That is worth thinking about - remedial work, liability, responsibility, insurance, it's all going to be effected.
Tim w
I'd not go with this, as if you supply stuff and it is no good then he can blame what you bought. Does he guarantee the job in its entirety, is his insurance underwritten by a company you have heard of? If so then check it out and see if it actually exists. also see how long he has traded under that name. If you are really sus, then see who directors are and search for other companies, now wound up they have been involved in. a common thing for cowboys is to close down and reopen as another company when complaints start to come in, voiding any insurance in the process. Ask to see other jobs they have done and actually follow them up. A roof is very important and one cannot afford mistakes. of course things can and do go wrong, but if the people are OK they know the issues and can sort them out quickly. Brian
Or tarred and feathered.
The magic words are "Of course, I do understand that things are a bit more expensive up here than in London" followed by "but the meenister said you'd do a good job at a fair price".
Is that Macleod roofers or Mackay roofers? :-)
Owain
or even affected.
"Brian Gaff" wrote in news:o6c75c$7cd$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net:
Hi Brian and thanks for this.
There are no company registration details on the quote, although there is a trading name and an address.
I am emailing them back asking whether they can
(When they were here, they recommended overboarding saying that replacing the eaves entirely required recementing around the UPVC, as if that was very difficult, and I originally asked them to quote for overboarding. But when I emailed them a short while afterwards and said I had decided on a full replacement and asked whether they could do that, they said yes.)
Thanks again.
Harry
Harold Davis wrote in news:XnsA70964DBEBF64harolddavis@213.239.209.88:
And whether they can
Harry
Harold Davis wrote in news:XnsA70966179AFC7harolddavis@213.239.209.88:
or trading entity, and details of its insurer.
One problem is that if they do tell me of some happy clients for whom they have done similar work, they might be their cousins or something :( But I have asked.
Harry
Of course they'll be cousins - evberyboday on Lewis is related in one way or another.
snipped-for-privacy@gowanhill.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
No, someone else.
:)
Harry
He won't want it done with any affectation
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.