Forum menu
Etiqette for gettin...
 

[Closed] Etiqette for getting rid of a "Carpenter"

Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 
[#8082251]

We took someone on on the recommendation of our decorator to replace some internal doors, door liners, architrave etc with Oak. We agreed a fixed price quote on the basis of 4 days work. He started 5 weeks ago!

Last week we agreed he'd be finished Tuesday. Tuesday then became Wednesday. Last night he said he wouldn't be leaving today until it completely finished. This morning he rocked up at 10am and has just left sighting a lack of concentration.

The job was £1800 including £1200 materials. He's lost money on the job because he ordered the wrongful doors and damaged one, and it's taken a huge amount of time to get to where he is.

I still need two door handles fitting, remove some 2-pack filler that he's used for nails holes and replace with something like liberon, then final sand and oil.

I want to call it a day and finish the job myself. I'll deduct the cost of the osmo oil from the bill, but what should I be paying. Should I just pay the agreed price in full?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 1:47 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Sorry, can someone move this to the right forum?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 1:53 pm
Posts: 3676
Full Member
 

Has he actually been there Monday to Friday for five weeks? Or has he only done a couple of days work in that time?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:01 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

This morning he rocked up at 10am and has just left sighting a lack of concentration.

I think at that point after I'd sat wtf, I'd have told him not to come back. He's hanging doors, not splitting the atom.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:01 pm
Posts: 78464
Full Member
 

I want to call it a day and finish the job myself. I'll deduct the cost of the osmo oil from the bill, but what should I be paying. Should I just pay the agreed price in full?

I'd be tempted to pay pro rata on the work done. So if he's done 80% of the work, pay 80% of the bill. I've absolutely no idea what the legal precedence is for this though.

If four days' work has taken five weeks I'd hazard you've got a solid case for breach of contract. I'd have to look it up to be sure.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:08 pm
Posts: 3900
Free Member
 

How many doors are we talking about?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:10 pm
Posts: 2687
Free Member
 

Easy

Refer him to the terms in your contract

..........................you do have a contract?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:11 pm
Posts: 14104
Full Member
 

Sounds like a bloke I know - he's very relaxed about his joinery, works all hours, but never has any money!


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:14 pm
Posts: 705
Free Member
 

I think you need to hammer the point home that he has screwed you over. If you lay the facts out in plane english you might not have to drill it into him to much but I think if you saw what Cougar wrote he hit the nail on the head, at least thats what I wood do.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:15 pm
 Drac
Posts: 50602
 

Just tell him he goes against your grain and you knot having anymore, in plane English.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:16 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Just tell him he goes against your grain and you knot having anymore, in plane English.

Oh, very good...


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:18 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

He's not been working solid for all that time, I would say he's easily done 8-10 days. This is only for three internal doors, and all the associated door furniture and wood work, incl skirting.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:22 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I'd sycamore prompt carpenter..


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:24 pm
Posts: 6925
Free Member
 

Tell him to get knotted? 😀
Sounds like he's in beech of contract..
Is the quality of the work oak-a?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:26 pm
 Drac
Posts: 50602
 

Don't let him offer an olive branch.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:27 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

This whole situation sounds full of rot.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:40 pm
Posts: 3900
Free Member
 

He's not been working solid for all that time, I would say he's easily done 8-10 days. This is only for three internal doors, and all the associated door furniture and wood work, incl skirting.

Poor bloke. Sounds like he hasn't a 'king clue.
Not your problem though. Keep back £50 for fitting the door handles and put him out of his misery.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:42 pm
Posts: 57388
Full Member
 

This carpenter... beardy fella? Are there another 12 blokes hanging around outside?

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:44 pm
Posts: 3351
Free Member
 

Well, you can't birch him. Why not ply him with beer to try and find the root and branch of the issue? He might simply have a chip(board) on his shoulder, hammering the issue home might not help mend fences.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:45 pm
 Solo
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

[i] Etiqette for getting rid of a "Carpenter"[/i]

Wasn't it always crucifixion?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:46 pm
Posts: 768
Free Member
 

come on Yew guys this is serious!


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:49 pm
Posts: 6925
Free Member
 

I would say he's easily done 8-10 days.

I'd say he's barking up the wrong (career) tree


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:52 pm
Posts: 11385
Free Member
 

Anorexia should do it


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:53 pm
Posts: 3351
Free Member
 

I think we're beginning to look like a load of planks.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:55 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Is it Alpin?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 2:57 pm
Posts: 8945
Free Member
 

I don't think these puns are Alpin at at all, you need to cedar feller who recommeldered him and give him a piece of your pined


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 3:01 pm
Posts: 5349
Full Member
 

iirc, three's only one of the Carpenters left...


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 3:04 pm
Posts: 28593
Free Member
 

It doesn't auger well for the rest of the job. For all we know, the man simply does not have a veneer of respectability. Just tell him we've only just begun, pay him for only yesterday and soon you'll be on top of the world again.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 3:16 pm
Posts: 6925
Free Member
 

Does he only work 'rainy days and Mondays'?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 3:21 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Tell him there is a lot hinging on this door job and if he doesnt finish asap then your are going to jamb his nuts in one of the doors


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 4:25 pm
Posts: 9218
Free Member
 

Metal coffin. 😆


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 4:40 pm
Posts: 12
Free Member
 

Is it Alpin?

Must be - isn't lethargy one of the symptoms of his vice?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 4:51 pm
Posts: 66109
Full Member
 

Houns - Member

Anorexia should do it

Beaten to it 🙁


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 4:56 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

'wrongful door's'....he's making you look a sap.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 6:40 pm
Posts: 145
Free Member
 

I simply wood knot put up with this.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 6:44 pm
Posts: 10960
Full Member
 

Ply him with drink first?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 6:45 pm
Posts: 1388
Free Member
 

We had a carpenter do some work, hanging doors and a building a side board cover for the radiators. He did an alright job with the doors (though didn't join in the door frame) but made a complete mess with the bathroom. Told him to come back which he did 3 weeks later. He did a crap rush job cause he was going to the lake district for the weekend.
Ended with him being told to just get out as he was making things worse. Worse still didn't put the bath back properly and it drained into the light fitting down stairs.
I ride past his house on the way to work.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 6:59 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks Peeps, lots of very constructive ideas, now if he's only answer my phone calls I might be able to play singletrack bingo in our parting discussion.

Given the work outstanding I'm going to hold £200 quid. I think the cheeky ****er has been using my saw as well.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 7:19 pm
Posts: 3900
Free Member
 

You might want to tell your decorator his mate is crap. It might reflect badly on him...


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 7:34 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Show him the door


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 7:35 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

He's not been working solid for all that time

Are you paying him for laminate working?


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 7:37 pm
Posts: 78464
Full Member
 

You might want to tell your decorator his mate is crap. It might reflect badly on him...

I expect he's recommended a mate and already knows.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 7:51 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

You didn't say if you had paid him anything already. Assuming he said I'll do the works for £1800 and you said yes then you have a contract. He hasn't done the work yet so unless you agreed payment terms I would say you don't owe him anything. He would need 'reasonable time' to do the work and only a judge would decide what that was. The works are everything not most of it. If it were me, I would get another reputable carpenter to give me a quote for doing/redoing the outstanding work and deduct this from the original amount and tell him all that.
As suburbanreuben said - def tell his decorator mate that it wasn't good.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 8:07 pm
Posts: 3900
Free Member
 

That is actually quite a lot of work for £600 labour charge; Three doors, linings and architraves, plus skirting (how much?), all fitted and oiled. And he's replaced a door for free, supposedly.
Have a heart. He's given you ten days at £40 a day.
The price was always too cheap. A lesson learned for you both.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 8:18 pm
Posts: 341
Free Member
 

Hi Robin as one door opens another door closes,sometimes things dont go right and stuff goes wrong, youve had plenty of time to show him the door,negotiate what you think the job is worth and say goodbye.

ps beware of using oil based stains on oak faced doors, it lifts the veneer and usually the supplier want replace them, and want pay for new doors to be fitted either.


 
Posted : 29/09/2016 8:24 pm
Page 1 / 2