Advice Needed - Plumber Demanding Extra Money

[Mav3000]

Hi All,

I have recently had some plumbing work undertaken.

The job quoted was to fit a combi boiler into the kitchen, and a shower and towel radiator into the bathroom.

Upon commencing the job, the boiler wouldn't fit into the kitchen, so was put into the loft. the shower and towel radiator were to be fitted into the bathroom at a seperate date, but we still paid the original invoice in full. the amount was as-per the quote.

The plmber said that due to using extra materials for the loft, we would need to pay an exta £150 when he came back.

When he came back, he installed the shower and radiator. However, the second invoice for this is for 'installing shower and radiator' and is £200! We even lessened the work for him my bricking up the hole in the kitchen wall ourselves from the old flue, as he left it open for when he came back (2 weeks later).

My argument with this is that the shower and rad installation was part of the original quote, which we paid in full. therefore, we should not be paying for it in a seperate invoice. All we owe, of anything from the original paid quote is the cost of the extra materials for putting the boiler into the loeft and not the kitchen.

I offered the plumber £100 to settle the job (his original £150 minus £50 due to us bricking up the flue hole ourselves).

What do you think about this? Am I right to contest the second invoice amount? can he ask for more?

 

[seco services]

was it all written on the quote to fit boiler, shower, radiator ?

 

[Mav3000]

Yes it was all clearly said in the first quote.

The only difference in the work done was that the boiler is in the loft and not in the kitchen.

 

[seco services]

which you agreed to pay the extra materials. so the boiler job isfinished with.
ask him what this second invoice for shower is all about as it was paid on the first invoice to the total of what he quoted for the whole work.

in other words tell him to hike.

 

[D_Hailsham]

The job quoted was to fit a combi boiler into the kitchen, and a shower and towel radiator into the bathroom.

Was it a written quotation (which is a fixed price to do a specified job) or just an estimate?

Upon commencing the job, the boiler wouldn't fit into the kitchen, so was put into the loft. the shower and towel radiator were to be fitted into the bathroom at a seperate date, but we still paid the original invoice in full. the amount was as-per the quote.

The plumber said that due to using extra materials for the loft, we would need to pay an exta £150 when he came back.

If you only received an estimate, the plumber can change his price as he was only giving an estimate. If he gave you a written quotation to install the boiler in the kitchen and it then changes to installing a boiler in the loft he is entitled to amend his price as the job has changed.

When he came back, he installed the shower and radiator. However, the second invoice for this is for 'installing shower and radiator' and is £200!

My argument with this is that the shower and rad installation was part of the original quote,

But was it? Do you have anything in writing from the plumber saying that it was a quotation and giving details of the work to be done and the price to be paid?

It really all depends on whether you were given an estimate or a quotation. Unless it says that it is a quotation, it will be an estimate, even if it is written.

If he gave you separate prices for the different tasks (boiler, shower, radiator etc), then you are in a better position to dispute his invoice.

In the end it will all depend on determining if you had an estimate or a quotation for the work.

 

[Mav3000]

The original invoice was for the same amount as the quote.

I believe the plumber thinks that the first invoice is now for the boiler only, plus extra materials to put the boiler in the loft.

I believe he has made the second invoice for the shower and radiator as a seperate job based on time taken etc etc.

My argument is that if he was to make the shower and radiator a seperately invoiced job, I would have expected to see a reduction in the original invoice to exclude the shower and rad fitment from it.

My argument is that becasuse the first invoice was paid in full (quoted for shower, rad and boiler), is that the only thing I owe is to cover extra materials for the loft install only. The shower and rad fit has already been paid for.

Any extra time, or the fact he chose to turn up with a mate for the shower is his choice, and should have been factored into his original quote.

Am I on solid ground here? I think I am.

To look at the invoices reads that he is invoicing for the shower and rad twice (appears on both invoices), whereas he should imo just be invoicing for extra materials, to top the combined jobs up with his second invoice.

I offered £100 for the extra materials, which I think is generous for the copper etc used. To me this amounts to the only bit of the work that I've not paid for.

 

[Mav3000]

The job quoted was to fit a combi boiler into the kitchen, and a shower and towel radiator into the bathroom.

Was it a written quotation (which is a fixed price to do a specified job) or just an estimate?

Hi, It was a written quotation. It clearly states this at the top of the letter.

The price is one lump sum at the bottom (not individually itemised).

I think he's used the original quote value to remove the shower and rad fit, and replace this work with the change of boiler to the loft. He's then used the second invoice to bill me for the shower and rad fit as separete jobs. however, although he said the 'bit extra' was gonna be £150, this is now £200, despite me bricking the hole myself.

there was also no electrical inspection or cross-bonding. the shower hasn't been hard-wired though - it's running on an extension lead from the loft to the landing wall socket.

 

[seco services]

what shower have you had fitted ?

 

[Mav3000]

We had an Aqualisa Quartz Digital fitted (standard exposed version so no internal pipework in walls, and no pump for the combi boiler).

The instructions said the pipes needed cross-bonding. the control unit is above the bathroom, in the loft space above the ceiling.

Both shower and radiator were bought by me, and fitted by them.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Hi, It was a written quotation. It clearly states this at the top of the letter.

The price is one lump sum at the bottom (not individually itemised).

If you have paid the price stated in the original quote for the work listed, plus the agreed additional cost due to the change in the boiler's location, then the plumber cannot ask for extra money for the installation of the shower and radiator.

Did you get something in writing giving the price of the additional work to install the boiler in the loft or was it just verbal?

there was also no electrical inspection or cross-bonding. the shower hasn't been hard-wired though - it's running on an extension lead from the loft to the landing wall socket.

I have a nasty feeling that this may be illegal.

 

[seco services]

did he advice you that you'll need to get an elecy to finish the job ?

 

[bob-the-builder]

 

[Mav3000]

To be fair, when the plumber said that the shower needed an electrical connection, he said that he shouldn't fit it as it needed an electrician to do it. However, we connected it up via a plug just to test it worked while he was there.

We are going to plug it into a fixed connection later on. there is no earting on any of the pipes though, apart from the original earthing on the cold water pipe and gas pipe.

The additional cost was a verbal amount at the time of me paying the first invoice. This was £150. I thought this would do down £50 for me bricking up the kitchen wall myself, however after the work it went up from £150 to £200.

I think he has put the price up because he now has a mate working with him, and it took them 4 hours to both fit the rad and the shower.

My argument was that the shower and rad should have been invoiced at a fixed price no matter how long it took, or how many people were there, and that I have already paid for this on the quote.

Even though the shower and rad were fitted as the second job, becasue they were itemised on the first invoice, the invoice for the second job should just before the extra materials for the boiler in the loft.

He is basically using the second visit to charge what he wants for the shower and rad fitment.

Do I have to pay whatever he is charging (£200)? I want him to honour the orignal verbal £150 for extra materials line, and then knock some off for me doing the building work.

 

[powell30]

I think what will happen here is that if he takes the shower and rad into consideration on the FIRST invoice......he will just bill you 200 for extra materials and labout for fittting boiler in loft. I know it's annoying but i don't think an extra 200 to shift pipework and boiler into loft is excessive.....just a different way to look at how he is billing. And i think the pipework/cross bonding appear to be in the realm of a sparky as you said. It's your choice to leve it pluged in!!!

 

[Mav3000]

That's what I am worried about - the fact that he has taken a verbal quote of £150, ignored that I have completed the brickwork for him (apparently he could get a brickie to do this for less than £50?) and then bumped it up to £200 is annoying.

We also got rid of the scrap ourselves, so I think he has passed some of his lost money onto our bill so he doesn't lose out.

Is it worth me arguing the toss over the £150-200 thing?