Materials means materials not drill bits!?

[kawak]

Hi,

Just getting my bathroom done and we have agreed a price for labour + materials. The builder has given me a stack of receipts for materials. Am I being petty to question why he has added jigsaw blades and diamond tip drill bits to this or is this normal? even though he may have used it for the job, should it not be materials only. It amounts to about £20, but principles and all that....

Thanks
Kawak

 

[seco services]

as you say materials not tools.
i don't charge customers ever time i snap a drill bit or use a core drill

 

[Blasphemous]

Whether you pay for the drill bits etc as materials or another way, someone has to pick up the tab and it ain't gonna be the fitter. I think he's just being very open with you to be honest.

 

[kawak]

Blasphemous, I'm surprised you dont think the fitter should be picking up the bill. Should he not be supplying the tools to do the job? Like seco says, if my builder snapped drill bits frequently, it'll cost me more to replace them then my bathroom!

But I agree I think he is being honest....cheekily honest.

 

[seco services]

then charge for every cuppa you make.

 

[kawak]

funny you should say that, its about 15 cups a day, no joke!

 

[powell30]

When i had a plumbing franchise these items would be marked in as sundries......they are an overhead for doing the job......i don't think it's cheeky as long as it's transparent. Personally, i never bill 'sundries' i just add them into my costs but if you have agreed a 'labour' price and 'materials' price i don't think it's unfair......next time ask/get a fixed price quote......

 

[plymouth]

First post on here, so hi all.

This happened to me when i priced for a bathroom and tiling.
I quoted for ceramic tiles and the client later changed their mind for porcelain and marble.
Of course i then needed a diamond core drill for the shower supply as i did not have one that size.
I advised the client before i made the purchase and it was agreed that i would add it to the final invoice, after deducting the cost of tiles that i had allowed, as they supplied their own.

If your plumber insists that you pay for replacement consumables, ask to keep them, when he has finished using them. After all, they will be yours.
Small consumables, he should have allowed for in his price, such as screws and plugs, gas and solder, and small drills etc.
However, if he has given you a labour only price, then he could be really cheeky and ask to use your tools, because labour only, even in a court, means that he could be expected to turn up to work on a pushbike or bus, as he is supplying labour only.

Advise him that he should have asked you first, and as such, if he intends to keep them, offer to pay half maybe.

You are right to ask for opinions, but he should have asked you first, or made it clear.

Offer half i say, and i'd accept that as fair.

 

[kawak]

Thanks for your reply all.

Much appreciated.

 

[doitall]

A percentage of kit is always included in the price, in this case I don't think its worth creating a bad feeling between the builders over £20.

I was on a job and the builder if thats what you called them charged the client a hire charge for all the kit used.

Extensions leads, cement mixer, shovels, wheelbarrows, drills, you name it. They and even charged for unloading lorries, they were on site for nearly 3 years before the client realized they were taking the mike and chucked them off.

When I turned up I couldn't see 6 months work and said so

 

[gas4you]

I would never even grt involved with producing an invoice that detailed in the first place.

I always work to a pre-accepted quote and this includes everything I will need, materials and tools/bits/hire charges.

If the customer accepts this quote after comparing it with others why should I have to itemise it.

I just invoice stating price as per quote.

Never had any complaints yet

 

[namsag]

Simple if he has listed them as part of your job ask for them when job is finished as if he is billing you for them then they are yours.
Drills etc etc are always just part of yearly expenditure that is built in/lost over hundresds of jobs we do a year