£13k for a single day’s work?

[ecartboss]

I believe my elderly father has been ripped off by a cowboy roofer and I wanted to get the opinion of others as to what extent.
He has a gable end 3-bed detached house.

He paid £13,000 for this:
- All roof felt and batons replaced, existing roof tiles reused (no new tiles)
- New dry ridge fittings
- Bird guards added (to stop birds getting in under the first roof tile)
- All scaffolding costs included
- All removal of all waste included

The scaffolding was put up in advance but the actual work on the roof was all done in 1 day by a team of 5 or 6 guys. They arrived at 8am and had finished at 4pm latest as it would have been dark by then.

Given the information above does anyone have a ballpark figure of what a reasonable quote would be?

(The guy didn't provide a quote or invoice and I haven't contacted him to ask for a breakdown of costs... yet)

Thanks in advance

 

[Mottie]

Are you unhappy about the cost of the job, the time taken or the quality of the work?

 

[chirpychippy]

(The guy didn't provide a quote or invoice and I haven't contacted him to ask for a breakdown of costs... yet)

No quote was provided?
No invoice was given?

How was the extent of the work agreed without a quote?

How was the final costs presented without an invoice,

How were the costs paid, did your Father have £13k under his mattress?

Banks won't release this sort of money especially to the elderly without very good reason.

How was the contractor paid?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Given the information above does anyone have a ballpark figure of what a reasonable quote would be?

It sounds ridiculous. Call it top-side - £2K scaff, £1.5K materials, that leaves £10.5K split 6ways = £1,750 each, for a days work. Does that sound sensible?

 

[ecartboss]

No quote was provided?
No invoice was given?

How was the extent of the work agreed without a quote?

How was the final costs presented without an invoice,

How were the costs paid, did your Father have £13k under his mattress?

Banks won't release this sort of money especially to the elderly without very good reason.

How was the contractor paid?

Hi, thanks for your reply. I didn't want to make my initial post too long and rambling so I omitted some information. I'll add a bit more context now...

Initially my father's roof had a small leak so wanted that fixing but also as birds were getting into the loft space he wanted bird guards fitting as well. The guy who came out quoted by email £3,000 for the job, that includes scaffolding, waste, labor and also new guttering.

When the scaffolding was erected the guy came back out and now said the roof was damaged where the birds had been getting in and he recommended having the felt and batons replaced on the whole roof. He said verbally this was an additional £10,000 on top of the £3,000. I don't know what went on during this conversation but my father agreed verbally to this and the next day the work was done. At the end of that day the guy sent over his bank details and my father bank transferred the money (a huge chunk of his retirement savings). He never received an invoice for the work and never received a written quote for the additional work.

The £3,000 seems fair for the initial work but with the scaffolding already being in place I'm trying to justify where the additional £10,000 has come from, it seems like a rip-off to me. A team of 5 or 6 guys working for 1 day, the only materials needed being felt and batons? £10,000?

(Also it gets worse as a ridge tile is missing and the guttering has not been replaced even though that was on the quote. My father never checked the work before he paid, but that's a separate issue. I will be assisting my father with getting this sorted).

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

He has a gable end 3-bed detached house.

Not clear on what a gable end detached is? Is that two roof faces, or more?

(Also it gets worse as a ridge tile is missing and the guttering has not been replaced even though that was on the quote. My father never checked the work before he paid, but that's a separate issue. I will be assisting my father with getting this sorted).

I'll bet, your only way of contacting them, is a mobile number, or email. Most other payment methods, can be clawed back, but not cash, or a direct bank to bank transfer, but at least you have a traceable account number. I would take this up with Trading Standards, but you need to get to TS, via the CAB, when they reopen. Get as much detail down in writing, in the meantime.

 

[Justin Passing]

Your £3k plus some for bits, of which there weren't many, sounds ballpark about right to me, based on £300 per man per day plus extra for the boss. Plus scaffolding.
No quote then no contract...

 

[Murdochcat]

Ripped off 100%

 

[Notch7]

When the scaffolding was erected the guy came back out and now said the roof was damaged where the birds had been getting in and he recommended having the felt and batons replaced on the whole roof. He said verbally this was an additional £10,000 on top of the £3,000.

That’s a classic roof scam.

Tell the customer the roof has more damage than was originally thought then charge a fortune.

Have you noticed how the additional work required very little materials?

 

[Notch7]

How did your Dad get source the roofer?

Did he contact checkatrade or similar online?

 

[ecartboss]

Not clear on what a gable end detached is? Is that two roof faces, or more?



I'll bet, your only way of contacting them, is a mobile number, or email. Most other payment methods, can be clawed back, but not cash, or a direct bank to bank transfer, but at least you have a traceable account number. I would take this up with Trading Standards, but you need to get to TS, via the CAB, when they reopen. Get as much detail down in writing, in the meantime.

Hi Harry - Thanks for your reply.
Yes there's just two roof faces.

There is an email address and mobile number for the guy. I've got my father to write down everything so we have a record and I will take your advice and contact the CAB.

Judging by your reply and the replies of others it does sound like he's been ripped off.

I'm not sure what Trading Standards can do about it though as my father says he verbally agreed to the work and has already paid it by bank transfer. He's elderly and didn't realise he was being ripped off and unfortunately didn't run it past me first.

If nothing else I'm sure TS will be interested to hear that there was no invoice, plus no quote for the bulk of the work.

 

[ecartboss]

How did your Dad get source the roofer?

Did he contact checkatrade or similar online?

There was an advert in a local free magazine which came through the letterbox.
No he didn't do any other checks.


I'm hoping to meet this guy when (if) he comes back to fix the ridge tile and do the guttering. It'll be interesting to see what he's got to say about it. I want to name and shame him but I'll see what he's got to say first.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'm not sure what Trading Standards can do about it though as my father says he verbally agreed to the work and has already paid it by bank transfer. He's elderly and didn't realise he was being ripped off and unfortunately didn't run it past me first.

If nothing else I'm sure TS will be interested to hear that there was no invoice, plus no quote for the bulk of the work.

The cost must be reasonable, for the work actually done. Fairly obviously, this is not the case, your father has been deliberately taken for a fool, over the work, so TS can take the trader to court. The fact your elderly father agreed to it, has nothing to do with it - the work, for the money charged, must be reasonable.
and

I'm hoping to meet this guy when (if) he comes back to fix the ridge tile and do the guttering. It'll be interesting to see what he's got to say about it. I want to name and shame him but I'll see what he's got to say first.

He will not be back, he will be untraceable. TS/police, might be able to trace him via the bank account details.

 

[SPLINE]

I have known two people have re-roofs done in the past year (new felt, battens and flashing, old tiles re-used) and the price was between £5K and £6K in each case. Two roof faces.

 

[Murdochcat]

Back to the OP - what you do immediately is leave some constructive on line reviews pointing out this contractors underhand methods