Leak in newbuild, plumber won't come back

ptphome · 31 Mar 2020

Hi all,

I'm a small scale house builder and have employed a company to install all plumbing and heating system to 2 new-build houses. The houses sold a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately one of the house buyers has already reported a leak (30.3.20) coming from bathroom into living room below. Wet plasterboard and water coming down walls they have stopped using this bathroom until it is sorted (fortunately it's a 2 bathroom house). They will vacate the house while while the plumbers sort to avoid catching or giving coronavirus.

Plumbing company I have used are not answering calls or responding to emails. However, today I received the below 'out of office reply'.

Hello,

Thank you for contacting XXX

Due to the current Covid 19 outbreak we are temporarily closed.

Currently we expecting services to be resumed on Tuesday 14th April.

If you have work booked in with us that cannot take place at the
moment please be assured that we will contact you to rearrange this
work to be completed as soon as possible.

Emails and phone calls will not be seen until 14th April.

In the meantime if your boiler breaks down contact your boiler
manufacturer for advice.

If you experience a leak which you cannot catch in a container or soak
up with a towel, turn off the water and call your home insurance
company for advice.

In the meantime stay safe and well.

Kind regards

I know we are in the middle of a pandemic however to say 'emails and calls will not be seen' and 'contact your insurer' are not exactly helpful. I have spent a lot of money through them and to not even return calls or attempt to try and send a plumber around is poor. If i show their email to the buyer of the house he will laugh in my face. Surely any insurer will say a plumber needs to come out asap before it gets worse?

Please can I get all your thoughts?!

terryplumb · 31 Mar 2020

In the current situation we all find ourselves in it doesnt surprise me that some companies have told employees to stay at home.
There are still some tradesmen ,plumbers ,electricians etc working.
I would suggest you try to engage another company or plumber to sort out the leak and sort out who is responsible later.

muggles · 31 Mar 2020

ptphome said:
Hi all,
If i show their email to the buyer of the house he will laugh in my face.

As long as he doesn't cough in your face you'll probably be OK. If your normal company is closed then they're closed, and it's not unreasonable for them to be that way for the safety of their staff. Yes, they could probably answer emails and phone calls individually, but they're only going to tell you the same thing as the email tells you, so there's little point. Your insurers might have their own emergency plumbing service who are available. Alternatively, as Terry has suggested, simply call another company

HERTS P&D · 31 Mar 2020

There are loads of plumbers still working, have a ring around. Just make sure you a receipt to pass onto the other company.

They would be silly not to sort it out, as they wouldn't get any other work from you.

Andy

endecotp · 31 Mar 2020

ptphome said:
to say 'emails and calls will not be seen' and 'contact your insurer' are not exactly helpful.

Are they a limited company, with PAYE employees?

The government scheme pays 80% of the employees’ salaries, but only if they are not doing any work at all for the company. If you want to retain someone to work e.g. a couple of hours a day from home to reply to emails and do the books on reduced pay, then you don’t get ANYTHING from the scheme for that employee.

It’s a hard decision. (Nothing to do with building, but) I’m the sole employee of a limited company and I am currently still working; but once sales drops below 80% of normal it would be better to stop entirely (not pay suppliers etc.) to qualify for the support.

On the other hand, if they are a partnership or sole trader they can get 80% of what they were earning before AND still do as much “essential” or from-home work as they can.

Notch7 · 31 Mar 2020

ptphome said:
Please can I get all your thoughts?

If you can find another company I suppose you could get the leak fixed but if you do so its best if you contact your contractor and tell them if they dont respond to the emergency you will engage somebody else.

dont be too hard on them -its difficult for us all, but I can see your house buyer cant be expected to wait for a long time. Would this not be covered by their house insurance?

Gasguru · 31 Mar 2020

Phone around the other trades you had in and see if they know someone that could take a look....or diy it.

muggles · 31 Mar 2020

endecotp said:
On the other hand, if they are a ..... sole trader they can get 80% of what they were earning before AND still do as much “essential” or from-home work as they can.

Sole traders get sod-all until June at the earliest, so yes we're having to carry on working whether we really want to or not. When it finally does kick in, we get a grant payment, which is taxed (so they give you a grant then take some of it away again) and it'll just about cover business running expenses and buying food. It ain't all rosy

Johnny Allround · 31 Mar 2020

Hello ptphome, priority must be given to the family in the new build. Is there an isolation valve for that bathroom, the longer this is left the worse it becomes. Plumbing and heating companies are on the key workers list for attending emergencies so your contractor can attend should they wish to

utside contractors might not want to put somebody else’s job right, whichever way it’s going to cost you as your warranties will still be in place. Trying to find a solution to recommend to you. Is there anybody else you trade with that can assist?

KenGMac · 31 Mar 2020

Your Insurer may??? assist by sending out an "Emergency plumber" but, because it is a new build they are within their rights to reject the claim siting poor workmanship?

Another But is even the Insurance Companies contractors may be on lock down, for all of the reasons we are all well aware of

Ken

HERTS P&D · 31 Mar 2020

I carry out work for insurance companies, I'm still working!

Andy

CBW · 31 Mar 2020

Do you know if it only leaks whilst using the bath or all the time?

HERTS P&D · 31 Mar 2020

Where's the OP gone?

Andy

CBW · 31 Mar 2020

HERTS P&D said:
Where's the OP gone?

Andy

Might be having a go themselves ......

HERTS P&D · 31 Mar 2020

The Novice said:
Might be having a go themselves ......

Or trying to find a plumber.

Andy

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Leak in newbuild, plumber won't come back

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