Am I about to be ripped off?

goon_bde · 4 Jul 2007

Hi, i'm new and new to all matters roofing, any help gratefully received.

I had some work done today and i think the charges seem excessive. I haven't paid yet.

Firstly, i was quoted £320 for:

6x3 Storm porched to be hot-torched/refelted
1 x Ridge tile to be replaced and others repointed
and 12 inches (ish) of bottom of gable end re-cemented

When they started the job they said chimney needed repointing (1960s semi) i wasn't there so couldn't check, but the neighbours do look dodgy.

I've now received invoice for £550, an extra £230 just to repoint a chimney?

They started at 830 and were gone by 330pm....is this right?

This seems excessive?

Thanks

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

How many people?

Did they provide/use scaffolding?

What was the split of labour and materials?

And a slightly less relevant question - were they recommended to you?

big-all · 5 Jul 2007

did they cold call you at the door step!!!

did you answer a flyer !!!!

did you get it in writing !!!!

was the start date seperate to the written quote date!!!!

in general they must give it in writing and give you time to think about it unless you instigated the transaction and agree with the terms supplied for them to start

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/Doorstep-selling/index.html

goon_bde · 5 Jul 2007

Softus said:
How many people?

Did they provide/use scaffolding?

What was the split of labour and materials?

And a slightly less relevant question - were they recommended to you?

2 of them, but only one seemed to be doing the work.

No scaffolding, just a ladder.

They weren't recommended to me, but a well established local company, been going for about 20yrs.

I didn't see them do the chimney or storm-porch roof, but i watched him do the cementing on the Gable end, that took him about 10 mins.

I thought the original quote was OK, and perhaps another £30ish for the chimney?

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

Looking at the whole job, for that amount of time you should expect to pay one day of work for each of two people, plus materials, and it looks as though you have. It might be slightly high, but I wouldn't say outlandish or that you've been stiffed.

On the other and, I don't know why the original quote was so low. If £550 was definitely a quote, and not an estimate, and definitely included materials, and VAT, then I would politely ask them why the chimney cost an extra £230.

goon_bde · 5 Jul 2007

Softus said:
On the other and, I don't know why the original quote was so low. If £550 was definitely a quote, and not an estimate, and definitely included materials, and VAT, then I would politely ask them why the chimney cost an extra £230.

£340 was a written quote, not incl chimney. I think that he's forgotten that he included the ridge tiles in the original quote and has added it on again.

I'll speak to him and suggest a £400 which i think is a fair amount for 3 hrs work!!

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

goon_bde said:
I'll speak to him and suggest a £400 which i think is a fair amount for 3 hrs work!!

I don't understand - it was 7 hours of time (minus lunch) for 2 people.
That's at least 14 hours, not 3.

What you think is fair doesn't necessarily come into it, so be careful with your approach - given the subject of this topic you're in danger of being presumptuous. This could be a simple error, not an attempt to cheat money out of you.

goon_bde · 5 Jul 2007

Softus said:
goon_bde said:

I'll speak to him and suggest a £400 which i think is a fair amount for 3 hrs work!!

Click to expand...

I don't understand - it was 7 hours of time (minus lunch) for 2 people.
That's at least 14 hours, not 3.

OK, fairpoint, 2 blokes even if only one was working. I guess there's also the materials that they used, some felt, a bucket of cement and a strip of lead for the front of the storm porch.

So if the materials were £80 that's still £160 each for half a days work.

((Spoke to neighbour, he said that they didn't get there til 9am and sat in van for over an hour as it was raining!!!))

Where as at £550, minus materials, thats £235 each for (max) 5 hours = £50 p/h is this the going rate for a roofer...if so i'm changing jobs...

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

goon_bde said:
So if the materials were £80 that's still £160 each for less than half a days work.

9am to 3.30pm isn't "less than half a day"!

Also, if you booked them for work that couldn't be done in the rain, then what are they supposed to do if it's raining?

Also, after leaving leave you at 3.30pm, get back to base, unload whatever they need to, do your invoice, how much time do you suppose is left for doing any more work that day?

I'm fast losing sympathy with you because of your attitude towards this. If you book people who charge for their time and services then you play by their rules, not ones that you invent after the work is completed.

goon_bde · 5 Jul 2007

Softus said:
goon_bde said:

So if the materials were £80 that's still £160 each for less than half a days work.

Click to expand...

9am to 3.30pm isn't "less than half a day"!

Well i start work at 8 and finish at 6, that's 10 hours, 5 is half of 10!

Softus, i'm not asking for sympathy, i'm a fair man and very hardworking, i treat people well and never rip people off.

I could have done this jop myself had i have had the ladders and the time.

My dispute is 2 fold, firstly being billed for something twice when i've already been quoted on it, and secondly being asked to pay £550 for services when what doesn't appear much to be much work.

Aside from the felt roof on the storm porch, how much would you estimate to:

Fix 1 x ridge tile,
recement 12 inches of a gable end
and repoint a small (2-3ft) chimney?

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

goon_bde said:
Well i start work at 8 and finish at 6, that's 10 hours, 5 is half of 10!

This has nothing whatsoever to do with what hours you work.

Softus, i'm not asking for sympathy, i'm a fair man and very hardworking, i treat people well and never rip people off.

In that case, for "sympathy", read "patience", or whatever you are asking for, because I'm getting short of it.

I could have done this jop myself had i have had the ladders and the time.

How, pray, since you said you're new to all matters roofing.

My dispute is 2 fold, firstly being billed for something twice when i've already been quoted on it...

You're not in a bleeding dispute, you merely need to ask them to explain the extra charge and ask them, nicely, if they've made a mistake! FFS.

...and secondly being asked to pay £550 for services when what doesn't appear much to be much work.

When you buy the ladders, a van, the materials, learn how to do the job, employ someone to help you (which, BTW is required for safety under current legislation), then you can say how much work you think it should be.

Aside from the felt roof on the storm porch, how much would you estimate to:

Fix 1 x ridge tile,
recement 12 inches of a gable end
and repoint a small (2-3ft) chimney?

Why have you not read the forum rules - do you need a ladder and some spare time?

freddiemercurystwin · 5 Jul 2007

goon_bde said:
Softus, i'm not asking for sympathy

Word of friendly advice goon_bde, please don't waste time responding to Softus, he likes his little mind games.

Isn't that right Softus?

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

freddymercurystwin said:
Word of friendly advice goon_bde, please don't waste time responding to Softus, he likes his little mind games. Isn't that right Softus?

I know where you're coming from fmt, but I don't think this is one of those situations.

If you, or anyone else, wants to take over at this point then I'll happily duck out. I've had enough of this pratt now.

goon_bde · 5 Jul 2007

Softlad...Thanks for your kind words of wisdom...

Is it normal to rest ladders on guttering, leave nails protruding and just leave rotten crumbling timber in place...or, as i suspect were these blokes a couple of clowns trying to take me for a ride...

Softlad, anything else you'd like to offer, unless you think that this is normal too, afterall they only charge £50p/h, about the same as a qualified brain surgeon, which you could probably use!

Softus · 5 Jul 2007

And.......there it is.

diynot

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Am I about to be ripped off?

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