Builder charging huge prices for specific work as he has control of house and doesn’t want other contractors in

[Haplessdiy]

The provisionals are mostly end stages of the build - kitchen, joinery, sanitaryware. Only the staircase has been quoted on so far.
Hardwood timber stairs - provisional £15k

Actual spec - Bottom boxed section made up of wood, plywood and cement board ready for cement coating (not incl.) 5 steps.
Top return - 8 step single stringer with softwood treads. Stringer requires concrete pad. Suggested removing all floorboards from below existing stairs and infilling with concrete to support the new base.
Balustrades - 34x69mm spindles
See image attached which is very similar to how it should appear (only double width at base - ledges sitting under stair return only)
Quoted price - £27k

 

[Haplessdiy]

All wood softwood joinery grade and whitewashed.

 

[johnny2007]

For £27k i would want a staircase made of the finest marble.
Kick him out or you'll be bankrupt.

 

[Haplessdiy]

Like I said in my original post - I feel I am being held over a barrel

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You just tell him to use a cheaper supplier or lower the spec.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Are you trolling? You've said a couple of things that don't seem to make much if any sense.

Loads of extras being added as they were missed off original quote - removal of walls, removal of dormers etc.
But given how many walls were coming down I didn’t look to check he included everything.

As others have touched on, how the heck can things like the removal of walls and dormers etc be missed when you're going through the requirement with the builder? Assuming you accurately and comprehensively went through the requirement, if they've 'missed them' and are now saying it'll cost you £x extra, I'd cease any further involvement with them.

Then you say given how many walls were coming down you didn't look to check everything was included. Eh?!?

If you're a genuine poster, others have given their advice. Stop using the services of this builder now. If you just keep on replying with 'the works have started, they have me over a barrel' the thread just becomes a ping pong of opinions.

 

[blup]

The provisionals are mostly end stages of the build - kitchen, joinery, sanitaryware. Only the staircase has been quoted on so far.
Hardwood timber stairs - provisional £15k

Actual spec - Bottom boxed section made up of wood, plywood and cement board ready for cement coating (not incl.) 5 steps.
Top return - 8 step single stringer with softwood treads. Stringer requires concrete pad. Suggested removing all floorboards from below existing stairs and infilling with concrete to support the new base.
Balustrades - 34x69mm spindles
See image attached which is very similar to how it should appear (only double width at base - ledges sitting under stair return only)
Quoted price - £27k

View attachment 320164View attachment 320164

How much of the £27k is for the materials i.e. the staircase?

Blup

 

[Haplessdiy]

The 27k is for the staircase.
£6750 for concrete base, pad foundation and steel stringer - reasonable.
£6500 for build up of wooden base - for micro cement finish (by others). Seems very high for basic wood build up.
£3500 for 8 softwood treads to top half. ‍
£10,500 for wooden spindles and ballustrade to landing.

I haven’t asked how much the actual materials vs labour is.

 

[Haplessdiy]

Strange symbol. Apologies

 

[johnny2007]

The 27k is for the staircase.
£6750 for concrete base, pad foundation and steel stringer - reasonable.
£6500 for build up of wooden base - for micro cement finish (by others). Seems very high for basic wood build up.
£3500 for 8 softwood treads to top half. ‍
£10,500 for wooden spindles and ballustrade to landing.

I haven’t asked how much the actual materials vs labour is.

This is well over the top.
Sack him.

 

[blup]

The 27k is for the staircase.
£6750 for concrete base, pad foundation and steel stringer - reasonable.
£6500 for build up of wooden base - for micro cement finish (by others). Seems very high for basic wood build up.
£3500 for 8 softwood treads to top half. ‍
£10,500 for wooden spindles and ballustrade to landing.

I haven’t asked how much the actual materials vs labour is.

 

[Kingo206]

Sounds like he thinks you're a footballer and has added Man City tax on top of anything he quotes.

 

[robinbanks]

Yeah, it's hardly a generic "input your total rise and number of treads and in 3 weeks we'll ship you a 42 degree MDF and pine staircase you can bolt in and cover with carpet" affair though is it? Perhaps more a case of wanting the very best but don't like the price tag? 8 years ago I was getting quotes of 20k in for huge chunky hardwood bespoke stairs and I realised I was off my rocker. Paid a local joinery firm 3k for a bespoke thing made out of kitchen worktop and it gets a lot of attention at a fraction of the price. Still think 3k is a bit potty for stairs but I'm making another set the same myself, and the price rise is astonishing - I could pay 130 quid for a 4m length of beech 8 years ago, I paid 180 three years ago and the same supplier now wants 255 for the same thing

If this caper hs been going on for 3 years you can't realistically hold a builder to anything they quoted 3 years ago. These days you're hard pushed to find someone who will let a quote remain valid for 3 weeks, such are the fluctuations in prices. Materials are mostly 50% more than they were in 2020

I think you need a reset. Get him paid up to date for everything that has been done so far (if you've had someone on a job for 3 years they can't be that hard to work with) and then start project managing this a bit better, break it down into sub projects - staircase is one. Cost it out and pay for it to be done, move onto the next thing. Highly doubt the original contract gives the contractor veto on any works by suppliers they don't choose/approve but if it does, terminate that contract and start another that gives you more control.

It's your project, and your money, you need to start taking control of it. If you don't want that - I.e you want to clear off to Barbados for a couple of months and come back to it finished then it's gonna be a big punch on the nose financially

 

[Notch7]

The 27k is for the staircase.
£6750 for concrete base, pad foundation and steel stringer - reasonable.
£6500 for build up of wooden base - for micro cement finish (by others). Seems very high for basic wood build up.
£3500 for 8 softwood treads to top half. ‍
£10,500 for wooden spindles and ballustrade to landing.

I haven’t asked how much the actual materials vs labour is.

the picture shows a highly bespoke staircase that will take a long time to set out and construct

Im not sure what the treads are - are they supported by the spindles or are they cantilever?

 

[Notch7]

Hardwood timber stairs - provisional £15k

He probably quoted for a standard Stringer staircase from his usual joinery firm or staircase maker and a ballpark for his carpenters to do a standard fit.