Paying Electrician - Installments

[Risteard]

If I'm wrong someone will correct me, but AFAIK the former, "Approved Contractor", is much less trivial than DI, and does require "proper" City & Guilds qualifications.

It is the firm rather than the Electrician who is registered as an NICEIC Approved Contractor. However the firm will have (a) Qualifying Supervisor(s) (who most hold relevant technical qualifications) and of course a Principal Duty Holder (who is the boss). NICEIC Approved Contractors are required to have sufficient insurance; copies of relevant Standards; Health & Safety Policy; Risk Assessments etc. and are audited on all of this, and also inspected on their work and assessed.

It is - as you rightly suggest - not trivial.

 

[Echo the husky]

Most decent companies don't ask for anything until completed, unless it's a job running into months. Perhaps that's just how it works around here. Someone asking for money up front is unusual and suspicious around here, lol.

I was just thinking that, must be a Devon thing!

 

[Taylortwocities]

If you are a one-man self-employed electrician then cashflow is very important. When I was in that position, I always asked for up front and stage payments.

Never had a refusal.

 

[Lectrician]

Cash flow is exactly why we all get offered 30-60 day terms at merchants....

 

[Taylortwocities]

True, but more cashflow in my direction is better

 

[JohnW2]

Cash flow is exactly why we all get offered 30-60 day terms at merchants....

Indeed, and that's why I'm always suspicious of tradespeople who present a sob story in an attempt to get an up-front payment "to cover materials". If they are not doing enough work to have credit account(s) with suppliers, then I have to wonder how much work they are actually doing (hence how much experience they have)!

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

On the other hand, a relative was building an extension for a client just before the last recession. He was about £12k out of pocket when the client was made redundant, with no payoff so he was unable to pay.

 

[JohnW2]

On the other hand, a relative was building an extension for a client just before the last recession. He was about £12k out of pocket when the client was made redundant, with no payoff so he was unable to pay.

Yes, that can happen. More than once I have lost out in a fairly big way when a client company suddenly (and unexpectedly, as far as I was concerned) went into liquidation at a time when they owed me quite a lot for work I had already done.

When, as in your example, the work is taking place over an appreciable period of time and the total sums involved are fairly large, it's not unreasonable to expect some sort of 'staged payments' - not the least to minimise the effects of happenings such as you mention. However, in the context of domestic electrical work, the sums involved are relatively modest, and the work is usually done quickly enough that a change in the customer's circumstances during that period is very unlikely.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Midas Man]

My 30 day credit facilities are exactly that. MINE. NOT THE CUSTOMER I'M WORKING FOR!
If the customer supplied the materials then the probability is they've paid up front.

If I supply the materials then the customer STILL PAYS UP FRONT!

 

[JohnW2]

If the customer supplied the materials then the probability is they've paid up front.

Not if they're sensible. These days, they would usually buy them with a credit card which gives them at least '30 days free credit'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Adam_151]

Most decent companies don't ask for anything until completed, unless it's a job running into months. Perhaps that's just how it works around here. Someone asking for money up front is unusual and suspicious around here, lol.

I think that's pretty standard Lec

Generally on smaller jobs the invoice gets posted out with the certificate with 30 day payment terms. Larger jobs spanning many months and going into 10s of 1000s get invoiced on a monthly basis for stage payments, its not unusual for a small amount of the contract value to be held until after 12 months following handover - to cover the warranty period

 

[Midas Man]

Fook that warranty percentage. My warranty is based on trust. Give me all my money upon completion.

 

[JohnW2]

Fook that warranty percentage. My warranty is based on trust. Give me all my money upon completion.

As a matter of interest, do you often take on "10s of £1000s" contracts?

Kind Regards, John

 

[Midas Man]

If the customer supplied the materials then the probability is they've paid up front.

Not if they're sensible. These days, they would usually buy them with a credit card which gives them at least '30 days free credit'.

Kind Regards, John

Whether it's credit or not, they've still used accessible funds.

 

[Midas Man]

Fook that warranty percentage. My warranty is based on trust. Give me all my money upon completion.

As a matter of interest, do you often take on "10s of £1000s" contracts?

Kind Regards, John

Over the year, yes.

My terms are my terms. They are not negotiable.

I don't need the work otherwise.