Repairing settlement cracks.

[cocoots100]

Just wanted to field this question to all you decorators out there.

About a year ago I decorated a renovated house from top to bottom, including a large new build extension. A year on, and the client has called me back to fix all the settlement cracks which have appeared, mainly in areas of new plaster and around coving to wall/ceiling and some around timber to plaster joins.
My question is, do I charge for my time to fix or would you consider it part of the original price? There was no mention of the "returning in the future to fix any cracks that would appear" in the original spec, so just wondered if you guys and gals have been in this situation and what you did.

 

[joe-90]

You charge as if it was just another job. His plaster isn't your problem.

 

[dcdec]

This is the exact reason why the pro's amongst us have T & C's.

Settlement cracks in new build are common and you should have explained to the client at the time and agreed a course of action should they appear.

But if i was you i would be thinking

Did i get a tip?

Did i get any further work from the client or from a recommendation?

Generous with the tea and biscuits?

Any more work likely in the future?

Doesn't hurt sometimes to look after those who look after you, if not charge for an afternoon

 

[Bosswhite]

Customers are funny creatures, you have probably done a brilliant job on his House,
But try and charge him an afternoons labour to fill in the cracks and your reputation could be "shot to smithereens"

Might be worthwhile making the filling in a goodwill gesture one afternoon when you are not too busy.

 

[cocoots100]

Thanks all who replied. It has helped me in deciding what to do. (ie Not to charge). As an afternoon's free work can only add a positive slant to the business, whereas if you charge for a repair, it may potentially have a negative effect on the business.
Sometimes a little goodwill can repay itself in a big way.

Cheers all!

 

[joe-90]

I bet they are loaded. The stingey ones always are.

 

[cocoots100]

joe-90, yes they are very much. Funny that, eh!

 

[opps]

The problem with offering a free afternoon is that you risk it becoming 2 free days or a week (depending on the size of the job).

And where do you draw the line? If plasterboard screws/nails have popped do you put new ones in before filling and recoating? When the client points out that you can see the difference in sheen around the edges do you repaint the whole wall?

Do you pay for materials? If the client has left the paint outdoors and the frost has trashed it, you get more mixed but have colour variations?

When the stairwell stringers drop again next year do you go back again?

Do you also repaint where the cleaner or kids have scuffed the walls whilst your there?

The chppy didn't glue the mitres on the architrave, do you repaint all of the doorways again?

That said, if you were the main builder and responsible for the other trades then the buck stops with you. It would be unfair to expect a decorator to take on the responsibility purely by virtue that he was the last of the trades (unless the said decorator had factored returning into his costs).

I try to warn clients about timber shrinkage etc and talk them out of using stoopidly expensive wall paper in attic conversions/new builds for a year or two until things have settled.

There are some clients that I go to great lengths to keep happy but that is because I like them. I don't charge enough to entitle any client to expect my serfdom or servitude.

It's a tough call.