Your T & Cs relating to security on site

[WabbitPoo]

What's your position on the security of stuff delivered to site? I have never had a lot nicked off site (only some of my own tools) but I do appreciate materials are liable to go walkies when I am not there. I now get a client to pay up front as a deposit the cost of all the big stuff (bricks and slabs mainly - ie things that might get pinched) so if it goes missing I don't have to get my insurance to pay up. To me this seems reasonable but some don't like it.

How do you handle this, and how do you word your contracts?

Help appreciated.

 

[Thermo]

The only thing ive had nicked is stuff put in skips! I always ask for a booking deposit when people agree to the quote and a cheque on the first day to cover the main bulk of the materials. If they dont agree to it then i dont do the work. The main reason i do it is so i know they will definetly open their chequebook!

 

[noseall]

we rely upon stage payments.

a payment becomes due as soon as a stage is passed by building control.

interim money is made available for 'other' folks, i.e. grabloaders, digger and dumper hire, skips etc.
but, we don't receive any until b.c. have approved our work.

 

[heatingman]

My T&C state payment on completion, all material and goods remain my property untill paid for.
If you can't/don't want to pay, I'll take it out, without draining down!
Never had to do it, but come close a couple of times, until I point out T&C.

 

[^woody^]

If your materials are left on the clients property then they become liable for them. The materials remain your property until incorporated into the job (ie built into the clients property)

So you don't need any specific terms in the contract, as the above stands unless you agree other terms instead.

So if the bricks left on the open front garden go walkies, then the client is responsible for the replacement or reimbursement.

Typically the client is not aware of their responsibility, so it is prudent to have a reminder in the documentation somewhere, just as a reminder

 

[WabbitPoo]

Some good advice. Thanks