Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Title says it all Try where ever possible to do it myself but not always feasible . ’Fixed price’ is a myth ‘ It’s a lot of work will take 3 days ‘ . So it either takes 1 day or 2 weeks to finish Corners that can’t be cut always are Cost is always insulting! Cost always starts at least twice as high as you estimate ‘Tradesman’ who has been doing it for 30 years , seems to sometimes know less than you Argument always happens over work and payment Usually ends in verbal confrontation or a fight . Perhaps i’m Just unlucky ; perhaps my avatar photo attracts the wrong crowd ? Apologies to fair and reasonable tradesmen on this site . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 It is hard to be omni competent though so sometimes you have to rely on others. Although on reflection I allow other people to run the country and I recon they would give even the most awful tradesperson a run for your money against the criteria you describe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 The building trade does not seem to be very professional. If it was regulated like banking, insurance or government procurement it would be so much better. Maybe that is where they come from. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Just now, SteamyTea said: The building trade does not seem to be very professional. If it was regulated like banking, insurance or government procurement it would be so much better. Maybe that is where they come from. It’s like the Wild West . Just cowboys everywhere. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I completely agree it is an unregulated shambles BUT If it was all fully regulated with warranties on everything you wouldn’t want to pay the correct price. You would then then have a thread saying why is everything so expensive. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 2 hours ago, pocster said: Title says it all Try where ever possible to do it myself but not always feasible . ’Fixed price’ is a myth ‘ It’s a lot of work will take 3 days ‘ . So it either takes 1 day or 2 weeks to finish Corners that can’t be cut always are Cost is always insulting! Cost always starts at least twice as high as you estimate ‘Tradesman’ who has been doing it for 30 years , seems to sometimes know less than you Argument always happens over work and payment Usually ends in verbal confrontation or a fight . Perhaps i’m Just unlucky ; perhaps my avatar photo attracts the wrong crowd ? Apologies to fair and reasonable tradesmen on this site . Have a look at Spons It will tell you exactly how much you should be paying Trouble is most Trademen don’t care what the builders bible says Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 28 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: I completely agree it is an unregulated shambles BUT If it was all fully regulated with warranties on everything you wouldn’t want to pay the correct price. You would then then have a thread saying why is everything so expensive. True But ‘labour’ seems insanely expensive anyway - regardless of quality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I hate the amount of incompetence in the business. There are people trading who are worse than me at doing some of the work and that's saying something! I've pretty much lost confidence in most of them TBH and am very wary about having people out now. Then there are those who charge way too much (eg 1k for a job that took him circa 2 half days). I don't mind paying, I just want to pay the right amount for the job and have someone competent to do the work. I had the cock plumber who charged me £700 to fit some completely unnecessary equipment that simply got ripped out when Nick and Peter came here. It also took me 5 months to get the electrical certificate from the electricians. I paid the bill and they didn't send the certificate. I chased and chased and was simply ignored. In the end I had to involve SELECT and they gave me some advice and said to tell the guy that I had been in contact with them and they would step in if I didn't get the certificate. It still took me another month or so to get the damn thing. Surely that should be part of the job? The invoice stated that the certificate would be issued on payment but once he had the cash he couldn't be arsed. His excuse - too busy! I couldn't do without it as I had to provide the certificate to the council for sign off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 For every 1 tidy tradesperson there are 10 piss-taking arseholes who own tools but don't know how to use them. My biggest frustration ( on the customers behalf ) is trades who have no concept of follow on trade to trade continuity, and whom just do the job to suit getting back in the van the quickest. Plumbers who clip pipes and fit sinks to untiled or even unplastered walls, electricians who run 25 vertical chases in a kitchen first fix so you can't even DREAM of fitting a wall bracket as the spark doesn't have any concept of 300 / 400 / 600 mm modular units and the safe bit in the middle, plasterer's who put more plaster at the edges and bottoms of the walls than is in the middle, just cos it's easier not to lay on evenly when bending or reaching, the list goes on. I feel for those who don't know what to ask or what signs to look out for in order to spot a wanker before they can do any more harm. I get VERY pissed off when I get called out to a £20k wetroom ( that's falling apart because it's been fitted by a blind, pissed psycho with a £15 B&Q degree ) and offer to redo the whole room, supply and fit, for less than £6k, and the husband ( accountant ) and the wife ( solicitor ) look at ME as if I'm trying to rob them, JUST BECAUSE THE LAST PRICK ACTUALLY DID ROB THEM, and send me packing. So yes, trades can be @@@@@ and your rant is with merit. Fill your boots lad, fill your boots. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: For every 1 tidy tradesperson there are 10 piss-taking arseholes who own tools but don't know how to use them. And my biggest problem is not being able to spot the pee-taking ar4eholes. On the contrary I seem to attract the feckers! If I do get someone competent I want to lock them in the house and prevent them from leaving until they've completed every job that needs doing 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Have to be honest once what I saw at a friends amazed me . They were having a new kitchen fitted and the so called electrician had wired ‘shortest’ route . He literally have wires crossing the wall ; not vertical from sockets . I wet myself laughing when I saw it . Sparky got angry and asked what was so funny . I said how the (expletive deleted) are you meant to fix any units ? . Guess where the wire is ??? He then got a bit pissy . So I told him on my friends behalf ( who seemed unaware of the issue ) to (expletive deleted) off . I believe he was paid ‘ up to date ‘ . Then the wiring was ripped out and done correctly. I thought it was just common sense ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexphd1 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) Although we have done 95% of the work ourselves the few trades we have had have been been very good apart from the window fitters who where contracted by the window suppliers. I got a eye opener how poor some trades could be with them . The window fitters got very aggresive when quality of work was questioned, they just wanted paid (I pay supplier, supplier pays them) and on the next job. The few times I have used spons as a guide for trades it's been a waste of time. The good trades say the hourly rate and I don't negotiate I either accept or decline their services, I don't want somebody unhappy before they start. Edited June 3, 2018 by Alexphd1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) 22 minutes ago, newhome said: If I do get someone competent I want to lock them in the house and prevent them from leaving until they've completed every job that needs doing I appreciate that it is no help to you but my wife's got one of those but I still find ways of leaving the jobs around the house un done.??? Edited June 3, 2018 by MikeSharp01 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexphd1 Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) I think a lot of the problem comes from poor standards of what's accepted on large developments. We had 6 joiners from glasgow stay with us (b&b) working on 100+ home development and they where blaming the internal door kits been off for the doors not hanging 'properly'. I also have a strong feeling our window fitters where more used to large sites than single high spec builds. Edited June 3, 2018 by Alexphd1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) Problem is my mind set changes . Basically before anyone turns up for the quote I think lieing , bullshitting sack of shit . Usually I still think that by the end of their ‘ sales pitch ‘ . Cynic in me does the same with prospective tenants . Though the last one really threw me , rape , self harm , drugs, knife attacks ; what shit I must consume on a daily basis . Yum yum !????? Edited June 3, 2018 by pocster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 5 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: I appreciate that it is no help to you but my wife's got one of those but I still find ways of leaving the jobs around the house un done.??? Ha ha, doesn't work with OHs. Mine was the same. I learnt to live with it save for a few meltdowns that achieved feck all . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Interesting thread, speaking as an electrician. In all the time I have been a sole trader I have never had a falling out with a customer (falling out with another trade yes, that's another story) I think the lesson from this is seek personal recommendations. Almost all my work comes that way, I don't advertise now. And as has been mentioned before people will only recommend you if you are up to their standard. I don't "do" facebook or the like, but aparently I get recommended there a lot. Someone just asks "anyone know a good electrician" and someone pops up with my name. As for electricians and certificates, I always issue them and have never had an issue with building control not accepting them. Perhaps you need to retain the final payment until you have the certificate? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 20 minutes ago, pocster said: Though the last one really threw me , rape , self harm , drugs, knife attacks ; what shit I must consume on a daily basis . Yum yum !???? ? And that was just the agent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I try and avoid doing any major stuff at home, because eventually something will break and it will be down to me to mend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 23 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: And that was just the agent It was f###ing mental police there 4 times in 4 weeks . Ambulance twice . TBH I wanted to f###ing kill her just so I could get my sanity back . As it’s an HMO every tenant left . So just her to extract while mentally and fiscally crippling me . Hang on ! I’ve gone off topic OH F UC K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) 34 minutes ago, ProDave said: I think the lesson from this is seek personal recommendations. Almost all my work comes that way, I don't advertise now. And as has been mentioned before people will only recommend you if you are up to their standard. I don't "do" facebook or the like, but aparently I get recommended there a lot. Someone just asks "anyone know a good electrician" and someone pops up with my name. As for electricians and certificates, I always issue them and have never had an issue with building control not accepting them. Perhaps you need to retain the final payment until you have the certificate? I still think it's difficult as the 1k for 2 half days joiner guy was recommended by cock plumber who I didn't know was a cock plumber at the time, thought he was ok at that point. So recipe for disaster! The electrician was brought in by a (different and decent) joiner as the OH asked for someone who could do the work on the extension. There was nothing wrong with the work at all (afaik apart from maybe the non Proteus component in the CU that was fitted as a replacement) but I just couldn't get the damn certificate. Actually SELECT told me that electricians should not be withholding certificates until payment is made but I can see why they do TBH. I never dreamt that getting the certificate would be so difficult. This is how it went ....... Me - after months of emails, phone calls and text messages I still do not have the completion documentation for the work you completed at XXXX to allow the council to sign off the main house and extension. Your invoice notes that certificates will be issued for building control after payment has been made and I note that you cashed my cheque for £856 for this work in early August. I have today been in touch with Select who advised me to write to you again to say that I had been in touch with them. They advise that if this communication does not result in the documentation being provided they will send me details of how to formally complain using their complaints procedure. I trust this email will prompt you to send me the documentation required to satisfy building control but if nothing is received within 7 working days I will be taking it further using Select. Borders Council Building Control are also CCed. Reply - I believed the Certificates had been posted in the mail to XXXX. I apologise I never replied to your text message last Saturday as I completely forgot I received it after finishing work. My work schedule has been hectic for the past month and even had to put of my visit with Select arranged for the middle of the month. I will be sure to get you copies of the certificates you require, what address is best for sending them to you? I do apologise that messages have not been passed on to me from David as he no longer works with the company due to retirement. I will call you tomorrow afternoon as I know it is late now. Again my sincere apologies for not getting back to you sooner, and sorry for any inconvenience caused by this misunderstanding. So despite me chasing him directly at least a dozen times he thought that the certificate had been sent (yeah right!) and I had been chasing him directly since being told 'David' (who is his dad!) had retired. Still took another round of chasing and almost another month before I got the damn thing! Edited June 3, 2018 by newhome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pocster Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 1 hour ago, pocster said: It was f###ing mental police there 4 times in 4 weeks . Ambulance twice . TBH I wanted to f###ing kill her just so I could get my sanity back . As it’s an HMO every tenant left . So just her to extract while mentally and fiscally crippling me . Hang on ! I’ve gone off topic OH F UC K Hey ! who edited my expletives; they were there before . It looks like I can say cock many times without punishment!!! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassanclan Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I like to pay tradesmen by the day. If the job is more complicated or I haven't got the right materials then I thought then it's my problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 19 minutes ago, pocster said: Hey ! who edited my expletives; they were there before . It looks like I can say cock many times without punishment!!! ? Cos the F word is off limits but cock is presumably more socially acceptable here . I don't mind either personally but like many women it's the C word that I don't use, although at work the ones who come from t'other side of the Forth seem to use it more . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 11 minutes ago, newhome said: it's the C word that I don't use I was told that if you have one, or are one, you can use it. So I am OK. (now how long will this stay up) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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