Do I Literally Have To Specify Every Aspect Of A Job To Get It Done Properly ?

[CW1]

Hi,

Arranged for my third of a parking area to be dug up & weed membrane, "things that hold gravel in place" & shingle / gravel put down. "Like a driveway", I said.
Long story but basically I was s'posed to meet the contractor at the house when he started the job (that in itself caused a delay of 2-3 months while we worked out a date we were both available). When I'd met him originally to quote, I told him I'd need to check the deeds & show him the boundaries before he actually started. He didn't bother telling me he wouldn't be starting at 8am as we'd agreed until I was on my way over there - straight from a night shift - after I'd called him following a text from the tenant asking "Is he coming ?", at 8:30am. Long story short, he kept telling me different times he'd be starting & finishing so I never got there. Still haven't (though have photos), so that 2-3 month wait was all for nothing.

The tenant's not happy with the "driveway", says it looks like a rush job (not surprising when he'd said 6-7hrs but ended up taking less than 4hrs). They say it needs edging where it meets the neighbour's parking area.

Am I way off thinking that when I said "like a driveway", the contractor should have p'raps suggested - "it'll need edging" ? As I didn't mention it specifically (& how would I, I've never installed a "drive" so it didn't even occur to me !), he wants another £60. If I'd have not mentioned gravel I'm pretty sure he'd have said "you might need some gravel" ... Surely edging is part of the job & should therefore have been included the original quote ?

[Zacs-Master]

This is why in the building industry there are bills of quantities and tender drawings. Leaving anything uncertain will allow the contractor to misinterpret a specification.

[CW1]

He never asked me anything at all so I didn't realise there was any uncertainty, & I certainly didn't get a drawing. Just looked up the quote, what I got was ...

To clear existing slabs/grass
To level area
To supply and distribute sub base using Type 1 scalpings
To supply and distribute 20mm shingle
To leave area clean and tidy

I did have to ask if that included weed membrane & gravel "guards" (or whatever they're called), but that last word ... "tidy" ... doesn't mean shingle shoveled over the grass in the neighbour's parking area - does ... it ?

[whiskeryron]

This is why there are recipes. When the lady originally made the Gingerbread House there was a recipe.

[hellywelly4]

I think you should have got a more detailed quote, so yes, you perhaps should have been more specific.

[CW1]

How would I know though, hellywelly4 ? I knew to ask about the weed thing & gravel guard as I specifically wanted those, but we were s'posed to have met up at the house after I'd checked the deeds, so I could show him exactly how far across to go, but he messed that up BIG time. Had we met, I'm sure that would've come up & I'd have said "that's included too, obviously". Him saying "leave area clean & tidy" means just that, ie. including edging I never knew I needed, but HE would've done as that [partly] defines "tidy".

[paddywak]

The last time I had any building work done,a large detached garage the builder was quite insistant that we sat down for a couple of hours and discussed exactly what I wanted as the last thing he wanted was to do the job then find out there was something I wanted changing.As a result I ended up with just what I wanted.I see the guy who lives there now and he often comments on how well built it is his only fault being the dimensions of the service pit,but as I say it was made to measure for me at 5ft 10in not a great lofty 6ft 5in giant.It's just a variation of the old joiners saying meure twice but cut once and get it right first time

[CW1]

I still don't get how I'm s'posed to ask him to do something I didn't know needed doing because I couldn't get there when he didn't stick to any timings we agreed throughout the day.

Well, I'm done with him. I've paid him £60 short 'cos as far as I'm concerned it was part of the quote he didn't do. No doubt I'll get slated here for that. He's a nasty piece of work, lying thru' his teeth about things I'm supposed to have said (which I KNOW I didn't), I've proof he said something to the tenant's he now denies.

All that remains now is to leave appropriate feedback on Checkatrade but thanks for the opinions, particularly the ones that made any sense ... ;)

[douglas9401]

Checkatrade, that raised a smile.

[Hypognosis]

@CW1

The mere fact that the contractor had difficulty in arranging a mutually convenient meeting time would have caused me to drop him from the process and seek two or three quotes from companies which weren't so rushed off their feet.

Turning up at your site incurs travel costs and two hours' discussion makes the contractor zero money - unless his bid is the successful one. So a certain amount of evasiveness is quite understandable. Maybe they only deign to drop by when another job brings them within a reasonable travelling distance?

As for required detail, I guess that's why they call it a "specification". The precise position of the neighbour boundary is probably the most important detail of the whole job and I'm surprised the contractor was able to complete the job without anyone having pointed out, to him, where it was.

[woofgang]

simple answer to your question? Yes.

[Old_Geezer]

In my experience it'd difficult to get anyone around at all to look at a job, those that do will probably not drop in the quote they said they would. Dropping the one that looks like they might do the job means going back to square one.

And if you do get someone to try to do a job they'll probably be doing 5 at once and will keep leaving and returning when it suits them.

As for trader type sites like Checkatrade or Trustatrader, they're ridiculous. The ones interested in having a look at what you need doing are the ones not busy for a reason.

There is only one solution, have or marry into a large family who can do all the jobs for you. Try to learn a trade they don't cover, yourself, and make a business out of it.

[Iggle Piggle]

When I was a mechanic we had a client who left step-by-step instructions on what he wanted us to do with his car, even for a service. It was appreciated even though we used to joke about the poor chap. (he even threw in the odd instruction to check we had read the list!)