Difficult and Unreasonable Builder Questioning Price

[DK Wired]

Hi,

I have recently started work and finished first fix on a loft conversion for a builder. During first fix, the builder who has hired me for the job, specified various additions and removals from the original quote which I had to include at the time of first fix, which resulted in the job taking longer than planned. I revised the quote on what he added but now he's not happy with the price at all and won't listen to my explanation as to why the price has changed in this way. He has become aggressive saying that I'm taking the biscuit (not using that particular word). He is comparing this quote to a previous loft conversion I had done for him, telling me that 'this one is smaller (which the loft is but these additions relate to further work being carried out in the bedroom on the floor below) so I want it all in for £XXXX which is £150.00 below my revised price.

He has already paid me £300.00 upon completion of first fix.

Any advice on how to deal with this situation would be appreciated.

I have considered options and they are as follows:
- Stand by my price, change my terms now and ask him for further payment up front before starting 2nd fix and then the remainder before certificates are provided
- Drop to his price level (which I do not want to do because this undermines my business and pricing)
- Walk away and tell him that due to him being completely unreasonable I refuse to deal with him, leaving him in a difficult situation in finding another electrician to complete the work.

Any other suggestions welcome!

Cheers all!

 

[richy3333]

If he's paid you save £150 in the scheme of things business wise I'd walk and leave him up liquid brown creek. So long as you dont want anymore work from him. It's my experience that builders are lower on the evolution scale than plumbers. I stopped working for builders 10 years ago and have never regretted it.

Before you leave site remember to make sure your cables aren't labelled and are too short

 

[Midwest]

My son did a lot of work for particular builder. Often fell out with them over money, in a similar way.
Last job they almost came to blows, I told my son not do anymore work for them, the time before. But he said he couldn’t afford to lose the business.

Think this time think he’s had enough. You’ll have to make your own decisions.

 

[Rpa07]

I can only advise one well written succinct email to explain your side and what you are trying to achieve. Read it though a couple of times so it comes across well - it may do the job but if it doesn’t at least in his Neanderthal skull he may get it but not get it - then you can walk if you feel like it.
Talking a problem out is not always easy because you go off track and it gets heated quickly.
Us men , we are so passionate!

 

[Pete999]

Hi,

I have recently started work and finished first fix on a loft conversion for a builder. During first fix, the builder who has hired me for the job, specified various additions and removals from the original quote which I had to include at the time of first fix, which resulted in the job taking longer than planned. I revised the quote on what he added but now he's not happy with the price at all and won't listen to my explanation as to why the price has changed in this way. He has become aggressive saying that I'm taking the biscuit (not using that particular word). He is comparing this quote to a previous loft conversion I had done for him, telling me that 'this one is smaller (which the loft is but these additions relate to further work being carried out in the bedroom on the floor below) so I want it all in for £XXXX which is £150.00 below my revised price.

He has already paid me £300.00 upon completion of first fix.

Any advice on how to deal with this situation would be appreciated.

I have considered options and they are as follows:
- Stand by my price, change my terms now and ask him for further payment up front before starting 2nd fix and then the remainder before certificates are provided
- Drop to his price level (which I do not want to do because this undermines my business and pricing)
- Walk away and tell him that due to him being completely unreasonable I refuse to deal with him, leaving him in a difficult situation in finding another electrician to complete the work.

Any other suggestions welcome!

Cheers all!

Did Bob agree the price PRIOR to starting work???

 

[richy3333]

I just had a Joey moment Pete and wondered who Bob was!!

 

[Pete999]

I just had a Joey moment Pete and wondered who Bob was!!

The Builder Mate, sorry should have expanded my humorous attempt at cleverability, work that one out.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - my 20p is to get whatever money you can from Bob. If you walk Bob probably won't pay you another bob. But to pick up on @Midwest experience and advice, think long and hard about ever working for Bob again, as leopard and spots comes to mind.

 

[Andy78]

I'm with rpa07. Get down in writing an itemized breakdown of the changes, tell him he can even borrow your calculator to check it.
Then include your options A and C. Upfront payment for the remainder or you're away to the next job.

 

[Pete999]

Hi - my 20p is to get whatever money you can from Bob. If you walk Bob probably won't pay you another bob. But to pick up on @Midwest experience and advice, think long and hard about ever working for Bob again, as leopard and spots comes to mind.

Agree lots of builders are pricing so close to the break even limit any monies they can con from Subbies is a bonus, if he agreed the price before starting then stick to your guns, or as others have said get what you can and tell Bob to "sit on it, as the Fonz would say " if you get my drift? Heyyyyy

 

[Irelec]

Hi i have in the past told builders i will stop dealing with them and deal straight with the customer.
This is usually enough to make them cough up as they dont want the customer finding out about their problems and the customer does not want a disgruntled electrician working on their home. Hope this helps

 

[DK Wired]

Cheers for the feedback all! In a way it's good to hear that from your experience, most of you have just cut ties to avoid the headache.

Richy, unfortunately I had already labelled the cables and left plenty on them...damn!

Pete, I had given him 3 options to consider initially. The customer went with the most expensive one with all the bells and whistles. Then during the first fix, the builder said the customer wants something different in the bedroom/landing on the floor below the loft but then couldn't actually remember what he wanted so he had to get him home from work to clarify. Price was then discussed and that was that. The email I sent over to the builder a couple of days later confirming final price was when he got 'balloony'. His argument wasn't anything to do with the additions, it was down to his opinion of how much I'm charging him for this job in comparison to the previous loft conversion I did for him, stating that 'this one is smaller so I think you're taking the $%^&'. There are more spots, sockets etc on this one than the previous one but he just couldn't understand because his head was full of rage.

Also, I did specify that there was a new ring added into this loft, which he replied 'so you ran a cable from one side of the room and back again and you're charging me THIS much?' I kindly asked him that if it was so easy then why doesn't he do the electrical installation himself!!

The impression I have got from this Bob chap anyway is that he's a bit of a balloon about everything so I can only imagine that it's going to get worse on the next job, so I think it's best to cut my ties and leave him up the creek. Plus I don't fancy carrying out 2nd fix and then he doesn't pay up, or pays less. Not to mention the volatile atmosphere from him whilst I'm trying to do the work.

 

[telectrix]

from the last post, i think you're better off walking before you lose any more. guy sounds like a right arse hole

 

[Midwest]

I suspect your builder has made a mistake quoting for his job.

The ‘additions’ you speak of, were probably included in his original quotation to his customer, which he had forgotten about. He now realises that the disproportionate amount of profit he makes on your work, is now fast going down the pan, and he is going to lose money.

I feel for him.

 

[Blissof89]

Why do builders think they know everything? We did an office a couple years back and the builder decided to get his lads who had never done it before to install the suspended ceiling rather than subbing it out to a firm that does that stuff regular. Made a right pigs ear of it, up and down all over the place.

They would do the electrical work too if the didn't need a certificate to say its all safe at the end

 

[DK Wired]

Yes Midwest, it does seem like that is the case. I wonder why he recently needed an electrician anyway, especially when he states that he's been in business for 20 years. He must have peed off a ton of electricians before me trying to screw them down on prices or trying to pull a fast one with prices.

 

[Midwest]

They all do it, so don’t think he’s singled you out.

 

[buzzlightyear]

tell the builder there is only one way a knocking a nail in .
ands that with hammer ,is all good to say walk ,but me pull every cable up like crossbow and cut ,and then walk away.

 

[buzzlightyear]

delete

 

[Andy78]

Sounds like you'll be better off without that berk in your working day. Guaranteed his rage wasn't to do with you and he probably had other things going on that he decided he would vent on you. Sounds like a comparatively small job so he should have covered himself with the quote. Anyway, if these are alterations surely the customer gets billed additionally ?


My mate works for a builder for little bits and bobs, mainly property maintenance. The builder never lets my mate speak directly with the customer, presumably because he is paranoid of being cut out of the loop and losing his percentage.
This results in a huge ballache with the builder acting as a go between but not understanding any of the issues he is relating to his clients.

He was working for me the other day and after the fourth call from this builder about a little £300 job I asked why he didn't sack the time waster off. "Well I get at least a grand a year work from him" I nearly fell over

Moral is, work direct for the customer every time unless the builder is a proper person, and there's only one of those for every 25 builders.