Electrician walked off the job half way, what now?

[belmontbuild]

Hi all,

I am doing up my flat, which is quite a large space, about 150 spot lights and 65 plug sockets (now 95).

My Electrician started on monday and went home Thursday afternoon. He emailed me last night saying he is not willing to come back because I agreed to pay him 3.1k upfront on monday however I did not manage to get the money to him until tuesday which to be honest was my fault however I do feel its a little harsh to quit a job half way through because of that. I think he has just found another better paying job.

NB: job was 7350 first fix and 5k second fix. He is going to keep the £3.1k I have paid him and so far he has run 6 ring mains and boxed up 90 ish plug sockets.

Anyway what are my choices now? Unfortunately this has messed up the rest of my build as I can not put my floors down until the electrical work is finished so I am going to have to cancel the other jobs that are due to start next week.

Will I be able to find someone that is willing to take on a half done job? Should I just get someone on a day rate or get someone to price for the full job again?

 

[bugsy]

You've worked in Bishops Avenue as well then!

 

[plugsandsparks]

The whole home automation scene is great news for sparkies, server room for piped AV all over the house, lighting all controlled by computer (could be where this job went pear shaped) - its a whole new world. Cannot wait to sell my house and build one cos, although it wont be big , it will have the state of the art (if i can afford it) home auto stuff.
Just love the idea of turning the heating and lights on from my phone and checking on it using CCTV over IP....
Just put in a "cheapish" CCTV piped over broadband, once upon a time these used to be mega bucks, but now less than 10 tanks of diesel.

 

[plugsandsparks]

I have been on a job were each wall light cost more than a brand new sports car and the client got bored of them within 12 months and replaced them with even more expensive ones. At the end of the day it’s whatever rocks your boat. It would be nice to see the spec for this place and pictures of how it’s all taking shape. A grand design of an electrical installation sort of thread. No pressure belmontbuild! :biggrin:

Was asked to pop a light fitting up the other day, well it must have weighed 30KG. Had to put unistrut in the loft to take the weight and it then sat on the rafters.
Nearly bust a blood vessel putting it up - it must have cost a bomb... mind you it was well made.

 

[Rockingit]

Just put in a "cheapish" CCTV piped over broadband, once upon a time these used to be mega bucks, but now less than 10 tanks of diesel.

I've just sold the idea to a local livery yard: CCTV with audio per stable, so that the girls' who's horses they are can watch them all day at school on their iphones, and the yards owners get to charge them a monthly fee for doing so as an income stream. Reckon they'll be in profit per stable after about 8 weeks!

 

[bugsy]

The whole home automation scene is great news for sparkies, server room for piped AV all over the house, lighting all controlled by computer (could be where this job went pear shaped) - its a whole new world. Cannot wait to sell my house and build one cos, although it wont be big , it will have the state of the art (if i can afford it) home auto stuff.
Just love the idea of turning the heating and lights on from my phone and checking on it using CCTV over IP....
Just put in a "cheapish" CCTV piped over broadband, once upon a time these used to be mega bucks, but now less than 10 tanks of diesel.

And by that time it wil all be RF, Blue Ray, or Wi Fi :wink5: ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page. ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Yeah...even more technology, monitoring everyone's every move (refer to recent thread about tracking).
Not convinced by this remote stuff, you'll get so paranoid about your property you'll spend all your time watching your mobile device.

 

[plugsandsparks]

I've just sold the idea to a local livery yard: CCTV with audio per stable, so that the girls' who's horses they are can watch them all day at school on their iphones, and the yards owners get to charge them a monthly fee for doing so as an income stream. Reckon they'll be in profit per stable after about 8 weeks!

Tried to sell this concept to Mrs P&S using a cattery ( we like cats) each cat would have webcam and audio so owners could talk to their cats whilst on hols. Thought it was a brilliant idea but Mrs poo pood it.

 

[electric will]

150 down lights and 95 sockets? First question how big is this "flat" and £7350 first fix and then £5000 more at the second fix is a massive amount of money, where do you live? Buckingham palace?

 

[DaveyD]

mrs poo

lol ....

 

[electric will]

What made you use a sparky 3 hours away from the job site?

 

[HandySparks]

150 down lights and 95 sockets? First question how big is this "flat" and £7350 first fix and then £5000 more at the second fix is a massive amount of money, where do you live? Buckingham palace?

For the answer to all your questions, read the thread.

 

[electric will]

Just have. Still don't believe it though

 

[DPG]

Yeah...even more technology, monitoring everyone's every move (refer to recent thread about tracking).
Not convinced by this remote stuff, you'll get so paranoid about your property you'll spend all your time watching your mobile device.

I agree. I don't get the mobile phone/CCTV thing. Unless you sit watching your phone all day, you aren't going to see anyone breaking in. Daz

 

[drew35]

You might catch a glimpse of the postman hanging out the back of your missus instead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Spoon]

You might catch a glimpse of the postman hanging out the back of your missus instead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would have to be a very small postman to be 'hanging out the back' of my missus. :wink5:

 

[mogga]

Can belmontbuild please clarify if the price was based on 65 or 95 sockets. And what sort of spot lights are they?

Could be the electrician under priced the job, realised his mistake and took the opportunity to walk away without losing any money.

I was thinking the same looks like he has covered his costs n left the loss makign bit ( or difficult) bit

 

[mogga]

I agree. I don't get the mobile phone/CCTV thing. Unless you sit watching your phone all day, you aren't going to see anyone breaking in. Daz

a big house we did about 15yrs ago when this stuff was just starting to break into domestic His alarm system linked to his phone he then dialed into his CCTV He could let folk in the gate alter the heating its basicaly BMS for the house

 

[Kamikaze]

I was thinking the same looks like he has covered his costs n left the loss makign bit ( or difficult) bit

Unfortunately our image has again been tarnished. The electrician that walked away could have handled the situation in a more professional manner. Let’s hope belmontbuild faith will be restored by his new electrical contractor.
Failing that he’s got Widdler as a backup plan!

 

[Guest111]

Just goes to show that all this advertising about using a registered contractor is a load of garbage,you can still be let down.there are loads of good sparks who arent registered but the adverts make them all seem cowboys,at last the truth will out you pays yer money and takes yer choice!

 

[belmontbuild]

Exactly how all all these arranged. The Rako connections are going to be fun (read time consuming), as would all the cabling

Well that would not have been his Job but part of Rako's job as they are installing the Rako kit them self.

I think someone has to much money! I have read a few things just when I was scanning this thread.

The story sounds unreal to me, who on earth would have a 6000 squ ft flat in sheffield or any city.

How about some pictures please of the spec

I don't buy it sorry

First I would like to make it clear, I am not rich at all (but I would like to be one day ). I just have a dream to own a big place, this project has taken me 2 and half years and has taken up every penny I can get my hands on.

Photos as requested:

Boiler room


Kitchen


Floor Plan


I had a good look around the site today and he has only put in around 50 to 55 boxes, no consumer unite, the cables are all free and have not been tacked to the walls, the 30 amp supplies have not been put in so really all that has been done is 6 ring mains run around the flat, a few boxes put into the walls and cables run to them nothing more.

It seems that I have been had.

 

[telectrix]

certainly sounds like you've not had £3000 worth of work done there. i,d say more like £1000 tops. maybe time to involve your solicitor.

 

[Knobhead]

OK I’m being hash, but more fool you for not having someone that knows what they are doing manage this.

 

[timo1]

OK I’m being hash, but more fool you for not having someone that knows what they are doing manage this.

I think that is overly harsh, at the end of the day on the face of it (if all this is true, and no reason why not) he has been let down by the electrician who sounds like he has been very unprofessional and left the OP high and dry. I would advise the OP to get the electrician back to finish whatever the agreement was for the monies paid. If he has any sense of professionalism then he should come back.

 

[Kamikaze]

It’s true, it appears belmontbuild did not get value for money. However the mystery deepens! When one works away from home, one tends to get stuck in and work longer hours. And bearing in mind there were two of them on the job. I have to ask the question “what were they doing for four days?” As timo1 has said, get the electrician back to finish whatever the original agreement was. If he refuses, name and shame him!

 

[ackbarthestar]

I notice in the first pic that there is a roll of bog paper....
Is that there for for a purpose or for dramatic affect?
or
somebody has been pigging out on too many Hobnobs.

Did you say that you had drawn up a contract. If so, my preferred option would be to legally twist this guys arm and get him back on site to finish what he's started..

 

[belmontbuild]

OK I’m being hash, but more fool you for not having someone that knows what they are doing manage this.

Maybe but cash is tight at the moment and as its been a long project its hard to get someone to manage it for me full time.

I think that is overly harsh, at the end of the day on the face of it (if all this is true, and no reason why not) he has been let down by the electrician who sounds like he has been very unprofessional and left the OP high and dry. I would advise the OP to get the electrician back to finish whatever the agreement was for the monies paid. If he has any sense of professionalism then he should come back.

It’s true, it appears belmontbuild did not get value for money. However the mystery deepens! When one works away from home, one tends to get stuck in and work longer hours. And bearing in mind there were two of them on the job. I have to ask the question “what were they doing for four days?” As timo1 has said, get the electrician back to finish whatever the original agreement was. If he refuses, name and shame him!

I notice in the first pic that there is a roll of bog paper....
Is that there for for a purpose or for dramatic affect?
or
somebody has been pigging out on too many Hobnobs.

Did you say that you had drawn up a contract. If so, my preferred option would be to legally twist this guys arm and get him back on site to finish what he's started..

The problem is that if I twist his arm into coming back he will just do a crap job and this is going to be my long term home with my wife so I want it done properly.

They arrived monday mooring, they spent a couple of hours getting ready and doing a walk around to see where all the sockets are going to go and stuff, worked monday afternoon, all day tuesday, wednesday. They then worked thursday morning and decided to go back home around lunch time and take friday off so all in all they have done around 3 to 3.5 days work.

Anyway live and learn, Just FYI this was not the cheapest quote. Actually he was more then the others but I went with him as he sounded like he knew what he was doing and I had confidence in him.

 

[ackbarthestar]

The IMO, I would find out to which authorizing body he is affiliated and send them a stiff message of complaint and see if they can come up with a reasonable excuse as to why he's thrown a wobbly and jacked it in.
It sounds as though he hasn't done himself any favours by leaving you in the lurch.

 

[trev]

How much cable did he pull in? How many boxes? and How much gear did he leave on site after he left. All this will have to be considered if you're plotting legal revenge, I would be.

 

[belmontbuild]

The IMO, I would find out to which authorizing body he is affiliated and send them a stiff message of complaint and see if they can come up with a reasonable excuse as to why he's thrown a wobbly and jacked it in.
It sounds as though he hasn't done himself any favours by leaving you in the lurch.

That has been done.

How much cable did he pull in? How many boxes? and How much gear did he leave on site after he left. All this will have to be considered if you're plotting legal revenge, I would be.

I dont know I will look tomorrow. He did not leave any gear on site. From a legal point of view I have suffered quite a lot in consequential losses. I had to cancel the UFH install that was due to start next week I also have 3 builders onsite without much work to do as I can not do much until the floors are back down again. I did plan to be in for christmas but thats not looking hopeful anymore.

 

[trev]

As Tel and Akbar have said, you need to get your lawyer involved. This guy has had your pants down by the sound of this mate.