Builders Excuses!

We were supposed to be getting a roofer here today to re-bed the ridge tiles. OH has gone out & left me in charge.After sitting here all morning waiting for him he's just phoned OH & said he wont be able to come today as he breeds Micro Pigs & he got a new one yesterday that is a bit upset & scared so he doesnt want to leave it
Thats one excuse i've never heard from a builder before He's supposed to be coming tomorrow instead now - what's the betting it will be raining & he'll cancel again

Re: Builders Excuses!

I always find it annoying when someone has planned to do a job in the house and then cancels at the last minute. Just as bad is if they say they will be there at such and such a time and two hours later you are still waiting!

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Thats unreal. You would think that he would want to work as much as possible when its dry in the current weather conditions. And there is supposed to be a recession on ???

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Aw Lynne, he could have wrapped Mum and baby up and brought them to your place for the day?

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Yes he certainly could have. I would have loved having a baby Micro Pig around the place It would have given Taffy someone to play with

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It is unreal He did our Gutters for us last year & he's just started out doing other roofing jobs now so you would have thought he would be eager to do the work.

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The roofer didnt turn up again today Hubby phoned him to see if he was coming as we were waiting to go shopping. He said he's still having trouble with his pig He needs a licence for it or it can be taken off him We will wait & see if he turns up tommorow

Re: Builders Excuses!

I'd be calling around for 2 or 3 more quotes and getting references too.

We do residential insulation (attics, walls, basements) and really make the effort to be there. My OH did an estimate last night for a homeowner who told him one company didn't show up or bother to call and another one was almost 2 hours late - again no call. If they can't even show up to quote the job he figures they may not show up to do the work either.

Makes our job easier when the competition eliminates themselves.

Hope you get some satisfaction and a job well done...!

Re: Builders Excuses!

This roofing job is really a long story.
Two years ago we wanted the Ridge Tiles re-bedding & the front of the house re-pointing. OH decided, so that we wouldn’t get ripped off, to go to Age Concern & see if they could recommend anyone. They sent us to the Council who do a Home & Care (I think its called) & they send out three firms to give us quotes. We picked one of the firms - the cheapest. He came out & did what we thought was a decent job. The quote was for re-bedding but his receipt was for just re-pointing but for the same price.
Really we should have pursued it then. Over the last 12 months when ever we have had strong winds & heavy rain some of the pointing has been falling out & landing in the back yard. A couple of months ago we complained to the council about the work & asked them to get in touch with the roofer to come back & re do the job as we were under the impression that it was guaranteed for 10 years. The roofer came out to have a look at the work & said he would re-point the tiles again but not re-bed them unless we paid the extra. We didn’t see why we should seeing as his quote was for re-bedding & it hadn’t been done.
Anyway after OH - who once he gets the bit between his teeth doesn’t give up kept phoning both the council & the builder every few days until in the end they more or less refused to speak to him anymore
Last week he decided to go to Trading standards with the paper work to see what they said. They went upstairs to see the woman OH has been dealing with in the council. In the end the roofer decided to give us a refund on the re pointing less theprice of the flashing on the chimney that he had repaired. In the meantime the gutter between us & next door had been dripping with all the rain. Next door had tried to fix it without success so we called the Gutter man back to fix it. OH asked him for a quote for the Re-bedding & we decided to give him the work.
Trading standards gave OH the names of three firms that are recommended by them so if this latest man doesn’t turn up it looks as though it will be back to square one again.
I am getting P*** off with tradesmen lately. You would think they would be glad of all the work they could get at the moment.

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As a tradesman I've been hearing that a lot lately. Glad of any work you can get, and can we do a deal you must need the work at the moment.

I've never been so busy in all the years in the trade. I'm booked up for the next 6 months and am turning work away daily. More people than ever are upgrading, extending and improving rather than move. Trade has never been so good.