What should bill from tradesman show?

B

Bluebells

Registered User
Messages
310
I have had some work done by a tradesman, for which he gave me a quote. The work was done and I paid him for that. While this work was ongoing, I needed some carpentry work done, and his brother who also works for him did that, and while I thought it was a bit expensive, I was glad not to have to go looking for someone at short notice.I had been happy enough with both of them, and they are now doing some more work for me.

However, yesterday I saw them removing some materials from my site. They were not worth much, but as I was on site he could have asked me for them - and he would have got them. When I asked him about it he just shrugged and said I had loads of that stuff. I purchase all the materials, but now I am wondering if he ordered extra and have I bought stuff that is going into someone elses house. I have bought an awful lot nails and drywall screws. On one occasion I couldn't get some wood myself and asked him to get it, and he bought the wrong sizes. When he gives me a bill for this third job, I am sure I'll have to pay for that useless timber.
I have lost trust in him now, and I want him to finish up and be done with him.

Am I entitled to ask him for a separate, itemised bill for materials and one for labour?
 
It happens all the time, most of it is innocent enough, eg electrician rewiring a house, he buys a total of 1000 meters of diff cables, he has 200 meters left over, you have no use for it, he assumes its his, perk of the job, I assume
 
on any job waste is factored into the rates. some jobs might go a bit better than originally thought and there may be materials left over. In this case i wouldnt have thought there would be a problem in the tradesman taking this. If people go out of their way to be upset then they will get upset. You have acknowledged that the work was good but that is not good enough for it seems. If you want to keep all waste/leftovers then state it at the outset then your feeling wont be hurt
 
ludermor said:
on any job waste is factored into the rates. some jobs might go a bit better than originally thought and there may be materials left over. In this case i wouldnt have thought there would be a problem in the tradesman taking this. If people go out of their way to be upset then they will get upset. You have acknowledged that the work was good but that is not good enough for it seems. If you want to keep all waste/leftovers then state it at the outset then your feeling wont be hurt
Click to expand...

My feelings are not hurt. I am entitled to wonder about this, no matter how good his work is - he has been well paid for his work. He did not take waste, he took leftover materials that I had bought, and so could not have been factored into the rates.

I don't have a problem with him taking anything. I'm just wondering why he didn't ask me first.

He was finished, on the point of walking out the door, and we had spent a long time talking about the job.I left the house, but got delayed and did not leave the site immediately. He obviously thought I had left, as he looked shocked, when, laden down, he arrived at his van and found me standing there . He never alluded to the stuff he was carrying. He returned to the house, and remained inside for about 10 minutes. As I drove off, I had to stop again to answer my phone. I was now out of sight, but I had a view of his van.
Seconds later, I saw him come out of the house with another load and put it in his van. He looked very uncomfortable when he saw me this time also. If he hadn't tried to conceal what he was doing, I would not be worried. He did not want me to see what he was doing, and behaved like someone who knew he was doing wrong. He had ample opportunity to say " by the way, do you mind if I take these? " I don't think I am going out of my way to be upset when someone acts in such an underhand manner.

Anyway my question was " can I ask for an itemised bill "? Can I ?
 
if you purchased the material you own them, simple as....
if he takes them hes taking your property

i cannot see what him giving you an itemised bill is going to do if all you hired him for was labour.......
 
you bought the materials so he has a cheek to take them. i could understand if he supplied all the materials but he didn't, so he has no claim to them at all.

i would have it out with him, tell him that it cost you X amount and you had further use for it elsewhere, therefore you want X knocked off you bill.

I had an experience with some lads doing work in my house, I had to buy the nails for their nail gun as well as one of those silicone gun things, even though i had no use for either of these things, i would be damned if there were getting them - chancers.
 
Bluebells said:
My feelings are not hurt. I am entitled to wonder about this, no matter how good his work is - he has been well paid for his work. He did not take waste, he took leftover materials that I had bought, and so could not have been factored into the rates.

I don't have a problem with him taking anything. I'm just wondering why he didn't ask me first.

He was finished, on the point of walking out the door, and we had spent a long time talking about the job.I left the house, but got delayed and did not leave the site immediately. He obviously thought I had left, as he looked shocked, when, laden down, he arrived at his van and found me standing there . He never alluded to the stuff he was carrying. He returned to the house, and remained inside for about 10 minutes. As I drove off, I had to stop again to answer my phone. I was now out of sight, but I had a view of his van.
Seconds later, I saw him come out of the house with another load and put it in his van. He looked very uncomfortable when he saw me this time also. If he hadn't tried to conceal what he was doing, I would not be worried. He did not want me to see what he was doing, and behaved like someone who knew he was doing wrong. He had ample opportunity to say " by the way, do you mind if I take these? " I don't think I am going out of my way to be upset when someone acts in such an underhand manner.

Anyway my question was " can I ask for an itemised bill "? Can I ?
Click to expand...

Im confused. you got the man to do some work (supply and fix or supply only?) Why was there leftover materials, and why would you not consider it waste? If you bought the material then why would you be looking for an itemised bill? You have your mind made up here that the man has robbed you so i dont know why you are asking for justification here
 
I'm with susie on this one...Definitely have it out with him...immediately..Tell him you are uncomfortable with what you saw..See what his reaction is.
 
This happened me when my house was being built. In my own case it was theft, pure and simple. I had independent witnesses who saw the guy physically bring stuff away that I had paid for. I let it go. Making an accusation of theft against a third party is a serious (and stressful) thing to do. It wasn't worth pursuing for the sake of a few hundred euro worth of materials.

What's on this guy's invoice won't change anything.
 
but its not clear if the materials were bought by the client or if the tradesman bought them as part of a supply and fit job. if it is the latter i really cant see the problem in him taking the material away. if the client bought the material then fair enough he has a point.
but i have to say most people complain about bad workmanship/unfinished work etc, it was stated that the material was of little value so why the big fuss.
 
ludermor said:
Im confused. you got the man to do some work (supply and fix or supply only?) Why was there leftover materials, and why would you not consider it waste? If you bought the material then why would you be looking for an itemised bill? You have your mind made up here that the man has robbed you so i dont know why you are asking for justification here
Click to expand...
He was originally hired for labour only. He took materials that were used for this job.
I subsequently got him to do some more work, and he bought the materials for this. He bought the wrong stuff. I am afraid he will charge me for this when he bills me for the this job. Read my post.
I didn't make up my mind that he had robbed me. He made it up for me. The reason it is not waste is because it can be used again.

I just wanted to know if I ask him for a detailed bill is he obliged to give me one. Is he?

Thanks, everybody else for your help.
 
Bluebells said:
I just wanted to know if I ask him for a detailed bill is he obliged to give me one. Is he?
Click to expand...

Without any knowledge of the law, I would imagine that if you ask for a detailed breakdown of the bill, then you would be entitled to get it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top