Who tidies up site after job?

eamon11 · 19-10-2014 11:54am #1

hello,
I recently employed a man to re-roof a bungalow.He priced for the job, labour only.
He promised to have it done in a week, but its already been 6 weeks since he started as he comes so seldom.Iv lent him some of my tools as his was not working or couldn't find them ie generator, breaker bar, hammer, sprayer etc.
He has max 1 day left to finish, just a bit of ridge capping. I have already paid him 75% .
Anyway my question is, it is normal that he should clean up his mess afterwards? The place is like a dump with bits of slates, cardboard, aeroboard etc just dropped wherever they were used, as no effort has been made to even throw things in 1 pile. I am surprised and will talk to him about this if necessary.Even the attic is full of rubbish which will now have to be taken out through the attic hatch as the roof is closed in.
Anyway, whats normal when given a labour only job to a contractor.

Many Thanks,

Eamon

brightspark · 19-10-2014 4:11pm

Did he price for the complete job, or was he paid hourly?

Whenever I've done domestic work (usually work in industry so it's rare), I ask the homeowner would they like me to tidy up etc.

I have no problem doing it or not, However I do charge the same hourly rate for cleaning up as I charge for the rest of the job! (But I try not to be be too messy anyway)

TheMilkyPirate · 19-10-2014 4:18pm

Sounds like a bit of a chancer to me, 6 weeks to do 1 weeks work? That and just being a messy bastard not having tools etc I would have put him on his bike after 3 weeks

Admldj · 19-10-2014 4:21pm

Any tradesman who leaves a site in bits is no tradesman worth employing! in fairness though the rest of his behaviour should have told you that! take a close look at your roof and make sure its perfect before paying him another cent, generally if your paying someone labour only the waste materials are your responsibility to deal with but common decency should have him tidy his work area at the end of each day if for no other reason than health and safety

Dtp1979 · 19-10-2014 4:41pm

Admldj wrote: »

Any tradesman who leaves a site in bits is no tradesman worth employing! in fairness though the rest of his behaviour should have told you that! take a close look at your roof and make sure its perfect before paying him another cent, generally if your paying someone labour only the waste materials are your responsibility to deal with but common decency should have him tidy his work area at the end of each day if for no other reason than health and safety

Any tradesman who dosent clean up or at least offer is a chancer. This lad sounds like he's on the dole, doing honest tradesmen out of work with his cheap cash prices. And as for borrowing the home owners tools... That says it all really

red sean · 19-10-2014 5:32pm

Am I right in thinking he has to certify his work under new building regs?
Doubt if he will if he hasn't got the basic tools to do the job!

barneyrubble46 · 19-10-2014 5:37pm

This sort of so called tradesman really gets my goat, a complete chancer, do not pay him any more money until you are sure he has finished the job completley. I too had my roof done and the stupid man left broken slates in my loft too, why I just do not know, I could have killed him, only problem was he was a friend of my husband, pain in the back side. so from experience builders etc are not very good a cleaning up their mess, however if you hold some money back you will find that they become very good with a broom

BryanF · 19-10-2014 6:51pm

Eamon did you go for the cheapest quote? was this handled the same as how the ceiling joists were sized?

eamon11 · 19-10-2014 8:27pm

many thanks to all who replied.

The contractor is a friend of a work colleague. Not paid hourly. Price was for the job.

Dont understand ur questions bryan. Or indeed why you are asking such questions. If you have some kind of chip on your shoulder about something please mail me privately and don't contaminate this thread.

Many thanks.

fussyonion · 20-10-2014 9:34am

You should never have given him that much money upfront..I mean seriously what were you thinking?

As for who's job it is to clean up, it is all his responsiblity.
Also sounds a bit of a strange bloke who needs to borrow YOUR tools.

Kevin McCloud · 20-10-2014 12:20pm

It must have been more than a re-roof job if the ceiling joists had to be replaced.

eamon11 · 20-10-2014 3:20pm

thanks all,

no ceiling joists replaced by contractor. Ignore that post.

I paid him in stages. The job is all but finished apart from a few hours work.

His quote was good but not the cheapest.I did not haggle but agreed his price. I saw his work and it was good.
However, he did whinge a lot at the beginning that he was not making any profit on the job. I told him straight up on the first day that I did not want to hear it and he was free to walk.
I probably should have told him to walk, in hindsight.

Thank you all again.

AndyBoBandy · 20-10-2014 3:26pm

eamon11 wrote: »

Iv lent him some of my tools as his was not working or couldn't find them ie generator, breaker bar, hammer, sprayer etc.

Does he still have your tools? did he take them offsite?

eamon11 · 20-10-2014 3:45pm

doesn't have my tools. they never left the site, but i felt i had to be there a lot and keep an eye. always a problem when you hire someone who is a friend of a friend, trying to be diplomatic when all u want to do is give a bit of a bollocking. Left my tools thrown around outside in the evenings and left sheets of new plywood out in the rain. Better to go with an unknown person sometimes.

iano.p · 20-10-2014 5:14pm

Any job I do I would always clean as I go never leave much of a mess. Someone that takes pride in there work shouldn't have a problem cleaning

obezyana · 23-10-2014 4:47pm

Borrowing tools from your customer is a complete no no. Although I felt bad the other night as i needed a stool to stand when i was sticking up some cabling does that count..........

Sleeper12 · 23-10-2014 11:34pm

I replaced a 12 year old triton t90si 2 weeks ago. The element was blown & would have cost homeowner €150 to have me replace it. Tidied up after myself as I always do. All old fittings, pole, head, broken shower etc go into the box the new shower comes in & we cart it off. The next day I got a stinking text saying she wants her shower back. It costs me money to get rid of this rubbish.
Most people think we are great for taking their rubbish away but it shows that you can't please all the people all of the time.

mad m · 24-10-2014 9:40am

As part of my trade, it was always a no brainer to clean up after each day.

Hootanany · 26-10-2014 11:52am

Was their a skip onsite for him to put the debris in?

allibastor · 27-10-2014 10:16am

Your man Sounds like a very Poor. Workman.

Generally any builder will clean as they go and ensure they have a clean workspace.
also i really would ask Why a weeks work is taking 6 weeks

creedp · 28-10-2014 11:16am

allibastor wrote: »

Your man Sounds like a very Poor. Workman.

Generally any builder will clean as they go and ensure they have a clean workspace.
also i really would ask Why a weeks work is taking 6 weeks

You'll always get the exception to the norm! I had a builder who actually brought waste for another site to mine and attempted to bury it in the garden but was spotted by a neighbour. He might have had one skip at the beginning but that was the last one on site ... plenty promises but no action .. then he went bust!

obezyana · 28-10-2014 8:22pm

creedp wrote: »

You'll always get the exception to the norm! I had a builder who actually brought waste for another site to mine and attempted to bury it in the garden but was spotted by a neighbour. He might have had one skip at the beginning but that was the last one on site ... plenty promises but no action .. then he went bust!

My god that dreadful behaviour, just aswell he is gone bust if that's the craic he is at.

Who tidies up site after job?

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