Difficult and Unreasonable Builder Questioning Price

[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.

 

[Dave OCD]

I'm lucky in that the only builder I do work for is one of those 1 in 25 Andy, proper old school and always puts me straight on to his customer to deal with direct on pricing/spec/payment. He says it's simpler for him that way and it suits us both. His only downfall is sometimes getting his timescales for when I'm needed wrong but they all do that anyway.

 

[electric al]

Get what you can out of him and quit but make sure you tell him shortly after that you can't do business with him because you can't trust him. Might be a good idea to have a word with the customer as mentioned by irelec if you get the chance .
Outline the extras that you've had heaped on and his unwillingness to pay .

 

[FatAlan]

When the specs were changed and discussed with the customer surely that was the time to discuss price changes? Bob could have then passed the hit back to the customer? ....then Bob’s your uncle !

 

[Pete999]

When the specs were changed and discussed with the customer surely that was the time to discuss price changes? Bob could have then passed the hit back to the customer? ....then Bob’s your uncle !

Or in this case Bob has been a bad bad Bob

 

[PEG]

Hi,even though the builder in question,might be a friend of mine...i would suggest jacking,with immediate effect.

The other issue,you may want to consider,is the "wild-fire" syndrome....where fellow builders,like to chat,concerning the subbies that they've straightened out...

If you get known,for being pliable - you're done

Ring him up,and tell him you cannot continue,as just like him...you are short-handed. Then,99/100 folk will reply "...What do you mean? Short handed? ...I'm not short handed!...."

Then,without resorting to rudeness,tell him your arms cannot reach your tool-box,in the same way,his arms,cannot reach his pocket....then bid him good-day


I genuinely look forward,to one of my R-C builder mates,telling me this story

 

[richy3333]

@DK Wired Never label your cables. Number them and just write the numbers down in your day book/customer file etc so you know what they are. Then in the future if anything like this happens...

 

[baldelectrician]

I don't do work for builders- end of

I ALWAYS price per item and make it clear, then the customer knows where we all stand

As the saying goes - points make prizes

 

[Jjc]

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!

Try and avoid builders work. In my experience they tend to be not the most honest of people you could deal with.

 

[EbolaSideRoom]

What they said.
In my albeit limited experience, builders are either respectful of other trades and recognise their own limitations (rare, but can be brilliant to work with) or they’re, well, builders.
IMO for domestic work the client, and therefore you, are better off dealing directly with you. If Bob wants to make a percentage for “managing” the job then that’s between them and the client. It doesn’t come off my price.

Worth considering too, in your current predicament, is said client. If you leave Bob in the brown, who suffers? I tend to think that in all such conflict it is the client that suffers most. To that end I have, for the sake of not losing a customer and not giving Bob the opportunity to make me the scapegoat for everything else that goes wrong, swallowed the loss over such alterations, finished the job and made sure that the client has my direct details and that the next time Bob calls for some work, I don’t answer the phone.

 

[Diver233]

Walk away, not worth the stress and agro.
Sometimes big customers think they own you and you are desperate for their work so try and treat you like crap.
I would agree with another poster, sounds like he has cocked up on his price and wants you to pay for his poor pricing.
Leave him to it.