fans building regs and whos responsibility

[piggyitm]

ok im on a job and the client wont let me charge above the quote for core drilling and ducting materials.according to his builder the electrician is responsible for all aspects of the ventilation system.i stupidly quoted to fit the fan and supply the fan without thinking about the vents asuming there would be a roof tile vent.the builder said no you have to drill through the apex and felxiduct in the loft.under all parts who is responsible to make sure the p part of the regs is followed?
any advice would be really great the customer is fishing for ways to nock me down 450 quid

 

[Marvo]

What kind of ventilation system is it? What did you state on the quote as being your scope of works?

 

[londonlec]

To be fair if I quoted to fit an extractor fan, I would make sure it vented outside.

 

[piggyitm]

Marvo, I got some drawings for a house extension with 2 en suites and a utility room no fans marked on drawing i just assumed i'd need to put some in and they would have to be roof vents in the loft.the customer is saying all aspects of ventillation are down to the electrican.I can't see where in the building regs it states who's responsibility any of the regs are.
Do i have to fit the roof tile if have to vent out of the roof?
Does a plumber have to install drainage and a sewer so the water from his tap can wash away?

Boo!!!! 3 customers that won't pay in 1 week

 

[Marvo]

I kinda understand your issue but I'm not sure how it would normally work in the UK with who is responsible for what.

 

[Sparky Ninja]

I've always confirmed the ventilation method when confirming the work order. I'll happily use a core cutter or got through to soffit. If a roof tile is required then it's another trades duty as I refuse to touch an existing roof (unless it's PV), I've seen others get stung big time before.

 

[ian]

It’s a difficult one; to be honest I generally allow to ventthe fan either by coring or through the sofit. Although its never nice to doso, but on this occasion I would just bite the bullet and core the hole. If itsan extension its likely to be constructed out of block and brick, you should beable to core the hole in 20 minutes. That way the client and builder are happyand its probably cost you about 40 mins to an hour.

 

[piggyitm]

Kick my self!!I'm learning from mistakes that I thought I'd learn't from already !!.I go all the way with T's & C's and estimates,then i get this job passed on by a friend who was going to Australia for 2 months.
The **** thing is,He did the quote in October 2010 ,I didn't start first fixing until January 2011 by then the VAT had gone up and Copper was at an all time high and all the walls had changed as per drawing.
I'm getting nobbled from every angle but when I'm told all parts of the ventilation are down to the sparks I can't help thinking ...sod off!!!

Thanks for listening....Time for a beer

 

[piggyitm]

Cheers Ian,I already done the graft and to be honest my core drill was **** it took 5 hours to do 3,allowing time for my drill to cool and the shank snapped in my SDS.Surely tho if an architect designs an extension they should allow for ventilation in the "fabric of the building" and not just assume that the sparks will be doing it any old how at the top of a triple extension.

 

[Marvo]

I don't know if it reasonable for them to assume you'd be doing his work but unfortunately the difference between making money and loosing money can be the small things like how many site visits you have to make to get the job done or the customer holding you to ransom with ridiculous demands or late payments etc. If the builder or other contractors on the same site are halfwits then the chances of your work being done efficiently go straight out of the window. With experience you can usually see the problems coming and there's been a couple of jobs in the last few years where I've cut my losses after completing the first stage of the installation.

 

[piggyitm]

I tried to explain that there was a cost increase due to site visits .There were so many site visits. mostly due to the way the extension was built by the builders."oi sparks its raining so i want to come inside and board out this room that's not ready yet " every week..

" I'm boarding the whole ceiling before i put up the stud walls so the customer can move the walls if they want later and i wont have to re board the patches" The customer has said they can't see how the extension could have been built any other way!!!!

More Beer

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[FONT=Times New Roman, serif] [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Labour Total 95 Hrs @ £18.00 £1710.00[/FONT]


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[Dunc]

£18 per hour?! Hope that's subby wages! Anywho, on the original topic, it is always best to confirm who will be making holes in the building fabric for ventilation. Whenever I quote for work it is one of the first questions I ask. If the customer isn't sure I price for coring holes however if the builder says they will do them for me I always write clearly on the quote that 'no allowance has been made for the coring of ventilation holes for bathroom/kitchen extraction'. I do sympathise with you but I've learnt enough lessons the hard way over the past few years of self employment to know that these things have to be put in black and white.

 

[Spudnik]

Same here...

I specify on the quote "ducting to outside air to be installed by builder".

Works a treat.

 

[SMB]

Coring 4 inch or 6 inch holes through bricks must be the worst part of domestic electrical work.

Im sure it would be much easier if the ducts were installed by the builder during the construction of the building. However, if you don't mention this in your quote for the job then im afraid it is you who is responsible for making the electric fan work.