What would you do in an instance like this?

[Shanep92]

So a quick catch up so you can get an idea…

I was asked to do a job for another electrician, as he is too busy. I’m busy myself but said I’d spare time if and when I could - so anyways I’m simply told that “the ex husband has wired it all, he’s an electrician and it’s just a second fix to complete and test” as the other electrician had been around and looked at all this prior.

I get there and the first thing I find is a 16mm twin and earth feeding a db, without any supplementary bonding, on a tncs system, so I inform that this is undersized and needs to be addressed. I’m told to just do an Adiabatic, but again, I inform that this method only applies to cables that are over 16mm2.

The actual 1st fix itself, well, it was DIY at best, I found the new circuits filled with joint boxes everywhere, with cables that were going nowhere attached to said junction boxes, red and blacks that had been chopped at the other end connected in with new cables, multiple heater spurs (as one radial) spurred off a ring, joists drilled everywhere with no thoughts to permissible zones or locations, a new set of notches 3” deep and about the same wide on a 6” joist, A socket that had 5 cables in it, 3 back to the board and 2 spurs, it’s a list that goes on and on.

So fast forward a few weeks of head scratching and basically rewiring the whole place again… (when I have had the time to go)

Client has basically messaged me to say if it is not completed by a certain date then they won’t be paying, but the main electrician hasn’t been back since, so it’s my fuel, my time, and my labour that’s being threatened, not his.

The fact is what the job was meant to be and what it turned out to be are two completely separate things, the client will of obviously known this right from the start, has pulled a fast one, and the initial electrician should of checked things properly before even contemplating the job to of gotten a grasp for this. I know I shouldn’t have went back right from the start, and none of you probably would of, but my personality seems to of done me over here, especially as I’m still quite green to it all (been qualified a few years but I’m trying to pick up the courage to go it alone, this saga as a whole hasn’t helped that one bit ).

Basically, what I’m asking is, especially for the more seasoned guys, What would you do from here? And how would you go about doing it?

Thanks In advance

 

[Welchyboy1]

“the ex husband has wired it all, he’s an electrician and it’s just a second fix to complete and test”

At this point, most experienced electricians would of had the hairs on the back of their neck stand up and they make their excuses and walk away at the first polite opportunity!

The previous electrician who was ‘too busy’ to do the job obviously felt the same

The main thing to take away from this is to learn by it for the future, try to get paid for your work, you may or may not get the money owed to you, but definitely learn from it!

There is so much work out there, let stuff like this be someone else‘s problem, be the electrician who is ‘too busy’ in the future


(been qualified a few years but I’m trying to pick up the courage to go it alone, this saga as a whole hasn’t helped that one bit ).

Dont let it discourage you, it’s a lesson every single one of us has to learn sooner or later, being naturally friendly and trying to help people and expect that others intentions are the same as yours is just human, but realise unfortunately not everyone is the same as you, again learn from it, and you’ll be better prepared next time around and hopefully won’t make the same mistake again

All part of the bumpy road to success

 

[WallaceP]

How much time and material have you spent on the job so far?
I would ask for this now and carefully think how much it will cost to finish the job, double or triple this cost.
Explain the the customer in the simplest terms what is required to do the job correctly and the cost, let them know if they are not happy with this unexpected cost, you can recommend other electricians who can quote for the work(you wont, but it gives them an easy way out and encourages them to settle you invoice).

Then take the money and run.

 

[Petej999]

Front door walk.

make sure you have all your personal stuff before you do the walk though

 

[Shanep92]

Thank you all for the kind and honest replies.

It’s a life lesson I’ll keep with me for a very long time. There’s so much rapport regarding bad tradesmen and tradesmen who don’t complete jobs fully or to an expected standard but there’s also never any feedback on how potential customers actually behave and treat said tradesmen.

Either way Never going back and never looking back. Thanks again