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Had some work on the house recently, all done well and when expected, cost of circa £1k.
There was a small bit (£50 in value) that we added on last minute that they didn't have a part for so said they'd come back and sort it very quickly. The add on makes no material difference to things, all works well without it, the add on is basically superficial.
2 weeks on, the bill still hasn't arrived and the small additional bit of work hasn't been done. It feels like it's been forgotten.
Now for me, this is fine, the £1k is sat on my bank and not theirs, but morally, they've done the work and should get paid.
So, how long would you wait before asking for a bill? Or would you just ignore it?
The one time it happened to me (he was a kitchen fitter/general builder working for the company installing a new kitchen but he did lots of extra work that easily topped two, three or even four grand - we never asked for quotes at the time so I think we probably dodged a bullet). I asked for the bill three times over a course of a few months and it never arrived. It was over seven years ago now so I think I am in the clear.
I chased Bothy Bikes over a year for a bill to pay for something....
Just call him and ask if a) he's coming back to do the small piece of extra work, and b) he'd like to get paid for the work he's already done.
What was the part? Is it possibly hard to get at the moment? In which case he might still be waiting, every builder I've ever used was awful at communicating.
I've had a few where I've had to prod them a few times for a bill, got a guy in at the moment fitting new flooring, he did our kitchen as well. Maybe took about 3 months to pay him last time! He's doesn't like to charge a lot for his time as he know he's works fairly slowly, but really wants to get stuff done well. Which he does and he's got endless work.
Should be finished in a couple of days but I'll be suprised if we've paid him by the end of Jan....
Just keep dropping them a text or ringing them.
We had a new aerial fitted years ago, couple of days before Christmas and I'd been expecting to pay them there and then. It was only years later when I was doing some work to put in extra tv points that I realised we'd never had a bill.
Never. They should be organised enough to invoice for work done.
I wouldn't try and get away with it but I also wouldn't be chasing for it.
I chased one last week after a few days but mostly because their deposit request went AWOL to (no, it wasn't in my junk items folder :p ) so thought I'd better follow up on paying the balance in case they thought they'd sent out that request to.
I've chased my garage a few times over the last 10 months or so to bill me for the work they've done. i reckon it's about £1k, as we've got that amount put aside for it. the van is going back in in the new years so maybe we'll get a bill for that bit...
I’m one of the ones who don’t worry too much about sending a Bill out to trusted Customers.
I did one in July, £200, I told him at the time that I won't be in any rush to send the Bill to him.
He did phone me a month later asking if I’d done it yet, but I just said Ive been too busy to do the paperwork, and it will come in due course.
Another was an old Lady, again, July I think, £50. Her Son was paying, I dont think I’ll bother sending it, it cost me around £15 in parts, but that’s small change really, so I wont miss it.
BTW, I’m not rich, I’m just relaxed about money!
I'd mention it to them just as an arse-covering exercise, in case they later claim non-payment. Beyond that I wouldn't chase it.
He could just be waiting until it is finished. I know a few tradesmen that are extremely slow at getting bills out. When my late uncle was getting divorced he told everone he worked for not to expect a bill for at least two years.
So, we are now 6 weeks after installation and still no bill.
However, as my wife pointed out, if there turned out to be a problem with said installation, I'm guessing the supplier are less likely to want to deal with it if it's not been paid for.
I'm still not sure if I should chase it or not.
As long as you have the funds to pay it when (if) it eventually turns up id forget about it. It's their problem not yours.
So, how long would you wait before asking for a bill? Or would you just ignore it?
A week after month end.
So, we are now 6 weeks after installation and still no bill.
So that would put you about now.
Trades quite possibly finished the week before Christmas and plenty of sites in working with didn't reopen until this week so it's possibly only two or three working weeks since you had the work done.
My contractor who does the hedge trimming and baling for me was going through a divorce so I didn't get a bill for 3 years until it was all sorted. lol. That one hurt mind when it arrived.
I find it all a bit weird. My mate is a plumber and sometimes takes around 6-8 months to sort out invoices for boiler installs.
I’m a tradesman and I don’t like to charge until I’m fully finished, but I make it my mission to get the bill in same day as I’m finished or at the weekend for any work I do, not because I’m hand to mouth, just because it needs to be done and it’s the point in working after all.
I think in my case the extra bit of work has thrown them. I'm thinking the guy who did the work hasn't marked it as complete on the system, which if he had would have triggered an invoice, but also hasn't passed on the info about the missing part.
Worth noting, this is not a one man band tradesman, it's a small company.
Today I had a new garage door fitted (see my other 'bad things come in threes' thread). They wouldn't even leave the premises until they saw me successfully transfer the bill in full. Still, I don't care, I can get back into the garage again finally!
I get my final bills in as soon as I can, but I have been known to forget completely on a couple of smaller jobs, in both cases the client reminded me.
You get soooo busy and if you're doing a practical trade, you often don't get to do your computery bits for a while, or at least you don't when the next client is breathing down your neck.
I'm glad that mostly people are good enough to remind you. 👍
Around 15 years ago we had a camera operator who we used on a number of occasions over a year or two. I don't think we ever got a bill from him.
There is no way you wouldn't get a bill from me. Time is money.
I'm confused by this. You have concerns that he's not been back to finish up the extra piece of work and hasn't invoiced for the main job. If you want to know what's going on and get it sorted, why wouldn't you just call him up?
I’m confused by this. You have concerns that he’s not been back to finish up the extra piece of work and hasn’t invoiced for the main job.
Not at all, I have no concerns. What has been done is exactly what’s required, the bit that’s missing is a superficial addition that I’m not fussed about at all.
If I was that bothered about the extra bit they’d have got a call which would have likely prompted the invoice, as I’m not I haven’t called and so haven’t been invoiced.
Sorry if I came off as a plonker lunge. Was just curious.
I have a had a similar issue where a trade was supposed to come back and finish a bit, so suspect he was holding off invoicing for the main work to buy himself some time.
The main thing though is just not to pay until you're happy,.so at least this is in your favour a bit.
They wouldn’t even leave the premises until they saw me successfully transfer the bill in full.
"I get paid next week, would you like to borrow a couple of camping chairs?"
I might be reading too much into that, but "we're not leaving until you give us money" sounds like behaviour requiring police intervention, tradesmen or no.
I might be reading too much into that, but “we’re not leaving until you give us money” sounds like behaviour requiring police intervention, tradesmen or no.
Sounds a bit unusual, but on the other hand, you can be basically leaving an enormous amount of value with someone in terms of products installed and your time spent.
It's kind of expected that the tradesperson just trusts the client totally to pay up, and occasionally they get burned I guess.
Maybe these ones were particularly wary of that.
We had some work done on an old drain that used to flood in heavy rain. A camera inspection of old clay pipes, some new sections and a sump and inspection pit and cover added. About £600 worth. The bill never came. I chased and chased for months by phone, email and text. I gave up after 6 months and forgot about it.
3 years later!!! I get a call from a lady who is the new partner of my drain bloke. She explained that he had gone through a rough divorce, depression and had got hopelessly behind with his paperwork. She was helping him by methodically going through it. Paid straight away of course and felt sorry for him, but I winced a bit having not budgeted for it that month!
I’m waiting on a final bill from our builder, but I’m also waiting on him to have the completion discussion with building control. Been about a month now and I’ve chased 3 times. Will chase again next week then debating getting BC In myself, however I won’t really be able to anwswer any questions they might have, or have the experience to know if to challenge them if they are talking rubbish.
BC is a funny one. There's no obligation on the builder to get it signed off and it's very commonly forgotten in the rush to get things finished and your life back to normal.
Ultimately it's an issue for the home owner as it will impact future house sale...as we just found out. Had to reopen the application for £90, BC came over the following week took a look and signed off. Pretty pointless as all the work is hidden below plaster and paint, but they go.by the job notes and the visits made during construction.
Probably worth just getting BC in yourself and letting the builder know. No idea what happens if it doesn't meet standards, guess BC leave that between you and the builder.