Estimated building costs versus actual - Advice needed

[jazzyjay]

Not sure it's that black and white, I get what the OP is saying, yet their argument is floored for reasons mentioned, they'd not be willing to pay a bit more if it had taken say 4 days. The lesson (as ever) to be learned is both the customer and contractor have been equally crap in their approach to the job and should be more specific in future.

Thanks again for all the comments. As a newbie, and apologise if this is stating the obvious, but I was always under the impression that there were two fundamental ways of specc'ing out a job e.g. an 'estimate' or a 'quote'. A quote is a fixed price. If the job is done quicker, you still pay the same price. If the job goes over, you still pay the same price. However, an 'estimate' to me means that when the job is completed, the contractor performs a reconciliation and invoices the actual costs. If the job has come in under estimate, the OP gets the difference back. If the job took longer, the OP would be expected to pay any extra cost. In this scenario, there is also an obligation for the contractor to let the OP know that the job is likely to be coming in over budget before the job is completed.

 

[Dereekoo]

In future ask him to supply a slower workforce and then you will be happy with the outcome or agree that you will pay him on a day work rate with everything in writing. Learn and pay up.

 

[blup]

A builder estimated a smallish job (some external repairs to brickwork). I asked him how many men would be required and how long the job would take. He told me that the job would take three days and require two men. The overall estimated cost was reasonable based on hiring two men for three days. The job was completed, but in fact, it only took the contractor two days to complete. The builder has now sent in the bill for the full amount (based on three days work). If they’d originally said the job would take two days at the rate they’d estimated, I would have said it was expensive and negotiated the cost. However, based on their projected manpower/time required, it was a reasonable estimate. Should I ask for him to knock some money off the final bill or ask for the two guys to come back and work an additional day on other tasks? Any advice on how to handle this situation would be gratefully received. Thanks.

It is not uncommon for a worse case scenario to be given, it covers the tradesmans back. But it also makes the price seem more palatable to the customer.

Blup

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Thanks again for all the comments. As a newbie, and apologise if this is stating the obvious, but I was always under the impression that there were two fundamental ways of specc'ing out a job e.g. an 'estimate' or a 'quote'. A quote is a fixed price. If the job is done quicker, you still pay the same price. If the job goes over, you still pay the same price. However, an 'estimate' to me means that when the job is completed, the contractor performs a reconciliation and invoices the actual costs. If the job has come in under estimate, the OP gets the difference back. If the job took longer, the OP would be expected to pay any extra cost. In this scenario, there is also an obligation for the contractor to let the OP know that the job is likely to be coming in over budget before the job is completed.

As already mentioned if that's what you assumed you should have made that clear to the builder as he should have with you. It's that simple.