No Firrings installed on flat roof - Who’s Responsibility

[carmanmemoranda]

No, the OP would have been in a better position, had he just left it all to the builder to sort it out, but instead he engaged two separate companies to do the work and relied upon them showing normal competence. As such, he can expect the work done by the companies to be competently completed. The roofer failed miserably in that respect, because they were in a rush, so the roofer should pay 90% of the cost of rectification. No roofer working in a competent manner, would install a roof obviously draining the wrong way. It's not a minor error, it's a major fault.

That may be well and true.

But if the roofer doesn't agree to re do it, then he is stuck with legal action, or just getting it done and biting the cost.

Doesn't mean I agree with him picking up the extra cost, but it's where he is now.

Saving a few £, may unfortunately have cost a few extra £

 

[mrrusty]

As such, he can expect the work done by the companies to be competently completed. The roofer failed miserably in that respect, because they were in a rush, so the roofer should pay 90% of the cost of rectification. No roofer working in a competent manner, would install a roof obviously draining the wrong way. It's not a minor error, it's a major fault.

I 100% agree, but the devil is in the word "should". To be successful in any litigation, you first have to prove that the roofer actually had design responsibility and wasn't working under your/your designers instruction, then you have to prove that if the roofer had design responsibility, that the work was actually negligent, which means demonstrating it was not done with "reasonable skill and care"; difficult for a lay person to be able to prove that without expert involvement.

Was this extension built without plans? If it was, deciding who has design responsibility at each stage is critical, as you have found out! Did the roofer have any Ts & Cs? or was the contract just verbal?

It seems to me @Notch7 had it right "it is one of the risks of self project managing: you dont know what you dont know"

 

[noseall]

We hired the roofer independent of the builder.

Oh, right. I thought the builder was overseeing the job, but it looks like you folks were. In that case the roofer should have seen fit to install the furrings prior to him fixing the deck.

The fact that it is built it as a cold roof, is pants also. Ask for your money back.