I'm just taking a customer to court over non payment of my invoice as he says I am over charging. Bit of a long story as I have some history with him. I've tried contacting CIHPE to see if they have recommended rates, but no joy. I charged him £450 for 1 1/2 man days to remove and reinstall and re-commission two solar panels while his roof was being retiled. What do you think about £300 a day?
What rates are people charging for solar installation
- Thread starter MarkRainbow
- Start date
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G
Goldspoon
You quote. He agrees or disagrees. Simple.
Apart from the above I would say £200 to 250 a day but there is no right answer to this.
Apart from the above I would say £200 to 250 a day but there is no right answer to this.
Did you quote the price that you invoiced him for? Did he accept?
If yes to both, your customer doesn't really have an argument.
If yes to both, your customer doesn't really have an argument.
House or bungalow, did u use a scaffold tower? That price doesn't seem that expensive as its a high risk job.
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If you had no agreement on the charge you can only sue, but will only get what is reasonable in the eyes of the court.
The customer has no right to withhold payment and so should have paid you what he believes reasonable at the very least, leaving you to do whatever you want about the balance.
£300 day? You will need to demonstrate how you got to that. But if you can show you are a qualified plumber or whatever that's going to help to start with.
There would be no problem if you had agreed it all in writing to start with.
You could have used this contract (free to download):
http://www.jctltd.co.uk/stylesheet.asp?file=04052006104401
Thanks for you thoughts everyone. As I said I have a bit of history with this customer and I should probably have gone with my first instinct, which not to even answer his call.
Summer before last I completely replumbed his 5 bed house; new boiler, unvented twin coil cylinder, solar panels, all new pipework and 25 rads. It was the first job of this size I'd taken on and asked him if he would consider doing it on day rate plus materials. He declined and said he wanted a price. I quoted £15,600 which he accepted. When the work was finished, he said he thought I was overcharging him and couldn't see the works being worth more than £13,000. He still owed me £8000 and after seeing a solicitor and thinking hard about taking him to court I settled on £14,000 because I didn't want to wait what might be a year for it to go through court.
Basically he's a player. He runs a Building services company and employs about 70 people. He's also an expert witness for the CIHPE. All the other tradesmen working at his house, which he gutted, rewired, replastered, replumbed and more... had hassels getting payed by him
After we settled, he said " this might sound strange, but I have a lot of time for you Mark, I'm delighted with the work you've done and if you ever want any help with wording your contracts I'd be happy to help"!!!!
Ah, it's a long story.. too long to write here. I didn't quote for the removal and refitting of the solar panels. I nearly joked with him "I guess it's pointless me quoting as you'll ignore it anyway".
We'll see what happens in court. It's more pride than anything. I suspect the court will set a figure somewhere between my price of £450 and what he has offered at £300.
Lesson learned... if your guts tell you to walk away, do it. If not get it down in writing.
Summer before last I completely replumbed his 5 bed house; new boiler, unvented twin coil cylinder, solar panels, all new pipework and 25 rads. It was the first job of this size I'd taken on and asked him if he would consider doing it on day rate plus materials. He declined and said he wanted a price. I quoted £15,600 which he accepted. When the work was finished, he said he thought I was overcharging him and couldn't see the works being worth more than £13,000. He still owed me £8000 and after seeing a solicitor and thinking hard about taking him to court I settled on £14,000 because I didn't want to wait what might be a year for it to go through court.
Basically he's a player. He runs a Building services company and employs about 70 people. He's also an expert witness for the CIHPE. All the other tradesmen working at his house, which he gutted, rewired, replastered, replumbed and more... had hassels getting payed by him
After we settled, he said " this might sound strange, but I have a lot of time for you Mark, I'm delighted with the work you've done and if you ever want any help with wording your contracts I'd be happy to help"!!!!
Ah, it's a long story.. too long to write here. I didn't quote for the removal and refitting of the solar panels. I nearly joked with him "I guess it's pointless me quoting as you'll ignore it anyway".
We'll see what happens in court. It's more pride than anything. I suspect the court will set a figure somewhere between my price of £450 and what he has offered at £300.
Lesson learned... if your guts tell you to walk away, do it. If not get it down in writing.
D
Deleted member 105431
Hang on a minute he stung you for £1600 and you let him off and continued to work for him?
ARE YOU FECKING MAD?!
ARE YOU FECKING MAD?!
exactly my thoughts, just not quite so in your face.
WTF, are you bonkers!
WTF, are you bonkers!
As Victor would say " I Don't belive it"
This guy bends you over and shafts you big time, and you then left him come back and have another go.
Jesus H Christ, are you some sort of sadomasocist
This guy bends you over and shafts you big time, and you then left him come back and have another go.
Jesus H Christ, are you some sort of sadomasocist
very very seldom do i go against an honest, good tradesman, but in my humble opinion you got what you deserved and should get a good hard slap NOT for the first job as that happens to us all, but for going back for more, i actually apluad the guy for bumping you twice you honestly deserve it.
we all think we are clever and if you had a Baldrick cunning plan and added the 1st £1600 to the second job to get it back and it didnt work out then fair play for trying, but you gave him £300 a day with no written contract (one of his just to rub his nose in it), did you honestly think he would pay you, FFS he agreed £1500 for the first job then gave you £1400
aaaahhhhh i need to read another post i'm getting madder the more i think about it
we all think we are clever and if you had a Baldrick cunning plan and added the 1st £1600 to the second job to get it back and it didnt work out then fair play for trying, but you gave him £300 a day with no written contract (one of his just to rub his nose in it), did you honestly think he would pay you, FFS he agreed £1500 for the first job then gave you £1400
aaaahhhhh i need to read another post i'm getting madder the more i think about it
D
Deleted member 105431
ABSOLUTE MUG; GOT WHAT YOU DESERVE!
Well I took a pasting on that one! Business obviouslly isn't my strong point. Thanks for the moral support!
D
Deleted member 105431
c'mon markyboy dont take the huff, put it down to experience and remember the lesson and the pelters, and FFS dont do any work for the scumbag again, in fact if he phones you at midnight saying he is flooding take great delight in telling him you cannot afford to visit as you have no diesel in your van as some customers have bumped you for money, and do not go to the job, then go back to sleep and have the best kip in ages
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