phil d
Well-known member
After a recent comment on another thread, about always doing a spec for a job so there's no misunderstanding over what's been priced for, is it just me, or does anyone else get fed up with alterations, even if they are paid for?
It was November 2017 and I started a rewire on a 3 bed semi, it was having a full rip out, basically being gutted and everything refitted, from the floors to the roof. I'd gone through everything meticulously, given the client all the options, he'd made his decisions, a price had been agreed and work commenced. Then it all started to go horribly wrong, due to the time taken to complete the job, largely caused by the incompetence of his 'builder', the guy had too much time to think.
All cables in then one morning we get, "I've been thinking, could we have the sockets in the back bedroom done like those in the front, hotel style, oh and the light switches". What we'd agreed in the front bedroom was a socket and light switch at either side of the bed at a height just above bedside cabinet height (hotel style), it was an extra, but it got done, then he decided he wanted downlights, not just in the lounge as agreed, but right through the house, more work, this went on and on each day something changed. we'd told him that his stud wall built to create a sort of vestibule, inside the hall was too small, he said it wasn't! After it had been built, cabled, plastered and we were near to completion, he agreed it was too small, could the wall just be pushed back 6 feet? Just be pushed back! There were 16 cables in this wall, they'd all either need lengthening, or replacing, and he thought it was a simple case of just pushing the wall back! On and on it went, and it wasn't just with the electrics, I ended up fitting 2 bathrooms out after the plumber walked out, the roofer walked off, everybody was sick of the changes, the only one who seemed happy was the so called builder, he took on the work of the roofer and the joiner( he made a mess of doing both), Eventually 11 months later I snapped and told the client that there'd be no more alterations whatsoever, I did have other work to do. Ok the bloke paid up for all the extra's, there was never an issue, even when I stung him over one alteration, he just kept changing his mind. Finally it was finished, he thanked me and paid up quite happily, then he dropped the bombshell, he was buying another property and wanted me to do all the work on that one too!
How I kept a straight face when I told him I was going working away for 6 months I'll never know.
Does anyone else ever get to that point where you lose interest in the money and just want to get away from a job?
It was November 2017 and I started a rewire on a 3 bed semi, it was having a full rip out, basically being gutted and everything refitted, from the floors to the roof. I'd gone through everything meticulously, given the client all the options, he'd made his decisions, a price had been agreed and work commenced. Then it all started to go horribly wrong, due to the time taken to complete the job, largely caused by the incompetence of his 'builder', the guy had too much time to think.
All cables in then one morning we get, "I've been thinking, could we have the sockets in the back bedroom done like those in the front, hotel style, oh and the light switches". What we'd agreed in the front bedroom was a socket and light switch at either side of the bed at a height just above bedside cabinet height (hotel style), it was an extra, but it got done, then he decided he wanted downlights, not just in the lounge as agreed, but right through the house, more work, this went on and on each day something changed. we'd told him that his stud wall built to create a sort of vestibule, inside the hall was too small, he said it wasn't! After it had been built, cabled, plastered and we were near to completion, he agreed it was too small, could the wall just be pushed back 6 feet? Just be pushed back! There were 16 cables in this wall, they'd all either need lengthening, or replacing, and he thought it was a simple case of just pushing the wall back! On and on it went, and it wasn't just with the electrics, I ended up fitting 2 bathrooms out after the plumber walked out, the roofer walked off, everybody was sick of the changes, the only one who seemed happy was the so called builder, he took on the work of the roofer and the joiner( he made a mess of doing both), Eventually 11 months later I snapped and told the client that there'd be no more alterations whatsoever, I did have other work to do. Ok the bloke paid up for all the extra's, there was never an issue, even when I stung him over one alteration, he just kept changing his mind. Finally it was finished, he thanked me and paid up quite happily, then he dropped the bombshell, he was buying another property and wanted me to do all the work on that one too!
How I kept a straight face when I told him I was going working away for 6 months I'll never know.
Does anyone else ever get to that point where you lose interest in the money and just want to get away from a job?
