Building team work dilemma

7 years ago

Hi Houzzers. Excuse the long post but need your opinions. We started building renovations in Feb, our builder who quoted the job has project managed (plumbers, carpenters, tilers etc) without any problem - they've all mostly been people he has used before except for the electrician, who is a friend of a friend, who we decided to use based on recommendation. Electrician said his work would take 5 days.

Fast forward 8 weeks and we have had floors replyed in the kitchen (with flooring people ready to lay LVT), walls all skimmed and plastered and a decorator in to prep walls and do first coats. Everyone has been aware of the schedule and what was happening when. However yesterday, the electrician said he would come in to finish wiring the kitchen and said he would "make good" at the end. After spending the whole day there he has chased walls (with chunks of wall coming out) and has lifted floorboards and all the ply in the kitchen. When we asked him to make good he said he's not qualified and that we should speak to the project manager who should not have allowed laid floors and plastering and decorating before he knew the wiring was finished.

We are devastated both by the electricians's attitude but also by the fact he has now set us back in our works (as decorators and floor people are back in after bank holiday).

Question: who should take the blame/pay for replying the floor, replastering and redecorating? Electrician or project manager or both?

Thank you!

Comments (2)

minnie101
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi Anna. I was in a similar situation when we had our basement done, we didn't want to use the builders normal electrician for various reasons so sourced our own. I arranged for the builder and electrician to swap details so the builder could arrange for the first fix electrics before doing the floor or plastering. My building knowledge is poor but I don't understand why the builder would allow for the floor and plastering to be done given the disruption it causes? Having said that I'm a little unsure whether yesterday was the first day the electrician appeared? Could be that he had started but not finished the first fix in which case the builder wasn't aware (although TBH even to me that should be visually noticeable and I assume everyone was working to an electrical plan?). Was it also agreed that the builder would manage communications with the electrician? With my limited knowledge I believe there may be a degree of filling and touching up decor on the 2nd fix electrics. As I say my knowledge is poor so it may be that you're best off posting on design dilemma as this section isn't read frequently or by many. I hope you get it resolved quickly as I can imagine how upset and disappointed you are.
Awal
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks minnie101. So they had exchanged details to communicate directly, however half way through our project manager flagged the electrician was not responding. We then spoke to the electrician who claimed likewise so we then took on communicating directly to the electrician. So electrician seemed to go on his own schedule (he clearly has a full time job and was squeezing us in whenever he could, hence he fell behind). However, each time I communicated the next phase of works, e.g. Plying, plastering, etc. he would come in and do things and then say he would make good. So we let the project schedule run.
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Building team work dilemma

Comments (2)

minnie101

Awal
Original Author

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Building team work dilemma

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minnie101

AwalOriginal Author

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Awal
Original Author