Most of the hundreds of thousands of builders in the UK are honest professionals who are proud of the work they do. However, as with all walks of life, there are some bad eggs that need calling out. What follows are examples of crooks that should never be allowed near tools again.
The ugly
First up, a builder was paid £50,000 to build an extension on a couple’s house, then disappeared before the job was complete.
After the work failed several inspections, the builder gave up and left the couple with a building site.
When he reappeared he told the couple he couldn’t complete the project. He offered to pay back their money and find someone else to take over. However, the offer to repay £3000 fell short of the £50k already paid, So, the homeowner got his solicitor involved.
The extension was originally quoted to cost £70,000, but the work that was carried out by the dodgy builder has to be demolished and started from scratch.
Due to a rise in labour costs, and a shortage of materials, the same extension will now set the couple back over £100,000.
Add to that the money already invested and lost, and the couple’s 14-week promise of an extra room in their home has turned into a nightmare.
Project status: Incomplete
Quote cost: £68,450
Total paid: £47,643
Repair / rebuild cost: £109,000
The Uglier
In another extension disaster, Kyle and David Thomas paid £13,000 for a single story room at the back of their house. The builder asked for the money in instalments, with the final payment due once the electrics had been wired in.
However, after paying the first £7500, the builders failed to turn up on the first day and the work they did was well below standard.
The owner of the building company blamed subcontractors for the shoddy work, and other projects he was working on failed to pass inspections. His business has since closed down leaving the Thomas’s with a half built extension to deal with.
Project status: Incomplete
Quote cost: £15,000
Total paid: £13,000
Repair / rebuild cost: Unknown
The bad
Next up, a group of more than 15 people have fell victim to a roofing company at a combined cost of £500,000.
Trelawny Roofing, left homes trashed and roof conversions in limbo. The company’s dodgy tactics saw them put up scaffolding before contracts were agreed, pressuring them to pay up.
One victim said he was lied to about the builder’s qualifications and found buckets of cigarettes and urine on site. Mr. Brown, the owner of the roofing business, said he has done nothing wrong.
Project status: Incomplete
Quote cost: multiple
Total paid: £500,000
Repair / rebuild cost: Unknown
The Good
And finally, some positive news. Celebrity Mark Wright set-up a pie and mash stall to feed hungry tradespeople working on his £1.3 million mansion.
Workers lined up to grab some well-earned grub as Mark shared his treat on social media.
And this isn’t the first time Mark has treated workers. Last month, Mark hired a McDonalds food truck to thank those on site.
Project status: Ongoing
Pies eaten: Unknown
Thankfully, cowboy builders and other so called ‘trade professionals’ are few and far between. So, Tradesman Saver would like to thank all the hard-working tradespeople around the country taking care of customer’s construction needs. Thank you.
