Builder wants deposit for materials ?

[Landsurfer]

We had the roof re-felted and chimney and ridge pointed for £1600 ... he asked for nothing up front used no scaffolding, and he and his man did it in 2, 10 hour days ... he came recommended by 2 friends .. one a builder .... 2 years ago ... i went into the loft to inspect the felting before i paid him ... good work ... for an extra £50 he dropped a stainless steel liner down the chimney and fitted a second hand chimney pot ...
We often see his van around the Rotherham / Doncaster area and him and his mate wandering around roofs ....
As a youngster of 17 i worked as a roofer for a year before joining the RAF so had an idea of what to look for ....
£500 for materials up front ? I wouldn't .....

 

[screenman]

We had the roof re-felted and chimney and ridge pointed for £1600 ... he asked for nothing up front used no scaffolding, and he and his man did it in 2, 10 hour days ... he came recommended by 2 friends .. one a builder .... 2 years ago ... i went into the loft to inspect the felting before i paid him ... good work ... for an extra £50 he dropped a stainless steel liner down the chimney and fitted a second hand chimney pot ...
We often see his van around the Rotherham / Doncaster area and him and his mate wandering around roofs ....
As a youngster of 17 i worked as a roofer for a year before joining the RAF so had an idea of what to look for ....
£500 for materials up front ? I wouldn't .....

I used to put up tv aerials for a living in 1974, do not like heights nowadays though. I have a feeling there are health and safety regs involved with roof work nowadays.

 

[Slick]

I used to put up tv aerials for a living in 1974, do not like heights nowadays though. I have a feeling there are health and safety regs involved with roof work nowadays.

There are, since 1974.

 

[screenman]

There are, since 1974.

Wish they had some back then, I have a scar down the front of my leg from falling off a roof.

 

[Landsurfer]

There are, since 1974.

Sorry guys there are no HSE regs ... only guidance ... Factorys Act .... now thats a different container of bi-valve molluscs

 

[Slick]

Sorry guys there are no HSE regs ... only guidance ... Factorys Act .... now thats a different container of bi-valve molluscs

Eh the health and safety at work regulation 74?

66 was the factories act if memory serves.

 

[berty bassett]

Not knowing exactly what he has priced up for it’s hard to give proper opinion
I do know I wouldn’t risk my life trying to redo a roof off a ladder or tower, if they are concrete tiles and the felt is knackered , then the tiles and batten is as well , but I don’t know if tile or slate or plain tile
If it’s dry ridge and verge it would be bloody hard off a ladder same as if it is cement
If it is a total re-tile job all with new stuff then at that price I can’t see anyway of doing it without cutting corners
Rough guess scaffold 5-600
You count tiles roughly and phone merchant up to see how much , add on felt batten nails soffit fascia skip gutter-take off the price you were given , divide by 3 then divide again by 2 - that is how much roughly they will be getting a day for the job - bet it doesn’t work out a lot for walking up and down a roof

 

[Grant Fondo]

Bad practice as others have said, not a good sign of his cash situation + lots of builders having issues.

 

[Landsurfer]

Eh the health and safety at work regulation 74?

66 was the factories act if memory serves.

Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1974 is the enabling act for Guidance to be given ... if you fail to follow guidance, without reasonable cause, you can be exposed to criminal charge ...

 

[Slick]

Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1974 is the enabling act for Guidance to be given ... if you fail to follow guidance, without reasonable cause, you can be exposed to criminal charge ...

It's law.

 

[Slick]

You can't be prosecuted for not following guidance, but you can for not following the regulation.

 

[newts]

From HSE ;-
Roof edges and openings

Falls from roof edges occur on both commercial and domestic projects and on new build and refurbishment jobs. Many deaths occur each year involving smaller builders working on the roof of domestic dwellings

• Sloping roofs: sloping roofs require scaffolding to prevent people or materials falling from the edge. You must also fit edge protection to the eaves of any roof and on terraced properties to the rear as well as the front. Where work is of short duration (tasks measured in minutes), properly secured ladders to access the roof and proper roof ladders may be used.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/roofwork.htm

 

[iandg]

Currently renovating a cottage. Had to pay deposits/staged payments for heating, bathroom and 1 builder who is rebuilding chimneys. Other builder (doing internal work), joiner, electrician, plumber and roofer did not need a deposit. The project is being managed by the joiner and he bills me monthly for work done.

 

[Chris S]

What if you pay the £500 and he then want's more money before he will carry out or complete the work? If you refuse you lose the £500. If you agree you stand to lose even more money. You'd be in the same sort of situation as an advance fee scam victim.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

So many suspicious people on this forum