BAL Advice needed - tiler almost doubled verbal quote on invoice, never quoted in writing

[James C]

hi all,

I’ve had some stellar advice from these forums in getting some split face stone tiles installed on my walls safely and correctly, and based on the advice I insisted they were installed on marmox boards rather than the existing plasterboard.

I supplied the boards, the washers, the screws etc.

the original quote verbally delivered as “I can do the job for £420”.

His invoice almost doubled the quote and added VAT (never mentioned the verbal quote needed VAT added!) and at no point confirmed he wanted to invoice more before the invoice arrived.

Where do I stand on this? As he did not quote in writing at any point, do I have to pay this extortionate cost?

FYI he completed the job in 8 hours total work and only needed to supply adhesive.

 

[Boggs]

So around £1000 for a days work?

 

[James C]

Without having it in front of me, it was close to £800! It was 4 hours on a Saturday and 4 hours on a Sunday...

My point was more of a quote is verbal and agreed verbally, surely you can’t just add on another £300 and invoice?

 

[Andy Allen]

Is he VAT registered .??
I would be wanting to see a vat number and would check its real..

As you have nothing in writing it's just he said, you said...

 

[Boggs]

Always get your quote in writing and definitely check he is vat registered.

 

[Waluigi]

I’d question it.

For me, I don’t really charge for part days, if it’s 4 hours one day and 4 hours another then that’s 2 days.

Even still, that’s quite a healthy day rate he has there. Can you estimate how much he spent on materials?

Definitely ask for a breakdown. How can he ask for more money once he’s already quoted I don’t know. A verbal quote is still a contract.

 

[James C]

He is threatening “litigation” if I don’t pay him. I’m more than happy to pay the quoted amount. If he doesn’t have a legal standpoint to “send it to litigation” then I will stand firm and continue extending my offer to pay him what he quoted.

He also stated in his last email that the quote was “for cash”, doesn’t sound like the VAT man is getting any of that!

 

[James C]

I’d question it.

For me, I don’t really charge for part days, if it’s 4 hours one day and 4 hours another then that’s 2 days.

Even still, that’s quite a healthy day rate he has there. Can you estimate how much he spent on materials?

Definitely ask for a breakdown. How can he ask for more money once he’s already quoted I don’t know. A verbal quote is still a contract.

Everything was in place to be done in one day, it certainly wasn’t our choice for him to come back on the Sunday, would have been far easier to get it all done on the Saturday!

The only material was adhesive for 5sq metres of boards and tiles

 

[Waluigi]

Minimal then.

Yes I’d definitely question it. I’d just tell him that he quoted x amount on the phone. No mention of VAT.

You have to tell people it’s plus VAT otherwise it’s misleading

 

[James C]

Minimal then.

Yes I’d definitely question it. I’d just tell him that he quoted x amount on the phone. No mention of VAT.

You have to tell people it’s plus VAT otherwise it’s misleading

It’s just unpleasant to have to be this way. I do a job where we quote for complicated trades on technical projects, and we quote for everything in an email and get agreement before we book anything in. We always state on the quote that additional labour will be x per hour and materials are an estimation within 10% etc.

I guess I have to wait for a solicitors letter now!

 

[Just Rizzle]

pay him what he quoted saying in full and final payment and threaten him with informing hmrc i bet they be happy to investigate cash deals and vat

 

[Spare Tool]

Have you actually asked him why his invoice is double the original estimate?

 

[James C]

Have you actually asked him why his invoice is double the original estimate?

Yeah, because I insisted the weight of the tiles needed overboarding, painted plasterboard can’t take 38kg per sq metre + adhesive. There’s a whole thread on that as well!

 

[James C]

pay him what he quoted saying in full and final payment and threaten him with informing hmrc i bet they be happy to investigate cash deals and vat

This may be the only route I have left to take, I don’t want to be that guy but clearly he is doing cash work on the weekends that never makes it to HMRC, and I had no problem paying the original quote regardless of whether it was on the books or not

 

[Waluigi]

Oh hang on, the guy did extra work which falls outside of what he originally quoted? Different ballgame now.

That’s extra. You can’t second guess what he is making on the job, only whether you think the additional work is reasonable