Builders - clearing up

Author
Discussion

Moonhawk

Original Poster:

10,730 posts

218 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
I'm after some advice.

We have builders in at the moment - and whilst they are doing a decent job and turning up when they should, they are making an awful mess and not only are they really making any effort to tidying up after themselves. They are expecting us to do it and have even passed comment that 'some of the mess could do with clearing'. Me and my wife have spent quite a few weekends moving wood and plastic off cuts, picking up broken bricks and concrete etc. We have probably filled a couple of 8 tonne skips just by ourselves.

Is it normal for builders to expect their clients to clean up after them - or is it normally implied (if not specifically stated) in the quotation for the work?

I have had builders in before - nothing on this scale - but clearing rubbish and debris has normally been part and parcel of the job.

Dave_ST220

10,288 posts

204 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
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IMO they are taking the piss. Our builders always left the site clean & tidy (to a degree!) at the end of the day. As I was also working day & night on the house I'd sometimes quite happily chuck their st in the skip at the same time as mine. But if you are paying them to do all of the work & are not involved at all I'd be expecting them to take their own st to the skip!

Too Late

5,092 posts

234 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
No, have a quiet word. If they stop 30 mins early to clean up, and they finish 4 hours later than schedule. It shouldnt matter as your not paying day rate...


Wacky Racer

38,099 posts

246 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Usually, when they submit a written quotation it should say whether this is included in the quote.

Seems a very poor show, but is it worth raising a fuss if the other work is good?

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Depends what basis / contract you're employing them on but its not normal to expect a client to clear your st up.

There are odd exceptions such as carpet fitters where its an apparent industry "norm" to leave all the crap , offcuts etc strewn everywhere.

joshleb

1,544 posts

143 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Have a quiet word with the boss and he should sort it.

I expect them to leave it as they found it, within reason of course.

PositronicRay

26,954 posts

182 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Had a smallish 2 week job done.

The company sent 1 guy + an apprentice/labourer

They cracked on did a great job and cleared up after themselves. The second week (due to holidays) we had another 2 guys. They were st, untidy, unhelpful, and a poor job. At one stage we had 2 guys + another apprentice, the apprentice spent his day cutting up bits of wood for no reason, and scattering wood about the drive. No supervision, they'd bugger off leaving crap, phoned boss and he'd come round and clear up.

Original guy had to come back and correct the work.

Bristol spark

4,381 posts

182 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Depends how big a mess they are making.... construction usually requires making a mess in order to get to the other side, and dust does go everywhere.

personally i can't just go home leaving a mess behind.

However you also get customers telling you to leave the clearing up as they would rather do it to save my time.
And TBH I'm an expensive cleaner.....

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Bristol spark said:
personally i can't just go home leaving a mess behind.
Are you sure you're a real spark? hehe

Saleen836

11,061 posts

208 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
Bristol spark said:
personally i can't just go home leaving a mess behind.
Are you sure you're a real spark? hehe
One of my mates is a spark and we rib him all the time about clearing up mess laugh

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Saleen836 said:
One of my mates is a spark and we rib him all the time about clearing up mess laugh
They're all the bloody same. Pile of snippings in every room. biggrin

herbialfa

1,489 posts

201 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Is there anything in the quote re. "spoil away"?

BoRED S2upid

19,641 posts

239 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
No it's not normal but now you have started they are unlikely to do it themselves. You should have MTFU at the start.

Moonhawk

Original Poster:

10,730 posts

218 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Bristol spark said:
Depends how big a mess they are making.... construction usually requires making a mess in order to get to the other side, and dust does go everywhere.
Dust and stuff I expect - I didn't go into this with my eyes closed. I have rebuilt a house myself an know just how much of a mess can be made.

I'm talking about brickies just chucking all of the brick offcuts on the floor, excess mortar just being left in piles, the joiners leaving days worth of wood offcuts on the floor, plastic bags from soffits and facias just left lying around etc.

I spent a couple of hours cleaning up around the property today - and this is what I put in the skip (an 8 tonner) that the brickies left behind. Bear in mind they haven't been on site for over a week and I have also spent the best part of two weekends filling another skip with this type of stuff from their previous visits. I have probably cleared 5 times this amount of stuff already and that's without even considering the joiners stuff.



Edited by Moonhawk on Thursday 21st September 17:47

Moonhawk

Original Poster:

10,730 posts

218 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
herbialfa said:
Is there anything in the quote re. "spoil away"?
No - and I don't expect them to dispose of the waste themselves - but considering I am hiring the skips and having them placed as close to the property as possible - I would have expected 'chucking offcuts into a skip' to be implied as part of the quote, not a specific part of the quote.

Edited by Moonhawk on Thursday 21st September 17:55

mintybiscuit

2,811 posts

144 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
Your skip loading is making my eyes bleed !!! eek

Considering that you are paying for the skips separately, please load them efficiently tongue out



biglaugh

stuartmmcfc

8,653 posts

191 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
You’re the builders bh OP.

C Lee Farquar

4,066 posts

215 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
Bristol spark said:
personally i can't just go home leaving a mess behind.
Are you sure you're a real spark? hehe
My exact first thought!

Then I remembered that not leaving a mess is sweeping into a heap against the wall wink

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
I’ve had a few jobs done like loft conversions small extensions etc and I’ve never been expected to clean up after builders. Sure they made a bit off mess around the house like dust etc but not like what you’re describing.

They’re just dumping all the stuff from their work and leaving it for you to deal with? They’re absolutely taking the piss. What would happen if you weren’t there? I’m actually quite surprised to read this at all,


Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 21st September 19:56

Wacky Racer

38,099 posts

246 months

Thursday 21st September 2017
quotequote all
mintybiscuit said:
Your skip loading is making my eyes bleed !!! eek

Considering that you are paying for the skips separately, please load them efficiently tongue out



biglaugh
It's a skip ffs!

Do you expect him to stack the bricks up in a neat pile?

biggrin