Word of Advice

26 January 2009

Don’t want to DIY?

So you (or your loved one) spent most of the summer holidays relaxing and didn’t get around to those fix-up jobs around the house. Time to call in a tradesperson?

Before they start hammering and plastering, get the details down on paper. Having a record of what you agreed will be handy if there are problems later.

Find out whether the price they are telling you is an estimate or a quote. An estimate is just how much they expect it will cost. This is usually okay for a small job. But for anything more expensive you should get a written quote.

A quote says that the tradesperson will do the job for a certain price. The quote should also include:

• what work is to be done
• start and finish dates
• hourly rate
• cost of material
• whether the total price includes GST.

The tradesperson can’t charge more than the price you are quoted, unless you agree to the extra amount. It is helpful to include an agreement that the tradesperson will let you know straight away if there are any extra costs or work to be done. Then you can decide to stop the work if it gets too expensive.

Try not to pay a deposit, especially a large deposit, and definitely don’t pay the total amount before the job is finished. Withholding the final payment may also motivate a tradesperson to finish the job on time.

When everything is complete, check that the terms of the quote have been met. If everything is okay, then pay up and keep all the paperwork – quotes, invoices, receipts.

What you should expect

Under the Consumer Guarantees Act the tradesperson must complete the work with reasonable skill and care – as competently as a tradesperson with average skills and experience.

The work must be fit for the purpose that you have asked for, including anything you have specified in the quote. They might have skilfully painted the walls yellow, but if you asked for pink, then it’s not satisfactory.

And, unless specified in the quote, the work must be done within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price.

What if there is a problem?

If it’s fixable, then you need to give the tradesperson a chance to fix it at no cost to you. Give the tradesperson a firm date to have the problem fixed by. If they don’t fix it then you can get someone else to fix it and claim the money from the tradesperson.

If it’s a serious problem, or one that can’t be fixed, you can cancel the work and refuse to pay, or arrange with the tradesperson to pay a lower price.

If there has been extra damage caused by the problem, and the damage is something that the tradesperson could have expected to happen, then you may be able to claim compensation from the tradesperson.

For more information about your consumer rights, visit our website or your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau.