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A quotation is an offer
to carry out work for a fixed price, although certain terms and
conditions may be included to reduce the risk of the service provider,
in that he or she may reasonably ask for additional fees to cover
unforeseen circumstances.
We would all like a
fixed price for work. When can this be provided and in what
circumstances is it reasonable?
The answer depends on to what extent the works can be clearly defined.
Here is a list of examples, showing items most suitable for a quote:
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replacement windows
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laminate flooring
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decorating
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simple electrical works
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plumbing repairs.
But, I hear you say,
surely something simple like changing a tap can’t be that difficult
to calculate an estimate?
Well actually, yes it can be. It is possible to replace a tap within
half an hour; it is equally possible for the job to take 4 hours and
longer.
Why is this? Here are
two real examples:
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The easy tap
replacement. Isolating valve fitted to the supply pipe, so all that is
needed is one turn of the screw and the water supply is off. The tap
nut is accessible and can be unscrewed so the tap comes off. The
fitting is of the current standard and the new tap is the same length
as old, so the pipe meets up. So off with old and on with the new and
the jobs done. Simple and cheap!
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The complicated job. The
tap’s has been in place for a good deal of time, probably 20 years or
more. There is no isolating valve. The stopcock – oh yes when the
kitchen was refitted that was left behind the cupboard, you can
probably just see it. But there’s no room to turn it and its solid
anyway. Water meter (meaning a nicely accessible outside stopcock)?
No. Do you know where your outside stopcock is? No? OK – but we’ll
need to dig the rubble out of the hole first…. And so it goes on.
Other variations include inaccessible bath taps (fitted to the bath
before the bath was installed), jammed gate valves and many more
obstacles.
So how can you as a
customer help to ensure that an estimate is accurate or a quotation
remains fixed?
The answer to the
question is in 4 parts:
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Think about what you
want, plan it before hand, write it down and above all be as accurate
as possible
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DO NOT change your mind
halfway through. Change equals additional cost
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Set reasonable
expectations. To take the plumbing example, if you can’t turn off the
water easily, then changing the tap is going to need the stopcock
repaired first
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By all means talk
to/make tea for/even chat up the workforce, but do not divert or
distract them. The ‘whilst you are here is it possible to?’ question
is well-known and almost guaranteed to remove attention from the job
in hand. Either plan ahead or ask after the first job has been
completed.
We are all familiar
with the rogue tradesman. Trading standards expos? do help, as do
personal references, but there is one other way in which you, the
customer, can avoid rogue tradespeople. Don’t get talked into a job by
casual callers at the door or by flyers through the letterbox. Always
get a recommendation or a reference.
And what should the
provider of the service do? Clarity about charging is key. Always
get a written reference. Ask about how long a job could take (although
sometimes customers do not want to hear).
At 50plus Handyman we
will, wherever possible, provide an estimate of how long we think the
job will take at the time of the initial call. We then have a
representative look at the job on site to provide him or her with a
‘ceiling’ number of hours (and hence cost) which they cannot go beyond
without seeking approval.
Finally do talk to the
service provider. Don’t be afraid to ask pertinent questions and if you
don’t understand the answer ask for a plain English explanation.
Roger Runswick is a director of
50plus Handyman and a member of the
Institute of Electrical Engineers. He can be contacted at
roger.runswick@the50plus.co.uk
Previous articles in this series:
Fixing drips and changing
your taps
Can I still change my light
switch?
Fitting an outside light
Pre-winter maintenance
Thinking of installing a
shower?
Decorating – are you getting your money’s worth?
Estimate or
quotation?
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