We are in the process of renovating our house and are currently having more or less trouble with the electrician.
We got a quote from one of the largest electrical contractors in the area for a complete rewiring of the electrical system and were quite impressed at first. However, a week after the work started, the situation looks very different...
- An electrician came who has just recently completed his apprenticeship
- He prefers chatting with the other tradesmen instead of actually getting work done
- He laughs at the 3-week schedule and says he needs to see when and what he can accomplish
- Every single socket outlet still needs to be discussed with us again, even though we marked everything with marker paint
- He doesn’t mark the chases, but just cuts straight into the wall (and it looks exactly like that!)
- Cable conduits apparently cannot be installed inside the wall due to the structural stability (11.5cm (4.5 inches) bricks), which was previously agreed differently
...
After 3 days, we had enough and called in the manager.
He inspected the work and said everything was within tolerance.
Marking the chases beforehand would take more time and was not part of the scope of work. (Is this a joke or???)
After that, things improved slightly and the electrician managed to get a bit more done each day.
Today, I noticed that the light switches in the rooms are not all at the same height and the sockets (those black inner trims) have all been installed crooked.
Sockets were originally agreed to be below the light switches but are now located near the floor.
Also, the preparation for the ceiling lamp is not centered in the room.
And it goes on...
Is this really all still within the tolerance range??
We got a quote from one of the largest electrical contractors in the area for a complete rewiring of the electrical system and were quite impressed at first. However, a week after the work started, the situation looks very different...
- An electrician came who has just recently completed his apprenticeship
- He prefers chatting with the other tradesmen instead of actually getting work done
- He laughs at the 3-week schedule and says he needs to see when and what he can accomplish
- Every single socket outlet still needs to be discussed with us again, even though we marked everything with marker paint
- He doesn’t mark the chases, but just cuts straight into the wall (and it looks exactly like that!)
- Cable conduits apparently cannot be installed inside the wall due to the structural stability (11.5cm (4.5 inches) bricks), which was previously agreed differently
...
After 3 days, we had enough and called in the manager.
He inspected the work and said everything was within tolerance.
Marking the chases beforehand would take more time and was not part of the scope of work. (Is this a joke or???)
After that, things improved slightly and the electrician managed to get a bit more done each day.
Today, I noticed that the light switches in the rooms are not all at the same height and the sockets (those black inner trims) have all been installed crooked.
Sockets were originally agreed to be below the light switches but are now located near the floor.
Also, the preparation for the ceiling lamp is not centered in the room.
And it goes on...
Is this really all still within the tolerance range??
Knöpfchen schrieb:
This has nothing to do with tolerance anymore; one can assume that the rest will be done just as carelessly. So, a professional execution can definitely be questioned. In this case, I wouldn’t pay anything. Even after being asked to make changes, nothing significant has been done.That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. If one slot is crooked, that’s okay, but not a single one is straight?! Honestly, I don’t want him to continue working anymore. Since he started, I’ve only felt uneasy... and that probably won’t change.
I will discuss everything with my partner later and may impose a work stoppage starting tomorrow. Even though I’m not an expert in electrical work, it seemed off from the beginning.
Do you think I can simply end the working relationship due to these defects, or do I need an expert opinion?
Müllerin schrieb:
Now you just need to compare how quickly and for what price you can find another company... Are you under a time constraint? If not, I’d look for someone else. Unfortunately, we do have some time pressure. So far, we were actually ahead of schedule (it’s supposed to be roughly finished by the end of March), but this will probably set us back.
Still, that’s better than regretting for decades because the dining room lamp isn’t centered over the table or all the light switches aren’t installed at the same height, etc.
Nordlys schrieb:
Well, there is a contract. It can be terminated due to gross incompetence in delivering the required service... or it can be dissolved by mutual agreement. Simply not paying is not an option.Terminating or dissolving the contract is fine... But how do you bill for the "work done" when the electrician spent more time chatting than working?!
What difference does it make if the slots are straight or crooked? They just need to run horizontally or vertically within a tolerance between the connections, switches, sockets, etc. After plastering, nothing is visible anymore, and you can only roughly tell where they run. So, I find your fuss about this exaggerated.
It’s a different matter if visible switches, etc., are not straight, parallel, or located where they should be. I would have that corrected. If this happens frequently, I would even consider sending the contractor home.
It’s a different matter if visible switches, etc., are not straight, parallel, or located where they should be. I would have that corrected. If this happens frequently, I would even consider sending the contractor home.
F
fach1werk21 Jan 2019 20:25At the moment, I don’t think involving an expert is necessary. You will have to pay for any pre-litigation expert assessments yourself anyway.
However, complaints must be clearly documented and delivered to the company owner in a verifiable manner.
The idea of a construction stop is basically a good way to draw a line, but I would rather prohibit individual employees from entering the site—and only after giving prior notice with a reason to their supervisor. For example, due to their unwillingness to learn what to do, how, and where. You could consider paying an advance based on an estimate of how many man-hours the work might take, but only once you have removed that worker. Anything you hand over in excess is lost. The scheduling can also be influenced—if no comment is made about the slow work—by the head of the trade association.
The trade association exerts a certain group pressure. Its leader can be either sociable or highly skilled, but you really can’t be sure. After inspection, he will be cautious about recommending a handyman to you. He will also talk to your electrician.
Best regards,
Gabriele
However, complaints must be clearly documented and delivered to the company owner in a verifiable manner.
The idea of a construction stop is basically a good way to draw a line, but I would rather prohibit individual employees from entering the site—and only after giving prior notice with a reason to their supervisor. For example, due to their unwillingness to learn what to do, how, and where. You could consider paying an advance based on an estimate of how many man-hours the work might take, but only once you have removed that worker. Anything you hand over in excess is lost. The scheduling can also be influenced—if no comment is made about the slow work—by the head of the trade association.
The trade association exerts a certain group pressure. Its leader can be either sociable or highly skilled, but you really can’t be sure. After inspection, he will be cautious about recommending a handyman to you. He will also talk to your electrician.
Best regards,
Gabriele