Painter dispute

Adam

Adam

Adam

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
9,262
Some of you may have followed my kitchen thread which I have provided updates on within this forum. One of the last big jobs was the painting, as it was quite intricate around cupboards etc we decided to get a painter in who was recommended to my partner.

We were quoted £280 for the painter and his son and they said it take 2 and a half days. They came at 8.45am - 2pm on one day and 8.30am - 10.30am on day 2. They were to paint the ceiling, walls and woodwork (a small amount of MDF architrave and skirting).

My partner called me in tears yesterday and sent me some pictures, I'm actually shocked by how bad the finish is:

http://imgur.com/4toqDf5
http://imgur.com/DkssbZ2
http://imgur.com/DkssbZ2
http://imgur.com/IVGY2Zo

A list of issues:
  • The woodwork is patchy. The finish is rough with brush marks. The architrave in the dining room is like glass in comparison which was painted by another painter
  • Caulking missing
  • Paint all over my new quartz, cabinets, floor. The extractor to the hob is caked in paint on the chrome
  • They removed a cupboard door and didn't replace it
  • We left some washing up in a bowl from the kid's breakfast. They washed their brushes in this bowl (fuming about this)
My partner called him back and he did another coat on the architraves, it's better but still poor. He must have noticed a lot of paint on the floor as most of it is gone. He had packed up all his stuff and left before she could show him the other issues. She then spent over an hour last night scraping paint off the quartz, trim for the tiles etc. Just to remove the paint without addressing anything else will probably take at least another hour or so.

I haven't paid him yet, I was expecting to pay him Monday so didn't have the money ready so said I'd drop it in. I don't want him back, I'll either do it myself or get someone else in. I'm thinking of deducting £100 from the total to compensate for the poor work.
 
Had a similar issue and have come to the conclusion that if if they do a bad job at first, they also do not have the ability to put it right to a good standard.

Explain that you are not happy with the finish, tell them not to come back and pay them £150-200. Place an add on mybuilder for somebody to put right work that was underpar. This should make clear to the poorer painters that you will be particular, therefore will help ensure that whoever pitches for the job is confident in their quality.
 
£280 for 2 people to do 2.5 days work is extremely cheap, as mentioned should've been a warning sign there, it works out at £7 an hour, did you provide the paint for them?
 
Possibly, you live and learn I guess. We found it difficult to find a painter so when we were recommended this guy and he fit in with our schedule then we were happy. The price wasn't really a factor, more that they could do it before the kitchen fitter came back to finish everything and hang the radiator etc. We also didn't know there were 2 of them until they turned up together.

I called him earlier and told him I'm lying him but deducting £100 for the poor finish so I can get someone else in. We agreed I would send him pictures and I sent 12 of them. He said the kids bowl wasn't an issue but then apologised over text when he saw the picture but keeps making out the issue is minor (and just with the hob) disregarding everything else. He offered to come back (no he had his chance yesterday) or reduce the job price by £40 (why £40? He obviously sees he has messed up). I asked him if he considers the job finished and if it's up to his usual high standards and he hasn't replied.
 
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Even well recommended and expensive contractors can do a bad job. We've just had half our living room ceiling and a section of wall taken down and replastered, maybe 8m x 4m in total. The mess I came home one day to find was absolute disgraceful I was seeing red. They hadn't bothered to put dust sheets on any of our furniture just one on the floor and half an armchair. It took me and my gf an entire day to go over the entire place multiple times to even get rid of half of it. And because our house is small and completely open plan the dust covered the entire kitchen and bedroom (they'd said they would put dust screens up but didn't...). The plastering itself looks fine but again they managed to create a right mess and get it on the furniture... And there's still the decorating to go but thankfully we'll be using a guy who we/family have used before and know he does a proper job.
Luckily the whole thing is covered by insurance (water leak) so it doesn't leave quite such a sour taste but I'll be actively encouraging people not to use them in future.
 
To be fair I'd put it down to experience. If yours is the kitchen I recall, it was an accident waiting to happen unless you prior put frog tape/similar around!

The skirting board caulking sounds poor. Just pay less/lower rate?
 
The Craig said:
To be fair I'd put it down to experience. If yours is the kitchen I recall, it was an accident waiting to happen unless you prior put frog tape/similar around!

The skirting board caulking sounds poor. Just pay less/lower rate?
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It's surprising as I was at home the day they started and they spent a long time preparing. The whole kitchen was covered in brown paper, plastic sheeting and dust sheets etc.

I had a text from him yesterday telling me he expects £240 payment dropped off by the end of the day. I replied saying I expected a proper and finished job to be done and he won't be getting £240. In the end I dropped off £200 to his wife and I haven't heard from him since even to say he received it. The proper thing to do would be to let me know he has the money, thanks for dropping it in and apologies for the issues. I guess not though.
 
Unfortunately AFAIK legally you have to give him a chance to rectify it (unless both parties agree on a different resolution) - as above though if they did that poor a job in the first place then they probably aren't upto the standard of doing it properly. Don't think there is an obligation to pay him before the job is done to an agreed standard - obviously one or other party can take the other to court if no consensus is reached.

I'd probably pay someone to do it in future but intricate painting work like that wasn't actually as bad or time consuming as I thought it would be once I started using some decent protective tape.
 
Rroff said:
Unfortunately AFAIK legally you have to give him a chance to rectify it (unless both parties agree on a different resolution) - as above though if they did that poor a job in the first place then they probably aren't upto the standard of doing it properly. Don't think there is an obligation to pay him before the job is done to an agreed standard - obviously one or other party can take the other to court if no consensus is reached.

I'd probably pay someone to do it in future but intricate painting work like that wasn't actually as bad or time consuming as I thought it would be once I started using some decent protective tape.
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A fair point. I'd consider him coming back on Friday as being his chance to put it right. He redid the architraves) and had packed up and left before my partner could show him any of the other faults. She said he must have noticed all the paint on the floor as that had been cleared up/removed.
 
I hope you got a receipt! The painter will obviously not be very happy and so what's to say he pulls a stunt like saying you never paid anything - could end up in court.

Anyway, did you try this?

 
I can't offer any advise but reading your points and looking at those pictures, I wouldn't be happy either. I guess £280 isn't a lot these days for somebody to paint, however if I'd paid £280 for somebody to do that I'd be fuming. I would do a much better finish myself.
 
ivrytwr3 said:
I hope you got a receipt! The painter will obviously not be very happy and so what's to say he pulls a stunt like saying you never paid anything - could end up in court.
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I guess it's possibly but hopefully the fact he insisted on cash wouldn't look particularly great it court :)


Kiyoshi said:
I can't offer any advise but reading your points and looking at those pictures, I wouldn't be happy either. I guess £280 isn't a lot these days for somebody to paint, however if I'd paid £280 for somebody to do that I'd be fuming. I would do a much better finish myself.
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Yes I feel the same. They have done a great job with the solid colour on the ceiling and walls but the intricate parts were the reason for me paying them. I simply do not have the time at the moment nor do I think I'd have the patience to prepare everything. Once my kitchen fitter has finished today I'm going to have another look and figure out the best next steps. Hopefully it's just some touch ups, scraping paint off and tidying it all up.
 
Bit of caulk along that skirting would make it look 10x better. They somehow went over the tile bead in one place but not close enough in another.

People think painting is just slapping some paint on a wall, I think you're right to complain as I could do a much better job myself and haven't ever been paid.
 
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