fatherpierre

Cos I can't even get a single English company to even bother to turn up to give me a quote!

I call them, they say "be round............", then don't turn up.

And people in the building trades are moaning about the foreign workers taking their jobs/undercutting them.....

swtmerce

I recently had to get my roof fixed and had the same problem with joker contractors. One guy tried to upsell me to getting the whole roof replaced when all I needed was a couple of new tiles!!!! Anyway I finally got someone to come round who did a great job at a great price. I'm in Stevenage and can PM you the number if it helps/you are close to Stevenage.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

How many have you tried FP? Did you ever ring any to find out WHY they never turned up? Sometimes it serves to stir them into motion.

I do know that tradesmen are like gold dust down south, even harder to get than here. You should try France, though: ask for someone to come and give you a quote there, you get told, someone will be there in two months To actually start work could be 10 months to a year!!

Just out of interest, did any of 'em ring you and give you a job number, you know, a bit like a crime number?LOL

Alcazar

Sorry about the dig, I know it's serious.

fatherpierre

Tried over 10 local firms thus far.

I called a couple back and was told they would call me back - they didn't. Jokers as business people. When work dries up they'll be the 1st out of business.

Any numbers of firms that actually do show up appreciated!

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Have spent the last 3 weeks working weekends to help my Brother out after his Polish sparkies done a runner. En suite shower wired in 4mm cable and a socket by the towel rail they may work hard but they need to get up to date with English reqs ffs .

StickyMicky

had the same problem with fencing companies when i wanted a £500/£600 job done at work.

half of them answered the phone

"ALLLOW WHAT YA WANT???"

and i picked the ones without a mobile number to help weed out the scumbags

Puppetmaster

We had a fantastic roofer in to sort out roof out. He also recomended a guy who built our rear outside stairway. Funny thing is - he was English

All of the other guys we had in - well... complete bunch of muppets who couldn't do anything!! We tried some Poles, some Irish guys and some Jamaican guys. They were all crap. Will never even contemplate using them again. Just can't trust them with building work. Has cost us more in the long run than many of the English guys who quoted us in the first place!
Oh well... buy cheap, pay twice... or however it goes!

falkster

I had a few ridge tiles and slates missing last year so got a quote from a 'quality' local roofer not know my father used to be a roofer for (until the silly old t*at cant walk anymore due to his lack of health and safety over the years).

The quote was 2,000 because there was more than the 2 ridge tiles loose and atleast 2 dozen slates that needed replacing!!!

Granted my dad *who just so happened to be over that weekend) told the guy what the issue was......its great seeing a 57 year old bloke having a proper go whilst I stand there like a school kid even though I was 31!!!

Had the work done (in the end) by a friend that employed polish workers for a quarter of the price and he swears their work is so much better thab the usual crap he sees!!!

WCU25RS

Let me ask you guys a question out of curiosity: Is metal roofing popular where yall are at?

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

No, its all slates, tiles and comedy contractors.

Cant wait for the house improvement boom to subside, like it did in the late eighties, early nineties as the trades will have to start getting a bit more professional and attentive, and hopefully we wont feel like they are doing us a favour when they do half a days (shoddy) work and want five hundred quid for it.

StickyMicky

have to say when i had the fence done, and they all said about £500/600 to do the job (posts were allready in before hand) i asked one of them how long it would take as it would be disrupting business.

"ohh about half a day i reckon guvna" came the reply

**** me i was shocked, it was done in about 2 hours, ready made wooden boards and some long wooden planks, they had to make 3 cuts with a handsaw, bloke had a young 17 year old lad to do that so cost him about £40 a day.

not sure how much the actual wood was to buy but there is some serious profit in that IMO and he was booked up a good few weeks in advance at the time

robby

We've had the same problem with roofers not turning up to repair a flat roof.
We had 1 come out over a year ago who said he was busy but would do the job asap - over a year later he never returns calls?
We eventuall got another roofer who made a mess (felt doesn't overlap lip so looks crap) - his attitude was "well it does the job"
We've since had 2 other around to tidy up the mess and neither have actually started the job even though they say they will

As mentioned above, it seems proper tradesmen don't want exist anymore, we're just left with cowboys who want £500 for a days work and then bodge up what they do

AudiLover

LOL this is why business companies like mine thrive. I will not tolerate any cowboys tarnishing my companies reputation

MJW

Try the National Federation of Roofing Contractors

Simon 69

Move back to the North; you know that you want to!

paulwrxboro

i know a polish bloke Dropusabottleovpopoff he used to work in the lemonade factory but i think he is doing roofing now i will find his number for ya

fatherpierre

Cheers for that link. Much appreciated

I managed to get a couple of cowboys to give quotes, before using the link.

They both quoted a little over £5k for a new roof. "Ya roof's gonna crash in within a month", I was quoted by some elf with terrible breath. £5402 inc VAT

The other said, "Oh, it's ****ed. A storm will have your slates in the street". £4850 + VAT.

Both of the above are registered contractors - not romany people.

From the approved list.

3 professional surveyors and 3 quotes.

All £370 - £400 + VAT for a day's work just to replace and re-set a few slates.

They all said my roof's good for another 15yrs and gave me that knowing smile when I mentioned the companies that quoted for the full re-roof.

Ta

MJW

Good, glad you managed to get sorted The quotes look about right if its just a repair that needs doing, plus if they're NFRC members you'll have some recourse if anything goes wrong.

Sti_Prodrive

who did you get yours done from mate?? i see your in london as well... I need to get mine sorted out asap!!! as the summer aint here YET but it has been pissing down here... I've got water pots around my house!!

fatherpierre

I got the good quotes from ADL Hertford Ltd, JR Roofing (Hitchin) and Bracknell Roofing, who have offices all over the UK.

ALD Hertford came out to the quote 20 mins after I called them and I got the official quote in the post less than 24hrs later.

JR roofing said they if I wanted the whole thing replacing that they would do it for £2300 - so still half the amount the others quoted.

And to think some people accept the 1st quote and get totally ripped off.

Deep Singh

FP, was the £2300 rebuild quote for a house or garage roof and how big?

Thanks