Nicola Sumpter
Firstly, obviously talk to your tradesman to find out if there are valid reasons for the job to take longer than you were expecting. In some cases , especially if the work is outside, weather conditions can delay works considerably or there may be an issue with getting the correct materials on site etc. When we take on a job we only give an approximate start date and estimated duration of works as we are a hard landscaping business so weather conditions can really affect our lead times. However we always make this clear to the clients when they accept our estimate and sign their contract. We also only do one job at a time, we never go off and start another job until the current one is completed, however we are aware that there are may tradesmen that try and do multiple jobs at once, which may be another cause for delay. Another reason might be personal or family issues and they have not communicated with you to explain this is the reason for the delayed completion. Ultimately communication is key, just have a friendly chat with your tradesman and ask if there is a good reason why the job has taken 5 weeks. Be understanding and non confrontational and give them a chance to explain how they propose to complete the works and when? If this is done verbally I would try and get something in writing , by email or text just clarifying what you have agreed. If the works are still not completed within a reasonable amount of time, then you may need to consider taking matters further and possibly going through the small claims court to get your money back if you have paid anything upfront. This is really simple to do online and providing you have evidence to back up your claim then the threat of a CCJ is usually enough to get a satisfactory response. Good luck and hope you find a suitable resolution!
