JCT minor works contract
- Thread starter zolco
- Start date
johniosaif
Private Member
I just use my own letter headed quotes and invoices , the jct are for builders more than subcontractor spreads, i always say if someone is going to shaft you ,they will,
johniosaif
Private Member
All those contracts for minor works have their own pros and cons, you really need to know what you're signing,
Vincey
Private Member
Ok I’m not googling it , I never even put quotes in writing at all tbh but currently I’m doing a small business diploma and it has highlighted this is definitely one of my downfalls but in all fairness I just can’t be arsed writing stuff out all the time , try to keep my working hours as small as possible
johniosaif
Private Member
How do people know what your quote is ? How can they compare it to others ?
zolco
Private Member
I usually do the same, but anything over 10k or seemingly difficult customer I would rather have a decent contract, I usually don't take deposit under 10k, only if it's non returnable special order, but now thinking I should have something more formal.
zolco
Private Member
Yeah, well it protects both parties. I don't just do plastering so it might would work better for me than just stating I want to be paid in full at completion. Saying that, I have never ever been paid on the day of completion, even tho it's in the quote they accepted, if someone here will tell me they have the invoice ready on the completion day and they get paid there and then I'd raise a few eyebrows. Few hundred quid maybe, but I'm talking about bigger jobs.
zolco
Private Member
It's just a contract Vince which protects both parties
johniosaif
Private Member
It protects both parties if both are capable of understanding the contract and its t&c's , getting paid quickly is lovely and it's also rare , normally I get paid within a week ,sometimes in a month , the odd time it runs into 3 months
johniosaif
Private Member
What protects you if someone is bankrupt ? Nothing is the answer , contracts can complicate simple transaction, I do A for a fixed fee,, obviously the contract is needed most of the time, I personally have never used one in 30 years
Vincey
Private Member
I text it to them or what’s app
zolco
Private Member
I had once someone tried to shift me with payment, solicitor got involved next day I had the money in less than 24hrs after I spoke to solicitor.
But on the other hand, I had a solicitor customer last year on a full refurbishment, I had some amounts of costs in a sentence explaining how it wasn't included in the previous interim invoice in a "wrong" context got pulled on it straight away, that meant I lost just over 1k straight away, then they had 6k extras with no intention of paying for, in exchange I received an £8 prosecco from Aldi. Couldn't do anything about it as I either lose the 7k altogether or they won't pay the remaining balance without the extras. Life's a bitch
zolco
Private Member
You can do a credit check these days, it's worth it in some cases. The time of a quick handshake is gone, there are no gentleman's in this game anymore, people know more or less their rights these days, they know you can't remove goods from their property be that fitted or not, regardless what's in your terms
johniosaif
Private Member
Well,that's my point, you have learned from this, but there are many sharks out there using contracts to 'do over ' those of us who don't pay attention to the minutiae , every detail is important or we will get f**k*d , I do loads on trust ,it's a fools errand and it may cost me at some stage
johniosaif
Private Member
People do not know their rights ,there are so many urban myths, you read it on here all the time "people's truths" and what a judge might decide is a distance apart ,
zolco
Private Member
I think they do know what's the score, I mean I'm sure there's some idiots out there too who couldn't open a banana, but in reality, people know that you commit a criminal offence removing goods from their property, some do know that they can have the full works done without paying a penny, then they will agree to a monthly repayment when time comes.
the only time one of our commissions goes over £10k is for a returning customer.
johniosaif
Private Member
If it's not fitted , I can take it , is 1 if I'm on site still ,I can remove goods fixed or otherwise is another 2 I can smash the place up is another 3 .
The fights are always at the last 10 percent part of a job, rows over delays ,rows over indecision,
johniosaif
Private Member
A builder I know who went to court over £2500 for non payment of paint work , the judge said to him ,are you a paint expert,he said no, the judge said case dismissed , he had all the paperwork in the world
zolco
Private Member
Find that unbelievable, he obviously haven't had the right legal representation or he just saying that to you for some reason
johniosaif
Private Member
My uncles friend started to take the tiles off a roof when the owner said he wouldn't or couldn't pay, police were called, he was arrested , in court he was ordered to put the tiles back on properly or face the consequences,never got paid
zolco
Private Member
That's in line with what I just said previously John
johniosaif
Private Member
I don't know the facts , I always heard anything under £17500 wasn't worth going to court for , legal representation is very expensive,I sure know this at least
johniosaif
Private Member
I know , my previous post re removing goods is the normal view of people on site , my pal once turned up at a guys door who wouldn't pay £10k he owed, he threatened him, the guy paid up in a few days , people shouldn't get away with non payment, if someone hires you ,they should be legally be enforced to prove means of payment
zolco
Private Member
You can go through small claims court for less than a 100 quid. Solicitors letter can be obtained online with recorded delivery for less than a fiver.
Most solicitors can tell you in 5 minutes if you have a legit case, some even takes it on with no win no fee.
johniosaif
Private Member
You would get told ,you have an arguable case , love that phrase
johniosaif
Private Member
Small claims also links to mediation, small claims can be done online oddly the amount of paper work that still goes amiss is startling
Best do the opposite and use smaller staged payments as work progresses, then you'll never be more than a week out of pocket. Tricky with plastering as so much of the cost is labour. Contracts are no good unless watertight, so you need legal advice.
I feel for anyone in this situation as I was £10K out of pocket on a job last year and it was F'in frighting when mortgage/marriage and everything is on the brink.
Arti
Well-Known Member
You leave yourself open imo if you don't give a written estimate stating what works your doing for your price.
Gives you the opportunity to state your payments terms so it's all clear to the customer so no come backs to get ya coin
You gotta raise his prosecco, with a box of swan vesta’s.......
I've never had a contract but to be fair I've never really got in deep, I've been offered and still get offered big jobs but this is what puts me off. I have a rule for everyone I work for wether it's direct to the customer or builder "I am not bank rolling this job". I get payed usually once I've finished or within days and I've never been had over. I also think that's down to doing a good job, bonding with the customer and I always smell a rat 
I always right a detailed quote and it's usually copy and paste from another quote, it's so simple to pull up a quote and go through it.
I always right a detailed quote and it's usually copy and paste from another quote, it's so simple to pull up a quote and go through it.