Issue with Customer and 'tiler' with Renovation

Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 19:04
Last edited 26/02/2025 - 18:22 by 1 other user

Hi all, my parents recommended a bloke to come in and tile my bathroom, he had done work for them before and done a good job. I did not get a quote, but after the screeding, I was told the job would be about $3-$3.5k by the time it was done.

After this he told me he had done all of the classes at TAFE for tiling, but didn't get his qualification because he didn't finish the final exam. He had done the walls (with 2 cutouts for soap, etc.) and floor.

He finished the job, taking a couple of days longer than expected. We got the final price of $8,250 …. with 2 or so days extra work done; we thought it would be closer to $4,000. I believe the bathroom is less than 35sq/m. We paid more than $3,000 for the materials.

There is a cracked tile. We splashed some water and there are runoff issues in 2 spots: at the shower screen and in front of the main drain. He got the measurements wrong for the drain and is going to rip up the drain and some tiles to move it over.

Myself and my parents are over this and don't want anything more to do with him.

If you are a tiler, how much would you roughly charge for something like this?

Also, would I have any recourse for this because the expectation didn't match reality, even though I didn't get a quote beforehand.

Cheers.
James

Edit: We expected the price to be less because he hadn't tiled a bathroom before (mainly concrete work) and finding out later that he wasn't qualified.

Edit 2: we are in regional NSW.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • askbargain on 25/02/2025 - 19:07
    +1

    You reckon there’s much to take from a sole trader?

    • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 19:09

      Not at all.
      I just don't think the quality matches the price, with my expectation of the price shifting.

  • MS Paint on 25/02/2025 - 19:17
    +19

    I did not get a quote

    Renovation 101.

    • pegaxs on 26/02/2025 - 08:13
      +5

      Unqualified tradie doing a “cashie” on an open ended per hour rate with no fixed quote… I mean, who would have seen that coming.

    • Dr Phil on 26/02/2025 - 12:45
      -3

      Expectations?

      Its a tiling job.

      I think Op has only themselves to blame.

      The tiler did the job.
      Admitted an error and is willing to fix it.

      What more did Op expect?

      • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:23

        Yep, it's on me, I am trying to work out what to do now that I stuffed up.

    • Dr Phil on 26/02/2025 - 12:48
      -2

      This detail in this post is as ambiguous as OP's expections!

      "He finished the job, taking a couple of days longer than expected. We got the final price of $8,250 …. with 2 or so days extra work done"

      So how many days did the tiler spend doing the job?

      "We paid more than $3,000 for the materials."

      Is the cost of materials included in the final price of $8,250?

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/02/2025 - 19:28
    +1

    Dude…

    Did he at least issue an invoice or is this all an informal cash job?

    • Gunnar on 25/02/2025 - 20:21
      +1

      I think he offered them extended warranty

    • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 21:07
      +1

      gave itemised list with price at bottom and only total hours on sheet at $77 hour, but yea, informal cash job.

      • Protractor on 25/02/2025 - 23:14

        Expensive lesson.

      • Dr Phil on 26/02/2025 - 12:52
        -3

        $77 per hour is DIRT CHEAP for a tiler these days

      • trapper on 26/02/2025 - 14:07

        $8250 / 77 = 107 hours?

        or

        $3000 materials + $5250 / 77 = 68 hours

        Do those hours sound accurate?

  • Dollar General on 25/02/2025 - 20:13

    Have you paid the tiler yet?

    • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 21:06

      No haven't paid yet.
      He said he is going to coming in on the weekend to fix it.

      • Dollar General on 25/02/2025 - 21:31
        +6

        Get a quote from another tiler to make good on the work done and deduct this from the amount owed

        I would also negotiate down the amount too as he gave a verbal indication of the amount it would cost to complete the works and didn’t inform you of the additional costs

        • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 21:35

          That's a good idea.
          I will talk to the parents about it.

          Thanks for the supportive advice.

          • MS Paint on 25/02/2025 - 21:43
            +5

            @Sinful: I'm guessing a decent tiler won't want to touch amateur work.

            You calla me baaack after your bather room reademolished. Thena we talka.

        • Dr Phil on 26/02/2025 - 12:54
          -2

          OP is very vague with everything in this post.

          Can you imaging the tiler trying to deal with OP's extreme vagueness ?

          Waste of time asking another tiler to quote on a job already done.

          But yes, there may be good reason to negotiate.

          But at $77/hr for labor and 2 days extra work done, I wouldnt be complaining

          In these times of extreme difficulty in getting a tradesman in to do any work, Op should be grateful the job was done promptly (no complaints about that)

  • vorsprung on 25/02/2025 - 20:38
    +2

    If you need a tiler to fix it I know a guy.

    • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 21:34

      Thanks dude.

    • jv on 25/02/2025 - 22:05
      -1

      I know a guy.

      Did he finish the final exam?

      • altomic on 25/02/2025 - 22:23
        +6

        Yeah, cert 3 in office management

  • Benoffie on 25/02/2025 - 20:49

    Recently did a bathroom, floor to ceiling 2.7m, with shower, toilet cubicles and laundry and the total came to $5k ish. Good tiler, not the best (I mean, on a scale, he's a migrant tiler, no Tafe, and no Australian apprenticeship). But the work is good and was double checked by my builder (master tiler, Italian). If it had been done by a master, double the price, at least.

    The qualifications mean nothing. It comes down to - is the work to standard and is the price right.

    Obviously you cant really argue on price with no quote. Argue on finish.

    • Sinful on 25/02/2025 - 21:08

      Thanks Benoffle, that's good information.

    • Kongzi on 25/02/2025 - 21:10
      +1

      Are good tilers Italian?

      • Benoffie on 25/02/2025 - 21:28
        +2

        The ones I know are but they both have 50+ years experience.

        Like I said, it doesn't matter about qualifications really, it's experience. The tiler we got probably has about 10 years experience. So bathrooms and 400x400/600x600 tiles, yeah ok. But something super fiddly or fancy? Nah.

    • jv on 25/02/2025 - 22:06
      -5

      The qualifications mean nothing.

      I say the same about by dentist and GP…

    • shadyscab on 26/02/2025 - 09:32

      Depending on state quake are important because they mean the operator has a licence.

      There is no standard as to what a master tiler is.

      Our construction code includes requirements for fall, waterproofing, and waterstops, making sure the tiler knows and uses the standards as well as adhesive compatible with the waterproofing membrane is just as important as finish.

      • Benoffie on 26/02/2025 - 12:09

        Very true but the reality is, only the overseeing builder is required to have a licence.

        Hence my suggestion to the OP - they can only fall back on non compliance with NCC assuming falls, proofing etc are incorrect or failing. That's their ticket to Fair Trading.

  • Protractor on 25/02/2025 - 23:15
    +3

    Tiler Swift

    • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:22

      lol

  • kiitos on 26/02/2025 - 07:54
    +3

    Did he do the waterproofing too?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 26/02/2025 - 08:17
      +2

      Op should probably check right now lol

    • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:21

      Yea, he did the screed, waterproof tiling, grout and silicone.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 26/02/2025 - 07:54
    +3

    There is a cracked tile. We splashed some water and there are runoff issues in 2 spots: at the shower screen and in front of the main drain. He got the measurements wrong for the drain and is going to rip up the drain and some tiles to move it over.

    so you hired an unqualified tiler without a quote and are pikachu surprised that it went belly up

    $8k is a rort, he's taking you for a ride there.

    And let me guess, he asked for you to pay him in cash?

    100% this guy is not declaring it as income so you're giving him tax free money. Tell him he's dreamin.

  • brad1-8tsi on 26/02/2025 - 08:24
    +4

    I had 2 bathrooms renovated in June 2024. Both 1.6mx2.4mx2.2m. ~3.9sqm floor area. 14sqm wall area. (per bathroom)

    Waterproofed IAW the BCA. (I think the plumber's bill covered that)
    200x200 Tiled floors, 200x400 tiled walls to ceiling, one of those fancy strip drains with tiles embedded in the lid. Tiles cut to suit some of the dodgy walls from the firt builder in 2005.
    Total for both bathrooms:
    Tiles, grout & delivery were $3100 inc GST
    Labour was $13985 inc GST.
    Project Management component $3400 inc GST

    The job is perfect. Looks great, correct fall, no apparent leaks. I sit on the porcelain bus and admire the craftsmanship.

    • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:20

      Good to know!
      Thank you for the reply.

      My Floor is 2.1x3.5m
      2 walls are 3.5x2.4m high
      2 walls are 2.1x2.4m high, 1 with a doorway.

      He wanted to use the small tiles with a mesh on the floor and 300x600 tiles on the wall, I was told the fall would be easier to accomplish with the small hexagon tiles on the floor.

      So about the same for a bathroom with a project manager component for 1 bathroom.

      So my tiler charged like a professional.

  • stickingly on 26/02/2025 - 09:20
    +4

    Wow. these "I got a tradie to do work for me without getting a quote first and now he is trying to rip me off" posts are becoming the new "I had a car accident and don't have insurance"

  • shadyscab on 26/02/2025 - 09:33

    What state are you in @Sinful

    • pegaxs on 26/02/2025 - 11:37
      +8

      A state of regret is my guess

      • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:15

        Lol.
        Yea regional NSW.

  • ForkSnorter on 26/02/2025 - 09:35

    35 square meters is an absolutely enormous bathroom. Are you sure you got that right? That is pretty cheap to tile such a large bathroom.

    • JimB on 26/02/2025 - 11:02
      +1

      35sqm including the walls.

      a 3m x 3m bathroom could easily be more than 36sqm if walls tiled to ceiling.

      • Sinful on 26/02/2025 - 18:14

        Yea

        Floor is 2.1x3.5m
        2 walls are 3.5x2.4m high
        2 walls are 2.1x2.4m high, 1 with a doorway.

        I think I mathed it in the vicinity.

  • JimB on 26/02/2025 - 11:02
    +2

    Not sure what state you're in but in Victoria you don't need to be qualified to be a tiler, painter or carpenter.

    • brad1-8tsi on 26/02/2025 - 19:19

      Ditto NSW.
      Also, plasterer, concreter, brickie.

      AFAIK, the only 2 trades you need a licence for are plumber & electrician.

  • SlickMick on 26/02/2025 - 11:19
    +1

    We had a similar experience getting a friend to do a job for us. It was going to be good experience for him in line with course he was doing, the quote was good, he was super confident, and we insisted on paying lower end of market rates rather than mates rates. When the job was taking a while I started asking for progress reports, and had to abortt he job when was only 3/4 finished and well over budget. Many years later, it's still costing us for repairing all the things that weren't done right.

    I should have posted here and wore all the bullying when you admit mistakes on OB. Might have saved you the same grief.
    At least others might now learn from our lessons.

  • LFO on 26/02/2025 - 15:19
    +1

    done all of the classes at TAFE for tiling, but didn't get his qualification because he didn't finish the final exam

    Why didn't he?

    Didn't pass or didn't try?

    Alarms ringing!!!!!!!

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