Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 27, 2010 11:35 pm hi,DEAR ALL i am building house with clarendon. the slab stage just start this week, and i received the invoice from builder regarding the slab stage charge and they set the due date is next Friday! From my point of view, we pay the bill normally after each stage been done, so i should hold this slab stage invoice until they finish the slab, is it right? If they can finish the slab by next Friday (due date of invoice), of course i should pay, but if they cannot, what should i do? CSO advised us that we must pay the invoice even slab hasn't been finished yet , all policy as per contract we signed up before. Anyone has same experience can advise? We are very afriad that if we refuse to pay, they will not let slab go down Thanks Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 2Apr 27, 2010 11:43 pm Check your contract, what exactly does it say? Ours being dervied from the HIA contract states Quote: "The owner must pay the amount of the progress payment set out in shedule x within the number of days set out in item y of shedule z after both" The stage has been completed; and the Owner has recieved a written claim for the progress payment. It happens to be 7 days. Hence if its issued early, and the stage is not yet complete as per the terms of the contract for completion of that stage, there is 7 days after both have occured. Again, check your contract to see exactly what you agreed to. Our Build - Places Fairhaven 23+ - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28045 Our Landscaping - Belial's Backyard - https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=45375 Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 3Apr 27, 2010 11:49 pm Sounds a bit sus they want cash for a stage and it hasn't been completed yet. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable handing over a progress payment without having a slab on the ground to show for it. The internal fit-out progress payment can, and in most cases, is requested before it commences. All I can advise is to read your contract regarding progress payments. Once you have read and understand your rights and obligations as per the contract, contact your CSO and have them identify where in the contract it stipulates you must pay before a the slab is complete. Don't stress about the slab not going down by Friday etc. All the best. Leonard. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 4Apr 28, 2010 7:35 am The Building Commission's site spells out clearly that you should NEVER pay for work that hasn't been done. It's normal for large builders' admin areas to issue invoices based on dates entered in their computer system, even though the work hasn't been done. For instance, the concreters may have been booked for a certain date, and your SS enters that date into the system. That prompts a message to the accounting department to issue the invoice on that date - if there's a delay for some reason and the info isn't updated, they have no way of knowing what work has or hasn't been done. We received a number of invoices before work was complete. I simply rang the admin people and told them that the stage wasn't complete, and that we'd be paying when it was..... then I'd ring them and tell them when the work was done and let them know that I was arranging payment. It's unlikely to be a deliberate attempt to deceive or rip you off. As the others said, read the contract and then politely point out to your CSO that you don't have to pay until work is done. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 5Apr 28, 2010 10:40 am Everyone above has pretty much nailed it; often there's just a communication breakdown between the Office and the Site. Example: The SS updates their system to say it will be done by Friday, so the system tells the CSO that it will be complete on Friday, but weather intervenes and it doesn't get done until Tuesday. So if the Builder's terms are 7 days, you should have 7 days from the Tuesday. Doesn't hurt to politely let your CSO know that you'll pay within their terms after the work being complete - you normally only have to tell them once. Built a Tribeca 44 with the Big M Sales Accept 15/06/09, Contract Signed 24/09/09, Site Start 23/11/09, Slab 11/12/09, Frame 12/01/10, Roof 20/01/10, Lock-up 30/03/10, Fixing 30/04/10, Handover 27/08/10. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 6Apr 28, 2010 11:12 am Many thanks for all above's input and explaination. SS called to us two weeks ago and informed us the slab would be done at the end of this month.( clarendon issued invoice date on 30/APR and due date is 07/may) I doubt he can finish site cut, temp fence, pouring slab all sort of things within two weeks. But he said the frame is able to star early of may last week , we received a SS' call, he said he just star to pour slab by the end of this week. but clarendon ask us to pay invoice next week , otherwise it will have penalty on us We called to CSO, she advise we should have confident in their quality and they have their own surveyor to inspect at each stage. We don't need to waste money for asking our own inspector Should we trust what she said? Builder's surveyor does really play import role on the process of construction ? Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 7Apr 28, 2010 3:19 pm Unfortunately some Building Surveyors like to buddy up with the bigger builders as it is easy money for them. I believe that they are more likely to let things go through ... that has been my experience, anyway. We had no idea about Standards and Tolerances and our guy was brilliant in this regard. If only for your own peace of mind, and to keep your Builder honest, I think getting your own is money well-spent. Built a Tribeca 44 with the Big M Sales Accept 15/06/09, Contract Signed 24/09/09, Site Start 23/11/09, Slab 11/12/09, Frame 12/01/10, Roof 20/01/10, Lock-up 30/03/10, Fixing 30/04/10, Handover 27/08/10. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 8Apr 30, 2010 9:32 pm Hello We are in EXACTLY the same situation. Building with Clarendon, invoice for slab was sent before slab poured. Slab invoice is due on the exact same date, 7th May. I went out to our block on Thursday (29th) and they were putting down the foam blocks that go underneath the concrete for the slab. I am sure they will have your slab finished by the time it gets to the 7th. I think they are just getting a bit ahead of themselves. If you are like me, you are probably on the same promotion? - 4 month build? I guess they have to send stuff out in quick succession so it doesn't hold up the build. Are you building in Croydon in Victoria by any chance? There is another Clarendon house being built across the road from us, and the builder told me that everything for the two houses would get done at the same time, ie- slabs, frames etc. I think this block would have had their slab due on the exact same date too??!! Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 9May 01, 2010 3:49 pm It is very common practice for volume builders to invoice early. Do not agree to pay for any stage until 7 days after it has been completed to the standard stated on the BACV webb site, your contract or the builders webb site. Set up an automatic payment for exactly 7 days after it has been completed so you are not paying more interest then you need to. Do not pay for Frame stage until you recieve a copy of their Building Surveyour's Frame Inspection Report signed off as complete. (The company they will use is stated on you building permit). We paid frame to early as we were not aware of our rights. 3 months after we paid Frame, the Building surveyor still has not signed off Frame. The builder has issued us with further invoices and we have refused to pay them as Frame is still not officially complete. They want us to do PCI soon too. Know your rights and stick to them or they will take you for a ride. Call the BACV if you need further clarification. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 10May 01, 2010 9:21 pm Tornado_ALIVE It is very common practice for volume builders to invoice early. Our slab was invoiced 6 days after it was laid, we had to chase up the builder cause we thought it may have been lost in the mail, and we didn't want to hold up our build at all Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 11May 01, 2010 9:51 pm nikkit Hello We are in EXACTLY the same situation. Building with Clarendon, invoice for slab was sent before slab poured. Slab invoice is due on the exact same date, 7th May. I went out to our block on Thursday (29th) and they were putting down the foam blocks that go underneath the concrete for the slab. I am sure they will have your slab finished by the time it gets to the 7th. I think they are just getting a bit ahead of themselves. If you are like me, you are probably on the same promotion? - 4 month build? I guess they have to send stuff out in quick succession so it doesn't hold up the build. Are you building in Croydon in Victoria by any chance? There is another Clarendon house being built across the road from us, and the builder told me that everything for the two houses would get done at the same time, ie- slabs, frames etc. I think this block would have had their slab due on the exact same date too??!! Yes, we built with Clarendon at Croydon, SS is **, we are surprised to see our neighbour with Clarendon too, maybe we may contact each other in private. SS called me that they are building 2 site just cross the road so building process would be same. It will be efficient just like port davis's site. So they are very hungry to issue the invoice. Very excited to keep in touch at each stage further on
Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 12May 02, 2010 9:54 am LINDABINBIN Many thanks for all above's input and explaination. I doubt he can finish site cut, temp fence, pouring slab all sort of things within two weeks. But he said the frame is able to star early of may My builder went from bare earth with plumbing sticking out of it to slab and then to frame in 5 days - they can work quickly when they want to. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 13Jul 11, 2010 2:33 pm I am a clarendon customer in NSW. I am no the only one who ahs abd experience with them. All neighbours are victims. They do send their invoice early or but work is usually not complete. But not be afraid that they will nto continue with the work. I have pay invocie late by a month. It is only the accounts departemnt who will chase you up. However, they will take into the delay of your payment when they count the 32 weeks of building them. If you hve in total late for 5 weeks, they will add 5 weeks to the building time. As they ahev to pay compensation if they have exceeded the building time. However, this is the most important thing. What I want to expose is that Clarendon uses sub-standard tradesman and materials. So I would advsie you now to get an independent inspector to inspect your property at every stage. Get the defects fixed first before any payment and asked them to re-issue the invocie with the amended date. I have major brickwork problem. The bricklayers that C uses are the people that other builders do not use. My neighbour's front facade has to be rendered beacuse they have used too much acid and have high pressure clean the mortar and have caused a lot of breakdown. One wall seemed to be doen by an appreticeship. The workmanship is so poor that the mortar lines are not straight. They do not use good quality fine sand in the mrotar mix and this has caused the mortar to look so coarse. I have got over 170 defects in my final report as I have not used an inspectror in the early stages. One small roof in the house has collpased. One of my neighbour's hsoue - oen room hass not be insulated on the ceiling. Anothe neighbour - the ceiling insulation was not laid properly, it was still in plastic wrapping. If you want mroe information, let me know. Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 14Jul 11, 2010 8:06 pm Keep records of what happened when. If an invoice is early and the stage is not complete, wait until it is. And don't accept an extension to the contract time, that's ridiculous. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: SITE CUT JUST FINISHED, BUILDER PUSH US TO PAY FOR SLAB 15Jul 11, 2010 8:26 pm I am saying that amending the contract period. If they have not compelted the work but charge you for it, they have to amend the due date. Yes, keep an account of the events. Everything in writing eg email. C is afraid when you document everything. Take photos as well as it has a date. In case there is a dispute, this will be useful. Because by the time when your hsoue is finished, you may nto remember all the events and date. With the slab, please check that they have put in all the plumbing. There is a C customer in Central Coast who has no floor waste but has paid for one. Hi Mofflepop, I would recommend finding a building designer to prepare plans, they should design to your specified budget. The benefit is you can tender the project out… 9 20417 PM me your email. I have a build excavation calculator you can use based on your plans to double check what your builder is telling you. Cheers Simeon 1 10244 Hi, I contracted a Builder to do a Garage to Bedroom + ensuite conversion (Class 1a), the Builder engaged the Certifier and Engineer and received BDA from the Certifier… 0 5022 |