The Brew Cabin

Contractors have just completed a block paved patio and path for me and I have a question with regard to unused blocks. The blocks were completely laid yesterday and there were approx 650 blocks which were not used. Having returned home from work today, there are now only 150 blocks. I have looked at my paperwork and have been given the cost of the block paving, including VAT and labour but not a breakdown of materials and labour (ie, the actual number of blocks/area are not specified). Is it normal practice for contractors to remove excess materials from site - do they not belong to me?

It all depends on the contract you entered with the company that undertook the work. If this was labour only and you supplied the materials, then yes they are your blocks, but you would then assume all liability with the specification, delivery and performance of your blocks. For instance if your blocks failed to arrive, then the contractor might reasonably expect to be recompensed for his lost time, waiting for your blocks. You would be expected to provide secure storage for your blocks on site and make good those that go missing during the night. You would normally have to supply the correct amount of your blocks including wastage, again on time. If your blocks failed to perform the function you had intended, then it would be up to you take this up with your supplier and then pay again your contractor to replace your blocks at your expense. You would then be at liberty to dispose of your blocks that were surplus. You could return them to your supplier for a refund, less a restocking charge, less the cost of any haulage arrange for them to be at a suitable point for collection banded and wrapped in a manor that that was acceptable to your supplier or you could move then to a place were they could be stored long term while you decided what to do with then like round the back of the greenhouse, again at your time and expense. The contactors liability would only be limited to defects in the quality of his workmanship and not that of any material supplied or its suitability for its intended use.

If the contract was for supply and installation of the patio and the contractor has installed your patio to your satisfaction, then sit back this summer and enjoy your patio, reassured that you didn’t have to deal with all the above.

After all you wouldn’t go out for a meal a worry what he chef did with the eggs that were left!

I see your point but if the contractors have quoted me based on say, 1000 bricks but have only used 400, surely the price of the job must be reduced to take account of the fact that less materials have been used and therefore less time spent laying them or I should be left with the remaining bricks to sell myself?

Whilst I wouldn't worry how many eggs the chef had left over and what he did with them, I wouldn't expect to eat a ham cob and be charged for caviar and champagne!!

Am I being totally unreasonable?....

It's not unusual for Contractors to have blocks left over at the end of a job. Let's take a hypothetical job which has been measured-up and agreed at 42m².

The contractor buys blocks in full packs, and most packs contain around 8m², so, let's say the contractor brings 6 packs of blocks, which gives them 48m² of blocks on site, of which they'll lay 42m², plus a bit for wastage and cutting, so they may, reasonably, use 44m², leaving 4m² or 200 bricks as 'left-overs'.

Most contractors would remove these blocks at the end of the job. Most customers are happy to see any surplus blocks removed, as they don't really want a couple of hundred blocks cluttering up their garage or the back of the shed for god knows how long. Persoanlly, we always liked to leave 25 blocks as 'replacements', just in case of oil spill or other accidents, so that, if we had to carry out a repair, we had bricks of the same age, weathering and batch number as those used on the rest of the project.

Paving is normally sold by unit area, or as a 'job price', and not be the number of paving units to be used. As long as you got as much driveway/patio as was agreed when you employed the contractor, then any left-over materials, be they blocks, sand, stone or whatever, are rightfully the contractors. They supplied you with the paving as agreed and they are free to remove any excess.

650 blocks, assuming they are the 200x100 flavour, represents 13m² or around 130 quid - no sensible contractor is going to leave that quantity of bricks behind - they will be moved on to the next job. Let's imagine this is another 42m² project: this time, the contractor will use the left-overs from your job, and only 5 full packs.

That's how it works, and I think it's fair. From what Clive has said, other contractors seem to think the same as I do, so we must be doing summat right!

If you really want the blocks, then the Contractor might be willing to let you have them, but, to be fair, I would expect you to pay for them as they are 'Extra Over to what was needed to create your paving as originally agreed.

I hope that helps. :)

I bet you`d be glad they took away or skipped any extra sand or stone that you may have paid for. Instead of leaving it for you.