Plumbing Africa’s September feature looked at the most important paperwork that every plumber should have in place before starting the works – namely contracts, terms and conditions, and quotes, In this first instalment of the Plumbing Africa feature follow-up series for September, we asked plumbers if they have ever had a scenario where having the correct paperwork in place had saved them from potential liability. Here, Barry Chapman, owner of Chapman Plumbing, explains how documenting communication during a job saved the company from financial liability when they issued a non-compliance notice.
The paperwork we had put in place protected us from any further legal action.”
Romain Dancre | Unsplash
“On a job, we replaced a water heater and we noted on our job card or NR quote that there was no drip tray,” says Barry. “We advised the client that a drip tray should be installed, but the client refused.
“We noted the refusal of the drip tray installation through email and amended the quote. We sent the amended quote to the client and they signed the new quote. At the end of the job, we issued a note stating that there was no drip tray installed, and because of that, the installation was non-compliant.
“Down the line, there was a manufacturing failure in the water heater and the client’s apartment was damaged – specifically the built-in cupboards, doors and furniture. The client tried to come back to us and state that the damage was our fault, but the paperwork we had put in place protected us from any further legal action,” says Barry.
Detail in paperwork decides whether you are protected or not – so be careful with your paperwork and play open cards.
| Did you miss the September feature article?
Click here to view the feature article for September – Start smart: Essential paperwork before the job starts. |
