Terms
Terms of business
What you can expect from us and what we need from you, written so it can be read in one sitting.
These terms apply to every quote issued by Pro Chaps ("we", "us") and every job carried out under one. Accepting a quote, in writing or by giving us a start date, accepts these terms. They are deliberately short. Where something is not covered, the usual position under English law applies.
1. Quotes
A quote is a written price for the work described in it, itemised by preparation, coats and products. It is based on what we could see, or what you described, at the time. If the surfaces turn out to be materially different once work starts (hidden damp, unsound plaster, more layers of paper than could be seen), we stop, explain, and give a revised price for the additional work before doing it. A quote is valid for 30 days unless it says otherwise.
A quote is for the work described and nothing else. Surfaces, rooms and elevations not listed are not included. Scaffolding, skips, parking suspensions and specialist contractors (for example asbestos removal) are listed separately where needed and are not included unless the quote says they are.
2. Booking and dates
A job is booked when you accept the quote and we confirm a start date in writing. The finish date on the quote is an estimate made in good faith. Exterior work depends on the weather and is rescheduled around it; interior work can be delayed by drying times that cannot be shortened, such as plaster or a full re-render. We tell you as soon as a date moves.
If you need to postpone, tell us as early as you can. Postponing with less than five working days' notice may mean we cannot fill the slot, and materials already ordered for you may be charged.
3. Access and the site
You provide access to the property on the agreed days and hours, and tell us in advance about any restrictions: building hours, porters, lift bookings, parking, alarms, pets and anyone who will be on site. Where parking permits or bay suspensions are needed, we agree beforehand who arranges and pays for them.
We protect floors, furniture and fittings in the rooms we are working in. Moving heavy or valuable items is best done by you before we start; we say on the quote which items we would like moved. We keep the site tidy at the end of every day and remove our own waste. We do not remove your waste unless the quote includes it.
4. Materials and colours
Products are named on the quote and we supply them unless agreed otherwise. Colours are agreed before painting starts, in writing or on a sample. A colour on a screen or in a chart can differ from the colour on a wall; where it matters we paint a test patch first. Once a colour has been applied as agreed, changing it is chargeable as additional work.
Where you supply materials, we apply them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions but cannot be responsible for their performance.
5. Changes and extras
Anything added after the quote is accepted (another room, a colour change, extra preparation found once work starts) is priced and agreed in writing before it is done, and appears as a separate line on the invoice. We do not carry out unagreed extra work and then charge for it.
6. Payment
Payment terms are stated on the quote. Typically a deposit is taken to secure the booking and cover materials, with the balance due on completion. On longer jobs, staged payments may be agreed. Invoices are payable within seven days unless the quote says otherwise. Materials remain our property until paid for.
7. Snagging and making good
At the end of the job we walk round the work with you in good light and put right anything that does not meet the standard described on the quote. If you notice something after we have left, tell us within 14 days and we come back to look at it. We put right defects in our workmanship at no charge. Damage caused by others, by movement in the building, by moisture from a source we identified and advised on, or by use of the surface before the product has cured, is not a workmanship defect.
8. Liability and insurance
We take reasonable care of your property while we are in it, and we hold insurance for our work. Our liability for any loss arising from a job is limited to the value of that job, except where the law does not allow such a limit (for example death or personal injury caused by negligence). We are not liable for losses we could not reasonably have foreseen.
9. Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction. Nothing here affects your statutory rights as a consumer. Questions about these terms can be sent to info@prochapsprofessionaldecorators.co.uk.