Faulty renovations
Expert assessment of faulty renovations and abandoned works
The shower leaks, the floor is uneven or the company has left the work half-finished. We compare the work with the quotation, measure what has actually been completed and assess the cost of putting it right.
What we assess
Three questions the report answers
What has been done poorly
Every defective item of work with its photograph, location and the rule of good workmanship it breaches.
How much has been completed
The actual percentage of completed work, measured by work items against the quotation, to establish whether payments match the work carried out.
How much it costs to put right
The items needed to correct and finish the work, with measurements and unit prices at actual market rates.
Common cases
Our most frequent instructions
Built-in showers and leaking bathrooms
Missing waterproofing beneath the shower tray or poorly formed falls that lead to water reaching the neighbour's ceiling.
Poorly laid floors and wall tiles
Lippage, hollow-sounding tiles, irregular joints and uneven surfaces.
Materials differing from the quotation
Specifications below those agreed, compared with the accepted quotation.
Abandoned works
Measurement of completed work against payments, and assessment of what remains to finish.
Process
How we work
Documents
The quotation, contract, invoices, payments and messages with the company. We can also work without a written quotation.
Site visit and measurement
We inspect each item of work and measure the quantities completed.
Expert report (informe pericial)
Defects, the percentage completed, the cost of remedial work and an expert opinion stating the amount claimed.
The claim
For negotiating with the company, making a written claim or filing court proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about renovations
How do I claim over a badly completed renovation?
First document the defects through an expert report describing, photographing and valuing their repair. Then send the business or contractor a written demand, for example by burofax, a Spanish communication service providing proof of delivery, attaching the report and proposing repairs within a deadline or payment of rectification costs. If agreement is not reached, the report supports a court claim. Keep the quote, invoices, payment records and messages.
Can I withhold payment for faulty renovation work?
Withholding an outstanding payment may be justified where defects are significant and you notify the contractor in writing: with reciprocal contractual obligations, a party who has not performed cannot demand performance from the other. However, this is a sensitive decision. If defects are minor or cannot be proved, the contractor may pursue payment. Before withholding money, document the defects in an expert report and consult a solicitor.
What should I do if the company abandons the renovation?
Require the contractor in writing to resume within a stated period, explaining that otherwise you will end the contract and appoint someone else. Before anyone alters the work, commission an expert report measuring what was actually completed and its quality, comparing it with the quote and payments, and valuing unfinished or defective work. This establishes how much you have overpaid and allows you to claim it.
How is the amount of completed work calculated?
Actual completed units are measured on site, item by item, and compared with the quote: square metres of tiling, lighting points, pipe lengths and so on. Each item is valued at its quoted price, deducting defective work that must be redone. The result is the actual percentage and value of completed work, compared with payments already made. This provides an objective basis for establishing whether money is owed to you.
Can I claim if there was no written renovation quote?
Yes. A contrato de obra, the Spanish contract for building work, remains valid if agreed verbally, but you must prove the agreement. WhatsApp messages, emails, bank transfers with payment descriptions, witnesses and photographs can help. If you are a consumer, the business should have provided advance information on price and scope. The expert can assess completed work and quality independently of a quote, and compare charges with market prices.
What if the contractor insists the work is satisfactory?
Obtain an independent assessment. An expert report compares the work with the contract and good construction practice, measures defects and explains technically why they are unacceptable. This changes the discussion from competing opinions into a signed technical analysis. Contractors often agree to repairs or a price reduction after seeing the report. Provide the contractor's explanation to the expert alongside your photographs so the disputed points can be examined directly.
Can I have another company repair defects and claim the cost?
Yes, but follow the proper sequence. First document the defects in an expert report and require the original contractor in writing to repair within a reasonable period. If they refuse or fail to act, you can instruct another company and claim its cost. Keep the new company's quote and invoices. Repairing before documenting the defects leaves you unable to prove the previous condition.
What does an expert report on a renovation include?
It compares agreed and completed work, lists numbered defects with photographs and measurements, technically explains why each is faulty workmanship, measures actual completed work, values unfinished items and work needing replacement item by item, and calculates the balance against payments. It is signed by the perito judicial en obras de reforma, the expert witness specialising in renovation work, and prepared for negotiation or court proceedings.
Has your renovation gone wrong?
Send us the quotation and some photographs and we will explain what we can establish.
Contact
Let's talk about your property
Call us, message us on WhatsApp or send us an email. If you already know what you need, the quote form is the quickest way.