What are our options here

Hi there I would suggest talking to Master Builders and asking for advice from them. I vaguely remember an issue where someone who was not happy with their brick finish and Master Builders were called in to provide an opinion as well in order for it to be resolved. I would also be asking for the brick layers credentials to confirm they are a registered bricklayer and also talk to your council to find out what the inspector saw when they inspected it.

We have had issues in this regard. We have written documentation that we are unhappy with our brickwork. Ours is a variation in the mortar.colour. An acid wash was done, but this has not been very successful. We have been told it will fade over time, but this is unlikely in our opinion. Nevertheless we intend to give the company 12 months from the date of bricking, to see if this happens. We feel this is only fair. I think you can contact BRANZ for help, but failing that, my husband has made some enquiries and may be able to steer you in the right direction. I think I know which franchise it is and in which region. I think I can even name your bricklayers. Hang in there. You are not alone. Whatever you do though,, get written documentation of your complaint. Even if it is just an email to the franchise holder along the lines of, “Further to our conversation on the (date0, we are still concerned with the quality of the brickwork …. Your contract will guarantee the quality of workmanship and it may be worth contacting your lawyer to appraise him of the situation. All the best.

We are currently experiencing issues with our bricklaying on our new build too. We have issues with the mortar colour, it was supposed to be colour matched to the brick, and unfortunately he must have been colour blind, as well as very poor workmanship with some of our mortar joints ranging between 5mm and 26mm in places, certainly not within standard. Also we specified a rolled finish, in places we got a raked finish, a flush finish and a finger dented finish – which on a good day looks like a poor attempt at a rolled finish.We have bricks with very large chips and only some of the bricks have been checked around the soffit joins. Our building company have been very good in trying to resolve the issues, however the bricklayer seems to be trying his luck and has started to redo the mortar in the correct colour ( finally getting it right after a couple of attempts)and trying to do a rolled finish but is ignoring the other issues. He is supposed to be grinding out the original mortar to a certain depth, and we suspect he has not done this as there is no evidence of grinding dust, and just added mortar over the top. We are afraid that over time this mortar will crack and fall out! We also have cut bricks that have not been cut straight or to the right size and the overall result looks terrible. We have been very patient and given all parties involved the opportunity to rectify the issues however this has held up our completion date as it has been going on for over a month now. We have also had advice from our lawyer. I have’t lost any sleep over this as yet but I am starting to get frustrated with the whole thing and I understand what you must be going through Cara. Hopefully our ongoing troubles will be resolved in the next week or two, but I am not holding my breath.

There is a Registered Brick/Blocklayers board you can go to, just like the LBP register

HI Cara We have had heaps of issues with the workmanship and quality of bricks. Got the run around by everyone. It doesn’t meet standards nor are we happy with it. I would be interested to know if anyone has been successful in getting their bricks sorted too. Thanks

Hi Cara, we are having the same issues as you with the brick work. I suggest you contact the Bricklayers Federation for an assessment on the quality of the work carried out. We were advised by the brick company who supplied the bricks to contact the NZ Bricklayers Federation, and omg what a damming report they did. We are trying to get MBA to do the right thing and honour their guarantee but oh no they will fight you all the way. We are now in a real war with the builder,NBA and our lawyer. You need to keep fighting don’t let these arrogant companies get away with what is their responsibility. Good luck

Hi Kerryn, Thank you for that. We dont have masterbuild guarantee but we have the 10 year Halo NZ Certified Builders guarantee. So i have reached out to them and have obtained independent brick consultant to review it. The report does agree that the workmaship is very poor. We are trying to resolve this with the builder and hopefully it can be resolved without having to go any further.

Hi Pollu, It is a really stressful situation to be in and I am beyond frustrated with the franchise for not responding to us yet. We have everything documented as we learnt from the very first day that we needed to have everything in writing in case a situation like this arose. We also had a clause in the contract specifically added to ensure that we were happy with the work before we took possession of the house. The independent report was done by a reputable brick consultant in the industry so hopefully that will help. We are going to give them about a week to respond to us. If not, can we contact you our your husband on this to see if there are any other option for us? Its also frustrating that we have to spend out of our pocket to prove these poor workmanship.

Hi JJ. Talking to my husband, he says you are right. If the mortar has not been ground out to the correct depth, he believes the new mortar is likely to crack and fall out. In his words, “It is like an veneer.”

Hi Pollu Help! We have issues with our brick too. But we are finding the builders influence people in their favour. Anyone who can see or is honest will tell you the brick and workmanship is not good. Don’t know what to do… Thanks

The role of the building inspector is solely centered on ensuring that your home is built to the building code and any council specifics, not really the quality of the workmanship this is your quality bible https://www.building.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/projects-and-consents/guide-to-tolerances/guide-to-tolerances.pdf the manufacturers specifications are also important,when trying to get a builder to remedial any defective work , as is clear written communication of any issues generalising wont help 🙂 perhaps BRANZ or Standards nz should be made to make all codes and practices available free of charge so that people can get the in formation , after all they are a government department , put pressure on your mp don’t forget that you can also make a formal complaint to the LBP registration board

Pollu we were told exactly the same thing the mortar will dry over time. Well we are still waiting some 18months later no change. Would you tell me what type of brick you are ? We would love to know.

Hi there, Just an update on our issue, so the builders came back with some alternatives. So our contract says flushed finish but they asked us if we would be happy with bagged finish. We were taking a bit of risk by confirming to them that they could go ahead with the bagged finish (of course only after viewing some of their bagged finished brick work). We were also weighing up the cost and benefit of going with this or further putting our fight and possibly including our lawyer. That was definitely going to cost both the parties more time and money. We didnt want that so we took the risk and confirmed for our builder to go ahead with the bagged finish. I must say i am really happy with it. Looking at all the other houses around us ours look way better. I feel so bad for these neighbors who maybe have been shut down by the builder saying that was the best quality and blah blah. We didnt buy that, and went onto getting an independent brick consultant and the final result we were happy.

Hi JJ Did you get your brickwork sorted?

Hi Cara, I would be glad to help you any way I can, as long as it does not include putting personal contact details on the site as I feel it is not a safe thing to do. I truly understand your stress. We have had a number of issues with our build and thus I have had many a sleepless night. However my husband has managed to stay calm and endeavoured to stay on good terms with the franchise holder. This has resulted in one really big issue being fixed at no cost to us. It is for that reason we are prepared to wait 12 months to see if the mortar fades to the same colour. Guess you could say we are meeting him half way. Your issue however is whether the bricks are the correct spacing, is that right? If it is a structural problem, then building inspector should have picked it up. That being the case, it may be worth talking to your local council. Unfortunately inspectors are not too interested in aesthetics, hence our mortar problem is of no concern to them. I am so glad you have documented everything. I really think that is the key. The fact that you had that extra clause added was a really good idea. I wish we had done something like that. At the moment we are in the process of moving into our new home and with all that going on, I forgot to speak to my about this. I will get back to you as soon as I can with more information. Cheers

OMG – There are others there having the same issues. We thought we done the right thing and had everything documented but they just deny there is a problem. I have found out just recently some Franchises just fold the company and reopen as another branch. How can we get resolution????

Hi Concerned. Take photos and gather all documentation, then see your lawyer. He/she is the best one to advise you. You may like to contact The Bricklayers Federation of New Zealand. They have people who will assess the brickwork. Like you I am beginning to see that this is a widespread problem and something must be done about it. I am afraid at present I cannot be much more help. I know of someone who has withheld payment and they have had some success, however be aware that some contracts have a penalty clause for doing this. Good luck.

Hi, I suggest you get an independent brick consultant to come and review it and do a report on it. Yes, you have to spend out of your pocket but it will help you alot. It did in our case. And you could potentially try and claim it back from the franchise (not saying they will pay but still can give it a try). Contact the Master builders or NZCB (depending on what guarantee your contract has) and let them know. But as a starting point, did you let your builder know in writing that you are not happy with the brickwork? Do you have reference pictures of what your house was meant to look like when you initially signed the contract?

By Monier and the colour I think was Electrum. We had our check recently and the franchise inspector acknowledged that it was unlikely the colour would fade. We will however wait till the 12 month point and then assess the situation. The contract says that things should be done in a workman like manner and everything is in writing, so will have to see what happens then.

Hi Hadenough Ask an honest experience brick layer. It won’t change over time. We have variations of mortor colour on East and South walls. It has not changed to match the rest. They did laying at different times and also patch jobs. These didn’t change in colour nor match. They also did another large patch job at a different time and yet that area matches the rest! Figure that one out…

Hi Cara. Is it going to last with that finish or just fall out over time? If the workmanship was reported very poor by the brick expert, I would have expected a different resolution. Our brick is a major feature of our house and there is poor workmanship and other issues. The building company tried to tell me it is just cosmetic. Well, I had other experts look at it and it’s not. Absolutely gutted. And don’t know what we can do.

Hi Cara How did you get on with the brick issues with your house? We too have very poor workmanship of brickwork.

Hi Polly, Thank you and yes i totally understand about not providing personal information on this site. Our problem is also aesthetics. Not a structural problem. The work is done so poorly in terms of the workmanship and that’s exactly what our report says. Also, in my case my husband is trying to be very calm in dealing with the franchise. We have had so many stressful nights over this as I can see the franchise trying to do everything to not redo the work to our expectation. It must be great to moving into your new house now. I hope all goes well with you.

Thanks Pollu. But some of these franchise just fold one company and start another. Leaving the the poor owner out of pocket. Or a house with defects that they cant afford to fix. I am shocked to hear of so many people having problems with builders. I have learnt alot and it is highly likely i will never build again because of this bad experience. If anyone tells you colour matched mortar fades over time its bs. It will wont fade on south side of house. A year later and ours hasnt.

Hi Concerned/Cara Bagged finish over brick is excellent. We had this on our previous home- a 1940s ex-state duplex and the finish was still rock hard and durable. Personally, I love this look and intend using it again. Well done for an excellent compromise.

That is exactly what has happened to us. The bricklaying was done at different times and weather conditions. We did engage a independent report and it has given a damming report.

Hi Cara, I spoke to my husband, would you believe about 3am this morning. He was suffering from cramp, and as he woke me, I thought it as good a time as any to ask who he contacted about our bricks. It was the Brick and Blocklayers Federation of New Zealand. I believe there is only one guy that does the assessments in the South Island, I don’t know about north of Cook Straight. Yes we are eager to get into our new home. As I said there are still issues. However, as we have our documentation and the franchise holder has made an effort to put things right, we are prepared to wait 12 months after the bricks were laid to see if the colour merges. Hey, do keep me posted as to how you get on. As they say ‘knowledge is power” and all that jazz. If I have anything else helpful to share with you,I will certainly leave a message. Cheers..

I hear what you are saying Concerned. Has this group set up a new company yet? Another thing, were they a limited liability company? You need to check the company’s register and find out who the principals are. If not you can sue them. We did this some years ago when we got house levellers in and they did a shoddy job. We found out we could sue the principal. You may find if they have done this too often or the principal is an undischarged bankrupt, then they cannot form an Ltd. I hope this is some help to you. My husband is answering a lot of your questions via me, so you are welcome to keep in touch. He has a lot more knowledge than me.

Hi Mark Unfortunately this bagged finish will not go with the brick, design and look of our house. Cheers

Had any luck in getting them to fix the issue?

Hi Mark With the extend of brick issues the bag finish will fall out over time. This would not be an acceptable solution for a high end build.

HI Pollu. Looks like they do buy the dates of the company start dates. So would mean they could transfer everyone’s job over to the next. Yikes! Yes, there was liability insurance but was told that that ends a short time after move in. They are a Ltd company. And I see there is one that has been around a lot longer than the rest. Looks like a new franchise starts around 5-6 years. 🙁

Hi Pollu, Sorry i was meant to respond to your reply and forgot until today i saw so many similar issues/comments come through. Thank you for talking to your husband about it. We have had some positive over the last week. The franchise went from saying ‘that was the best’ to meeting halfway only because we got an independent report done. Well they are offering to do a bagged finish as opposed to flush finish. We agreed (on the basis they showed a few homes they did this finish on) for them to do that on one wall and show before doing the whole house (this is yet to happen). I will update once it is done. It is really sad and frustrating to see so many comments here about bad workmanship, i wonder if it is the same franchise. I was honestly considering contacting the neighbours (keep in mind all the houses are just being built so no one is physically living there) however, we told ourself we will just get our issue resolved as we dont want the builders doing more damage to the house that we wont see but will come to light years later. It is just really frustrating so many poor home owners’ hard earned money put to building their DREAM homes and these builders ruining with poor workmanship.

What area are you building in ? We are having major problems with our brick work to, colour of mortar pòr workmanship etc.

No!! The colour of the mortar is only one of the issues we have with the bricks.

Hi GP Our duplex was 60 years old when we bought it and kept it for close to another 10 years and had no problems with the plaster bagging. It looked fabulous, too!

Oh my goodness Concerned. Usually the insurance lasts 12 months. I really think you need to get your lawyer involved in this one. Is this one of the big franchises or a smaller one? Look will get back to you later. I am going to get my husband to look over what you have written. He has a better idea than me. He will answer you comment soon.

It all frustrates me too Cara. I actually think we need to be covered by some independent body and it should not cost the home owner so much to get a fair deal. I mean who wants to pay top dollar for a second rate product. I have to say the franchise responsible for our build has tried to do the right thing by us, but boy have some of their contractors let them down. My husband and I cannot understand why they still use them. Cheap they may be, but the business they will be losing via word of mouth I think would be considerable. I really hope you are well on you way to getting your issues settled.

Hi Pollu. Sounds like this is common. We asked for test areas too. As to date test area not completed. Absolutely gutted our DREAM home is not the high quality promised.

Hi Hadenough We are in the North Island. Sorry I can’t say anymore than that at the moment. Where are you?

Take them to court???

Hi Mark That was 60 years ago where the bag finish was done at the time. And probably done by a good bricklayer with good materials. If you add bag finish after the build to poor brick workmanship WILL NOT last. In my opinion bag finish is for a certain ‘look’ of houses and not for all. If a person wanted a high end certain type of look then bag finish is not the answer.

Oh! If its 12 months after handover i might be lucky. Only problem is getting them to lodge a claim. They still denying there a problem.. grrr. Its not fair people pay a lot of their hard earned dollars and are getting ripped off.

Hi Concerned, Polly’ s husband Ian here. Most larger building companies and franchise operators offer a free building insurance cover during the build and for a reasonable time after completion. Halo is one insurer and Master Builders are two, but I can’t recall the names of others. As I understand it, this is more of a warranty that the build will be up to standard as per the NZ Building Code. It usually does NOT cover cosmetic imperfections such as mis-matched mortar. However, the brickies are expected to perform their tasks “in a workmanlike manner”. There is no guarantee that if you were to take them to Court that the court would find in your favour, given that you would need to find a competent bricky with many year experience to stand up in court and say that the work had not been performed competently, “in a workmanlike manner”. This problem seems be be generic in NZ as there has been no or minimal apprenticeship training in the bricklaying industry for a number of years. It may be worthwhile contacting BCITO, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation, to see if they can put you onto a bricklaying tutor or inspector for advice. The NZ Brick and Blocklaying Federation may also be able to give you the name or names of people who, for a fee, will inspect and report on the workmanship. There is no guarantee in that process that the report will be in your favour, so it’s “caveat emptor”, let the buyer beware. Sorry, but I believe there are many off us “new builds” who are up the same creek. Best of luck, and keep pushing.

We are in the North Island. That’s about all I can say too.

Oh! If its 12 months after handover i might be lucky. Only problem is getting them to lodge a claim. They still denying there a problem.. grrr. Its not fair people pay a lot of their hard earned dollars and are getting ripped off.

If 12 months from start date then no such luck.

Hi Ian. Free because they work together and not in favour of the customer. Mis matched mortar is because they didn’t do a proper job the first time. Colour matched mortar that was to be bagged so it doesn’t show a difference. Its stand out obvious. Its not just cosmetic.. Something has to be done about all the shoddy work going on. Why cant all all the good guys stand up together. As these cowboys are giving the brick and building industry a bad name. Not only stressing out new build home owners. I just hope it improves

Hi Concerned, yes it is 12 months after handover. Just check your contract. Incidentally, are you in the Christchurch area? If so we may be able to arrange a meeting face to face. I prefer not to put my details on line, but if you are in the area, maybe we can help each other.

do you have a master builders guarantee or similar ?

possibly the phrase ‘workman like manner’ has been changed to competence and skill , but different colored morter would definetly come within the gutde lines set out by minestry of buisness and addopted by mb and cb,,,, its your main contractors issue make him fix it , document it , identifie the standard and then give him reasonable time to remedial the issue 90 days what ever ,