Gold Coast family warning others after botched Ormeau fencing job abandoned by contractor

A Gold Coast family is warning about the dangers of hiring contractors online after a botched fencing job cost them hundreds of dollars and destroyed their backyard.

A BOTCHED fencing job abandoned by an online contractor has left a Gold Coast family fuming.

Nicola Holmes, an army veteran from Ormeau, now hopes to warn others against hiring contractors online, even if they come with solid reviews.

The family wanted to move a gate in their back yard just a few metres for a quoted fee of around $300.

Instead they were left with a bigger bill on their hands after a contractor found on online forum Airtasker allegedly packed it in halfway through and left the garden hose running for a number of days while the family was away.

A mess was left behind after the dodgy job.

The gate was left barely hanging onto the fence and a large hole could be found in the structure.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw what had been done,” Ms Holmes told the Bulletin.

“The fence wasn’t only a mess but our backyard had been flooded.

The fencing contractor was hired on Airtasker.

“I had used Airtasker before and hadn’t had any issues, but this was horrific.”

As part of the arrangement the contractor was to be paid after the job was completed, but Ms Holmes had given him a small amount of money for supplies.

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“When I found him he said he worked as a fencing contractor and was also a welder, there were six reviews but all good so we let him get to work.

“It was going OK or so I thought when he rang and told me he hadn’t finished the job yet on Friday, but would be back tomorrow morning,” she said.

“But I called him and got nothing.

“When I saw the job we found a mess.

A large hole was left in the fence.

The gate was left barely hanging to the fence.

“My son said he heard the guy swearing that day and then we never heard from him.

“Obviously something went wrong and he had bitten off more than he could chew.

“I try to give everyone a go but this has left my fence in a mess.
“You try to be strong but lesson learnt, they could take advantage of a lot of people this way.”

A spokesman for the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) said home and property owners should always use licensed contractors, regardless of the size of their project.

“A licensee provides homeowners with peace of mind that they are qualified and experienced in their trade,” they said.

The QBCC website also offers a free “Find a Local Contractor” search, that allows you to find licensed and skilled tradespersons in your local area.

Originally published as Gold Coast family warning others after botched Ormeau fencing job abandoned by contractor