Sub Contract Order Advice

[JMuns]

Hi looking for advice about a subcontract order... our decorating company has been hired to work on 40 new builds within our country. Its a big deal for us as its our first big commercial works.
We had plans and labour in place for a start date, then at a site meeting we were informed we would need to start sooner. We explained we'd been told a later date and so would try our best but didn't yet have staff in place. We still have domestic work running alongside this.
We had an email with the first page of the subcontract order sent to us 3 weeks ago, but received the paper copy with all the t&c's over the weekend.
We have no been let down by the teams we had lined up to begin the works and its too much for us to take on without that extra provision. Where do we stand if we were to say no now to the work?
(we've only done 1 day there, yesterday, which was to begin the mist coating.
Its causing alot of stress and worry for us now as we are a very small business. We have 4 children so we saw the possibilities this great contract would open us up to, but now we don't know how we can do it all. We can't afford to be financially penalised either.

 

[WaveJumper]

Welcome to the UKBF @JMuns I am sure some of our forums members will be along soon to offer so advice on this, but I suspect this is going to come down to what is in the contract you have with the main contractor re notice periods, termination etc.

 

[JMuns]

Thanks @WaveJumper looking through the paperwork we have had through the post I can't clearly see info regarding that, or if there is the wording isn't very clear to show that

 

[AlanJ1]

I would be surprised if there isn't a clause in the contract protecting them in case you can't do the work. I would be getting the contract looked over professionally ASAP.

 

[simon field]

So, they moved the goalposts on the start date?

Did you sign anything, or commit to anything in writing?

 

[JMuns]

We have yet to sign anything, we have emails about going to do mist coats one day last week and then yesterday (we couldn't do Friday as our van broke down, but we managed to source another Friday so we could go over there yesterday.
We only received hard copies of everything on Sat in the post.

 

[JMuns]

So, they moved the goalposts on the start date?

Did you sign anything, or commit to anything in writing?

We were given an idea of a start date prior to the on site meeting, then at the meeting they said they needed us there the week after. We said that would be difficult as we hadn't anticipated it, they said to tell them if that was going to be an issue.
we already had domestic work booked in which is why Id pushed prior to the meeting for an idea of a date so we weren't overloaded in the diary. Now that seems to be the case.

 

[simon field]

If it were me I’d just phone them up, explain that they changed their mind about the dates, and give them dates when you can do the job.

 

[JMuns]

If it were me I’d just phone them up, explain that they changed their mind about the dates, and give them dates when you can do the job.

Thanks Simon, appreciate you responding

 

[WaveJumper]

I thought you were looking to walk away from the contract altogether