Avoid Cowboy Builders
Finding suitable builders
Firstly, we’ve used the plural builders as we always advise getting 3 quotes so in fact you really need to find at least 3 suitable builders to approach (likely more as not all will be available to suit your timescales or interested enough to quote).
Secondly, good builders may be booked up more than a year in advance. You will be in a stronger position to find someone really good if you are not in a hurry. Just because you’re ready to go doesn’t mean you will find a good builder who is free to take on the work! This is of course easier said than done, but worth bearing in mind.
Thirdly, be aware it can take longer than you might think for people to put their quotes together as more often than not they are busy working on other people’s projects. From recent experience allow 2 months, just to get quotes back, and this doesn’t include to-and-fro afterwards discussing the detail of it. Many builders will be busy on live projects and don’t prioritise quoting new ones
Recommendations
Ask for referrals from friends, family or neighbours who have recently completed similar projects. These days the world is a smaller place, you could also use social media to find recommended people.
If you’re already working with an architect or interior designer, they are likely to have people they can suggest.
Local authority building inspectors can sometimes give hints as to local builders they’ve known (to be good) for many years.
Keep an eye out for building work going on in your local area and ask the owners if they are happy with the work so far.
Search online
Two trade bodies in the UK - the National Federation of Builders (FNB) and the Federation of Master Builders (FBM) - have a strict code of practice and firm membership criteria so help to establish whether you’re dealing with a reliable professional for build projects:
The following websites (and many more) can be used to find local people suited to your job, though we can’t account for the quality of people listed on there, we would always recommend doing your due diligence too:
Trust your instincts
If you get any bad feelings about who you speak to in the company, consider that the business owners have chosen them to represent them, so they may not be right for you.
Remember that your chosen builders are going to be in your life (and home) for a number of months, and you won’t want to have to deal with people who are a bad personality fit on top of everything else.
Make sure you’re covered
On appointing your chosen contractor you will want to have discussed payments plans and project programme/timelines.
Make sure you have a contract in place that clearly spells out the work to be done, the materials and the programme/schedule.
Overall, the key is to do your research and take the time to find a tradesperson who is a good fit for your project, and who has a track record of delivery quality work on time and on budget.