Hiring a builder to work on your house is a serious business. Not only are you trusting someone to do work on your most valuable asset, but getting the builders in usually means spending a considerable amount of money too. We’ve all heard the horror stories about cowboy builders taking a huge deposit, knocking walls down and then disappearing, leaving you with half a house and an empty bank account. Most builders are honest and reputable and are interested in doing a great job, not in ripping you off. But the cowboys are still around too, so if you’re contemplating getting some work done, here are the key points to look out for.
People Knocking on Your Door and Offering to Work
Good builders are busy building, and don’t have time to walk the streets, knocking on doors and offering to replace your roof or tarmac your drive. Any tradesman who knocks on the door and says they’re working in the area and have excess materials, or that they just happen to have noticed a few slipped tiles on your roof should be treated with suspicion. They might be genuine, but taking this approach puts them in the driving seat, not you. Agreeing to work on the spur of the moment means you don’t have the opportunity to ask around for recommendations, or get proper quotes from the building firms you have shortlisted. If the company is genuine, they’ll be happy to give you a business card or flyer. Do your own research about them, and you can always invite them back to quote at a later date.
Are They Registered?
There is no legal requirement for a builder to be a member of a trade association, but if your builder is claiming that they are a member of the Federation of Master Builders or are Gas Safe registered, then check that they are. Any decent business will have a registered address, and these are easy to find online. Anyone can set up a website, so just having an internet site registered doesn’t guarantee that they are who they say they are. Look for a landline telephone number, a registered address and some sort of online presence which dates back more than a few weeks.
Will They Provide a Written Quote and Contract?
Any reputable builder will be happy to come round and look at the job you want to have done, and then provide you with a written quote by email or on paper. Alarm bells should be ringing if a builder seems reluctant to commit anything to paper. If prices are only ever agreed verbally, how can you trust them to stick to the price they’ve given you? Not all builders will want a contract drawn up; it’s probably not necessary for a very small job completed in a day or two. But if you are planning a much larger job such as an extension or loft conversion, and especially if your builder is requesting that you make staged payments, then you need a contract which includes a scope of works so everyone knows from the start just what is included in the project. A contract which includes a scope of works not only serves to protect the customer but also the builder who may otherwise get asked to carry out works he or she never included in the quote in the first place. A builder who isn’t prepared to sign on the dotted line is best avoided. Email is fine in terms of communication, there’s no need to insist on everything being put through the post on headed notepaper.
Why is Their Price So Low?
Everyone wants a good deal and to feel that they’re achieving a great price for whatever they are wanting done. But if one of the builders you’ve asked for a quote is quoting substantially less than the others, you have to ask why. It could be that they have misunderstood your brief and aren’t quoting on a like for like basis. That sort of misunderstanding is easily rectified. However, if all other elements are equal and their quote is still very low, this might be cause for concern. It could mean that they’re planning to do a “bodge job” with inferior materials, or are intending to use unskilled labour instead of qualified plumbers and electricians. Another possible explanation is that the builder is very inexperienced and doesn’t know what they’re doing when producing quotes and accurately estimating work, but again, do you want an inexperienced builder working on your home? This is also part of why getting at least 3 quotes is very important. You will see there will be quite a wide range in the quote prices you receive which help you to be more objective when choosing.
Asking for Money Upfront
Asking for all of the money for the project upfront is the classic sign of the cowboy. Many cowboy builders are well aware of this and won’t try to scam customers in this way, but many still will give it a go. The problem is, that in many circumstances it is entirely reasonable to take a deposit, and agree to staged payments as the project progresses. Smaller businesses struggle with cash flow and can’t afford to fund all the materials and labour costs for your project and only get payment at the very end. The best way around this is to agree a contract at the outset, stating what you will pay and when. Always agree payments when the project reaches a certain stage, such as when the roof goes on, when the electrics are done or whatever makes sense in your circumstances. It’s never a good idea to agree staged payments at the end of each week, irrespective of what work has been completed.
Agreeing to Do Work for Cash
British tax laws require that all businesses reaching a certain level of turnover register for VAT and submit regular returns to HMRC. At present, the threshold for being registered is £38,000 in turnover. Even smaller building companies easily reach this threshold, given that it’s based on the amount of money they charge customers or make in sales rather than the profit they make. Some less than reputable companies will agree to do work “off the books” or for cash. This means that they don’t charge you the VAT, potentially saving you a bit of money on your work. However, could a company which is prepared to work for cash and not put the money through the accounts and the official channels be cutting corners elsewhere too? Similarly, if a builder states that they don’t ever accept payments by cheque or bank transfer and only deals in cash, it’s a clear indication that they’re dodgy.
How Quickly Can They Start?
Good builders are in high demand and often schedule work weeks or months in advance, especially for bigger renovation jobs. It’s definitely worthwhile waiting for your preferred builder who has good references and a high reputation. If you need emergency repairs it’s a different matter as you expect tradesmen to respond quickly, but it should cause concern if you are speaking to builders about major construction jobs such as replacing a roof or building an extension, and they want to start the job immediately. A common cowboy trick is to start several projects in one area all at the same time, take deposits for doing the bare minimum of work, then disappear, leaving several householders out of pocket.
Lack of Timescales
Anyone who has had building work done knows that sometimes there are unexpected delays and problems which take longer to solve than anticipated. A good builder will factor this in to their estimations of how long their project will take. They should be able to confidently state whether your project will take three days, three weeks or three months. If they can’t give even a basic estimate or are reluctant to commit to any sort of timescales, then this should raise questions about how serious they are about doing the work.
References
A good builder will understand that customers might want to check them out, and speak to customers who have dealt with them previously. It’s very easy to write testimonials on a website or make up fake online reviews elsewhere, so take these with a pinch of salt. The best reviews and references are from people you know personally, or neighbours. If you don’t know anyone who has had work done, then ask the builder to put you in touch with people they have worked with. They should be more than happy to do this and if not, you should be wondering why. If a builder does give you names and numbers, then contact them and have a chat with them. Don’t just ask about whether they were ripped off; ask also about the overall quality of work, how long it took to complete, and how much the overall cost was when compared to the initial estimate.
Key Things to Remember
Try not to be put off the whole idea of hiring a builder and think that everyone’s out to rip you off. That’s really not the case. However, a little but of time and effort spent researching the various builders who are working locally, getting quotes and chasing references will pay off in the long run. As the customer, you are in the position of power and don’t have to agree to use any organisation which you aren’t comfortable with. Take your time and don’t be pressured into making a snap decision, whatever the builder is telling you.
