How To Find A Good Builder

Finding A Builder
Sorting The Contract

How do you know whether you're about to employ a hard-working, experienced professional - or someone who's going to give you the runaround and at worst is potentially dangerous?

By Sarah Warwick

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Discover a good builder, and you could have a lifelong relationship, but encounter a bad one, and you'll be recounting your trauma to anyone who mentions their own building project for many years to come. So how do you make sure you're in the first camp and not the second?

Where To Look

The first piece of advice anyone will give you is to go for personal recommendation, but there's more to do than simply getting a name from a neighbour. Talk to people locally who've had building work done recently - especially on a house of a similar age, and on a project of a similar size, as this will help you track down someone with the right expertise and an appropriate size of firm. If you are using an architect for your project, they may also have recommendations.

Your aim is to find at least three firms to quote, so as well as speaking to neighbours, take a look at:

MyBuilder.com, where previous customers recommend tradespeople by leaving feedback. You can also search by specialism - extension builder, for example - and read builder profiles and customer feedback.

The Find A Builder service from the Federation of Master Builders. The FMB is a trade association for small to medium-sized builders, and vets its members.

Government-endorsed TrustMark is a quality mark for builders and other repair, maintenance and improvement professionals, who are vetted.

Check Recommended Builders

Once you've assembled some likely candidates from reliable sources, ask at least three builders for a written quote. The more detailed you can be at this stage about what you want done, the more accurate the quote will be. This is obviously easier if you already have architect's plans or drawings you submitted if you had to obtain planning permission. Be clear about what needs to be included as well as the job itself: materials, taking away rubbish and so on.

You should also ask for at least three references from each builder. You need to take the time to follow these up, and if possible, pay a visit to check the quality of the job. Ask plenty of questions about the builder's work and how the project went, as you may find out details that'll be much more useful than a general, 'Yes, it all went fine.'

You should also make sure that each builder you ask to quote has appropriate liability insurance - ask to see the certificate.

It's also important to ask about payment terms. If they ask for a deposit, be wary. However, it is normal for larger projects if they ask to be paid in installments as each stage is completed.