Builders not interested

[JamesWins]

Hi, currently trying to find a builder for a 4x4, single storey extension in south Hampshire but having trouble getting anyone to do the work. What we're trying to do is get an oak-framed garden room put up and so we've got a design and build company doing the planning and will make and construct the oak frame. All we need is a builder to do the foundations but we're having trouble finding anyone.

The problem is that we live in a townhouse with no side passages - so any access is going to be through the house or via the back neighbour's garden - she's happy to let me use her garden for a few weeks in return for some money but it's about a 40 yard run from her road. Shouldn't be any trouble getting a digger up there.

I've had probably a dozen builders around to have a look so far and they've all said it's a very simple job but none of them want to do it, citing difficulty of access.

Looking down our road, a few of our neighbours have extensions - so it must be possible - although they were all built quite a few years ago, nothing recent.

I've had a few recommendations and other builders I found from Checkatrade, yell.com etc. Reading between the lines, most of them want to do the whole project (and charge me £40-50k for the privilege).

Is there something I'm missing here? Or is it just a builder's market at the moment? I wanted the extension to get done this year and I've been looking since the autumn but I'm running out of time.

 

[PTS2]

We've had similar problems with getting people interested when there is limited access and long way from a road. So we did it ourselves.

Problems: Getting digger in, getting earth out, getting concrete in.

1) Hire a digger, they can go through doors now.
2) Hire a powered barrow, they can go through doors now.
3) You need space somewhere to pile up the muck so a grab lorry can pick it up.
4) Find a concrete company who will barrow the concrete in. We have used mixamate, bit spendy, but they do the job very well.

The hardest part is getting a decent trench dug, that's quite trickyif you have never done it before. But you can hire a digger and a man on ebay by the day.

You should look for a groundworker, not a builder, but even then they tend not to show interest if it's harder work than the job down the road.

 

[Tigercubrider]

try conservatory companies as they might have a list of builders who are used to building bases?
a mate who lives in a terraced ex council house wants to build an extension and is planning on lining his hallway with sheets of polythene, then shuttering ply to make a straight protected run through the house.
having a garden/drive at the front will allow a skip or grab bags to be stored.

 

[JamesWins]

PTS2 - yeah I've started thinking about just doing the groundwork myself but never done it before so would rather hire at least one experienced person for a few days.

I was told it's possible to pump concrete 50 yards or more, barrowing might be an issue because the garden has a bit of a slope on it.

Have started looking for groundworkers directly - I thought a builder would be better because I need knocking through and some internal work done as well but I may have to do everything separately. Think they just sub out groundwork anyway?

Tigercubrider - considered the polytunnel approach, might even just take the carpet up in the front room - because it's a townhouse on a slope though, they have to go down one flight of stairs, which would be murder with anything heavy.

Conservatory firms is a good idea, will do that.

Also no drive or front yard beyond one of those little basement gardens. It's a really nice house but terrible for building!!

 

[tomfe]

Why not do it yourself, hide a bit in your trouser leg each time you go out to work.

A flight of stairs would put anyone off it. You might be better off moving unless you live in London then you can crane your spoil and concrete over the top of your house.

You could also see if you can get some cheap eastern Europeans in which will carry it out in a bucket.

 

[PTS2]

That mixamate outfit has a powered barrow. It's a cracking bit of kit, bloke stands on back of it and drives it to where it's needed then dumps it in the hole. Goes through a doorway too. They will charge you extra for that but it's a lot lot less than a pump and the bloke will give you the correct mix and tell you what to do.

Get a digger guy off ebay, if his digger is too wide for access then he can use one you hire in. It's simple stuff, you just need the confidence and make sure you don't go through a gas pipe.

Me and the mrs, both over fifty, shifted three times eight wheel grab lorry worth of muck from the bottom of the garden to the front drive, 100m. All these young lads didn't want the work, too hard for them. Yoof of today.....

 

[Notch7]

Try looking for groundworking companies rather than builders.

Concrete can be pumped, £350+vat for s pump. Or if you have limited space on road, mixermate do a volumetric concrete truck with a pump built in.

 

[^woody^]

What you have to try and solve is why would someone want to work on your job with all the hassle, when they can work on some easy job for easy money.

You'll likely need to pay some competent builder a premium, or get some desperate incompetent 'builder' who can't get any work anywhere else.

 

[noseall]

I was told it's possible to pump concrete 50 yards or more

And the rest. They may carry enough tubes on the truck to pump say 100m. You can request (and pay for) a much longer run than that.

because it's a townhouse on a slope though, they have to go down one flight of stairs, which would be murder with anything heavy.

Through the house AND up/down a flight of stairs! Good god - MOVE man.​

 

[Tigercubrider]

How is the oak frame getting in?
if they have to crane it, could you use a trench/beam and block structure and store the spoil in bags at the rear, moving the spoil in the same lift as the oak delivery?

 

[JamesWins]

How is the oak frame getting in?
if they have to crane it, could you use a trench/beam and block structure and store the spoil in bags at the rear, moving the spoil in the same lift as the oak delivery?

Through the back neighbour's garden. They're fairly big bits but apparently they can be carried manually for 50m. I think getting rid of the spoil is just a question of time and people, surely it can't be that hard to hire some labourers?

And the rest. They may carry enough tubes on the truck to pump say 100m. You can request (and pay for) a much longer run than that.

Through the house AND up/down a flight of stairs! Good god - MOVE man.​

We have been looking around, unfortunately anything bigger than what we've got in an equally good location is going to be > £600k. Stamp duty alone would be 20 large, sod that TBH.

What you have to try and solve is why would someone want to work on your job with all the hassle, when they can work on some easy job for easy money.

You'll likely need to pay some competent builder a premium, or get some desperate incompetent 'builder' who can't get any work anywhere else.

True - surely they'd do a harder job for more money though? Otherwise how did my neighbours get theirs done? (I asked btw and they were all done quite a few years ago and were mostly done through the house and down the stairs).

 

[Notch7]

conveyor belt?

http://www.coveya.co.uk/articles/2014/02/39-filling-indoor-planters-at-1-metre-per-second

 

[^woody^]

True - surely they'd do a harder job for more money though? Otherwise how did my neighbours get theirs done? (I asked btw and they were all done quite a few years ago and were mostly done through the house and down the stairs).

The attitude and 'type' of builder from a few years ago is different from that of today, unfortunately.

 

[Ian H]

How much needs digging out?

 

[JamesWins]

How much needs digging out?

Only 4m square and it's in chalk soil so probably 1m deep trench. So not all that much!