How to find a builder

[SteveP5B]

Help required please.
This is our first venture into having building work done for a 7x5 meter single story extension.
We have planning permission, and the building regs. drawings are complete, we have had several quotations and the prices vary by 100% so which builder do you choose? The highest price is from what appears to be a high profile professional organisation, with the lowest from what appears to a man and a van. How is it possible to be confident of making the correct choice?
Is there a set procedure ( contract) to hold prices quoted etc.
Tanks in advance, Steve

 

[jeds]

Why did you ask builders to price it if you weren't sure you would give them the job? You should have vetted them before hand and rejected any you didn't like the look of. I don't want to sound harsh or unhelpful but don't you think you've slightly wasted their time - and yours come to that.

That said, I normally advise people to look around for decent looking extensions and knock on the door and ask the people if they were happy with the work. And if they were, get the builders name. I suppose you could do the same thing in reverse.

 

[London Mike 49]

We are having a double storey side extension built and our architect gave us a schedule of works that includes how the foundations should be constructed to what door openings and how the build should be finished to our spec.
This information was given to four building firms and they gave their quotes based on this information, and as they all had the same info ( they also asked us various questions) we were able to choose a builder once we had been given addresses where we could see examples of their work and speak to people that had work done by them.
Our decision was based on price, quality of work and availability, you also have to be confident that your builder will not have three or four jobs on the go at once so that he ends up spending a day or two at your house then flips off to another job.
Another point is, does he sub all or some of the work out and if so will he take responsibility for the quality of that work?

I hope this helps
Mike

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

SteveP5B if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find several similar threads, as well as use the search facility, here is a helpful similar thread //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/how-to-choose-a-builder-is-the-fmb-site-the-best-source.224309/

 

[Brigade77]

Can we ask roughly the high & low prices?

I could write a book on 'How To Select A Builder' then make £millions from slightly altering it to encompass 'How To Select Almost Anything Reallly'.

You must not base your decision solely on price, just as much as you must not base your decision on quality alone. The choice is made harder by the fact that the builder you want probably doesn't advertise where your looking. They don't need to.

Start by driving around your neighbourhood & stopping at any house that has recently had or is currently having work done. Polite enquiries are often a goldmine of info.

 

[jeds]

That other thread does raise a good point. My advice would be to avoid taking builders off of building club websites. Only last week I surveyed a house in Swansea which had just had a lot of work done to it by some roofer/builder of the master guild of roofer/builders. The owner was not happy with the work and with very good reason. It was shocking. The master guild club don't give a toss apparently. They don't monitor members' work and their website advises making sure the builder is suitable and seek references before entering into contracts blah, blah, blah. Waste of space.

 

[^woody^]

Why did you ask builders to price it if you weren't sure you would give them the job?

Isn't that the whole idea of quoting and competitive tendering?

 

[Brigade77]

Isn't that the whole idea of quoting and competitive tendering?

If you base your purchasing decision on £price alone then you are just begging for it to all go t1t$ oops !

 

[jeds]

Why did you ask builders to price it if you weren't sure you would give them the job?

Isn't that the whole idea of quoting and competitive tendering?

Yes, but with builders that you know you are comfortable giving the job to. I know it wouldn't apply here but I often have to work to NJCC code of practice. That's a code which controls how competitive tendering works. Rule one (not literally) is make sure the builders you ask are competent, suitable and available before inviting them.

 

[kazuya]

The highest price is from what appears to be a high profile professional organisation, with the lowest from what appears to a man and a van.

when you say "appears to be" are you basing this on looks? did you not ask them how many people they employ, how long theyve been established, had they done any similar work in the area, did they have photos, references?
or did you just ask them for a price?
my customers tend to engage me in conversation, we chat, have a cuppa, i show them pictures of my work on a tablet, its like they want to get to know me and i also get to know them.

 

[^woody^]

Why did you ask builders to price it if you weren't sure you would give them the job?

Isn't that the whole idea of quoting and competitive tendering?

Yes, but with builders that you know you are comfortable giving the job to. I know it wouldn't apply here but I often have to work to NJCC code of practice. That's a code which controls how competitive tendering works. Rule one (not literally) is make sure the builders you ask are competent, suitable and available before inviting them.

Yes, but the average Joe will just get some plans drawn, then phone some builders up and ask for some quotes. The basis will be that they will then pick one and not the others.

So there is always the intent that the job won't go to some of the builders. Likewise the builder will be aware that he won't always win the job.

What the average Joe won't expect, is that the quotes will vary so much. So if they do, then I'd say that it is normal to then look for other criteria (which may not have come to mind initially), and then potentially to seek further quotes to then apply the criteria.

 

[jeds]

There's no point asking a builder to price work and then questioning whether they are suitable. Check them out first and only ask ones you are comfortable giving the work to. Find a few jobs in the area that look ok, ask the house owners a few questions and if they were happy with the builders get their names. You will get variation in prices - even from good builders - but if the builders come recommended you at least have a starting point. Picking builders out the phone book is very risky.

 

[^woody^]

We've just put out a PQQ for a significant and expensive job. Some bloke phoned up worried that he might not be able to complete the tender in time. I told him it was a PQQ, not a tender, but he was still concerned about completing the pricing in time by the [PQQ] due date.

I wondered if I should just immediately disqualify that firm.

 

[kazuya]

We've just put out a PQQ for a significant and expensive job. Some bloke phoned up worried that he might not be able to complete the tender in time. I told him it was a PQQ, not a tender, but he was still concerned about completing the pricing in time by the [PQQ] due date.

I wondered if I should just immediately disqualify that firm.

the guy was honest and had the decency to let you know about his concerns
i always find that a good quality to have
id wait for the questionnaire

 

[^woody^]

the guy was honest and had the decency to let you know about his concerns

No he was a div, and did not know the difference between a PQQ and a tender. He was from a large firm too.