Selecting a timber frame company

[GCarnegi]

How do I go about finding a company who can provide the timber frame for our two-storey extension at a reasonable cost?

There seem to be several out there, but most seem to either do full-house kits, or fancy oak beams etc. I'm just looking for a company to sell me a kit from the plans provided by our architect / SE.

Is there anything I should watch out for, or hidden costs they don't usually include? eg, they may deliver, they may not. If they do, does it include offloading?

thanks
Guy

 

[^woody^]

I am frequently surprised at just how companies making these frames ... in a factory, under controlled conditions, to engineered tolerances and dimensions ... still manage to mess up the frame or non-deliver crucial parts.

You may be better off enquiring on a proper self build forum ... google ebuild

Just state to the supplier exactly what you want them to make and do. and you can make your own contract rather than be reliant on the suppliers own T&C.

Obviously any extra costs which you incur due to the suppliers non performance (missing bits, non fitting parts, late delivery) should be referenced in a specific contract clause to enable you to recover costs

Normally the foundations and ground floor are done by others, so make sure everyone is working off the same set of plans with the same dimensions. Ensure that your designer issues copies of the latest plans to everyone at the same time