What should i ask a builder

[stevebamford]

Hello all,

Newbie here! I've done a fair bit of DIY in the past but we're about to tackle a renovation project of a Victorian semi (taking on a house that has been part done) - and I simply don't have time to do the work needed.

Hence we need to use a building firm (gulp!)

Any ideas on the sort of questions I need to ask? I've got

1) supply references (completed and in-progress)
2) when are you available ...

But anything else i could ask to weed out the cowboys ?

Also - how detailed does the work-list need to be? i.e. can I say 'new garden gate' or do i need to say 'new garden gate, pressure treated timber, bolts at top and bottom, mortice lock'.

Thanks all - wish me luck !

s

 

[Nige F]

Dunno what you ask But can I ask you.......are you related to the JCB Bamfords

 

[stevebamford]

I wish !

 

[Richard C]

• How long has the company been trading.
• What other companies has he been involved with/had; i.e. your trying to establish if he’s previously gone bust but it would be in very poor taste to ask directly!
• Does he use his own trades or sub-contract them in.
• Does he have regular subbies he calls on or is it just who he can get hold of; not usually a good sign!
• Make him responsible for all trades, you only want one asre to kick.
• Make sure the trades he uses are qualified to do the work & can provide the necessary bits of paper you will need.
• What warranty will be provided; independent guarantee is best in case he goes broke.
• Clarify terms of payment; pay as little as possible up front & no more than 20%
• Have agreed stage payments as work is completed to an agreed programme; always hold something back (10%) to be paid at the end as & when you’re satisfied.
• Clarify who will be responsible for any liaison/inspections with Building Control, if there is any & clarify who will pay the fee.
• Use a well respected local firm & get recommendations if possible.
• Get as many quotes as you can; I started off with 11, making a final selection from 3!
• Make sure it’s fixed price, that way you won’t pay any extra unless something unforeseen goes wrong.
• Look at recently completed work & talk to the customer, preferably without the builder present.
• Ask probing (even stupid!) questions about how he will do certain things & gauge how interested he is in answering you; if he seems disinterested, treats you like an idiot or can’t be bothered, don’t bother with him.
• Have as detailed a specification as you can, it minimises the chance of disagreement & the opportunity to cut corners.
• Make sure his quote is detailed, reflects your spec. & breaks the prices down into understandable chunks, you can use this as a basis for your stage payments.
• Make sure the quote includes the cost of any necessary scaffolding/specialist equipment hire & site clearance; it’s a popular extra to hit you with later!
• Make sure the quote includes a basic programme for the progress of work with a completion date.
• Insist on a proper, written contract & make the quote & programme a part of it.
• Get a signed invoice for each payment & a receipt for each one you make.
• When things go wrong & they undoubtedly will, don’t loose your temper, always be respectful & be reasonable in considering the options (& possible extra ££’s if it’s unforeseen) to put things right.

It seems like a lot of detail but its pretty standard stuff & any decent builder won’t have any problems with it. It also assumes a contract of reasonable size, it would obviously be overkill for just a few £K! Mine was for was £35k, worked very well &, overall, was a pleasant & enjoyable experience; but I have the benefit of being involved in contract work one way or another all my working life; good luck!

 

[^woody^]

The problem is, you can ask as many questions as you like but there is no guarantee that it wont all go titsup.

I know of, and still hear stories of people doing everything right, getting approved/recomended contractors with references the lot, and still getting poor/unfinished work and a big dispute.

Also when I worked for myself, and the jobs I do now, I don't do a lot of those things on Richards list - so theoretically I should not be in business. I tend to work entirely on trust - I give a price tell the customer what will be done for that price, and thats it. It works both ways though there has to be trust that the builder does the work asked for, and that the customer pays reasonable costs for the work.

I've mentioned the things which need to be looked at in engaging contractors before - search the forum - one post was recent and linked to a post about a year or so ago.

In broad terms, decide what you want, get a quote (itemised?) for the work, choose a builder, agree payment stages.

These can be broken down to lots of detail, but how much is too much? You can go too far.

If you are concerned, agree a basic written contract which will detail the above stages.

One thing to consider, is engaging a surveyor or project manager to do all these things for you. May cost you 10% of the value, but peice of mind

With regards to the work specification, many details are inferred in particular items. So your garden gate for instance, when you say 'garden gate' this would imply a ledge and braced construction, treated timber, exterior grade ironmongery, a latch and one bolt.

If you wanted more then you would have to specify that. Your problem is knowing what is normally included, so I would ask for a gate, but get the builder to itemise/explain what is included.

There is a thing called the NBS (National Building Specification), which has done all the work for you and you just reference it - ie "install gate as per NBS section ...."

Remember to compare like for like in the quotes. Some quotes look cheap, but may not include certain things or have a lower specification

 

[Mr M]

There is a thing called the NBS (National Building Specification), which has done all the work for you and you just reference it - ie "install gate as per NBS section ...."

Not quite that simple as you still need to fill in lots of blanks in the NBS documents for the components you want to specify but it does give some useful references to British Standards, Codes of Practice etc.

From what I remember, the NBS is a subscription service as it is regularly updated but I have access to it in Microsoft Word format if anybody needs any specific sections

 

[hammerz]

Make sure you say you want written quote and receipt/garuantee. Most builders will want cash in hand so be careful with that as you will have no proof of payment.

 

[^woody^]

No-one is going to give a receipt for cash in hand

 

[stevebamford]

Thanks for all the advice folks - am currently trying to decide whether to get a builder in to do the lot

or

manage it myself - do as much as I can myself and get the trades in as needed

Our main issue is that the recommended builders I have contacted are busy way into the future (a good sign methinks!) which is no good for our timescales

ho hum !