How to find good builders

Making sure you've got a trusted and reliable builder to carry out your home renovation or extension is vital. Here’s how to find good builders – and how to avoid cowboys.

Angela Kerr Director, Editor

How to find good builders

1. Start with recommendations

One of the easiest ways to find good builders is to use someone recommended to you by a good friend or family member, especially if you have seen their handiwork first hand.

2. Research online & check credentials

If you’re new to an area or haven’t been impressed by recommendations from friends in the past, then start your search online. We have partnered with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) to help you find quality contractors. The FMB is the UK’s largest trade association for the construction industry. We’ve partnered with them because they check company history, financial records and proof of insurance. All their members’ work will also have been checked on site by an independent inspector to make sure it is completed to a high standard.

Use our find a builder service to connect you with quality, local builders you can trust to help with a wide range of home projects however big or small.

3. Check your local area

If you’ve seen builders carrying out work on houses in your town, and you’re impressed with the results, consider asking the homeowner about the builder they used and whether they would recommend them.

4. Ask other trades

If you’ve had a tradesperson like an electrician or plumber in your home and you rate them, consider asking them for recommendations for trusted builders. Similarly, if you’re working with other professionals like an architect, it’s worth asking for their builder recommendations too.

How to know whether a builder is reliable

Don’t be shy about asking for two or three references. Then call up the referees and speak to them directly about the work and service of the tradesman and whether they’d recommend the builder. If it is a big job, you might want to go and see the quality of the work. If the builder won’t provide references, ask why – it is often very telling about them if they don’t.

You’ll also want to know:

• Were they punctual and tidy
• Did they communicate frequently and politely?
• Did they give you advance warning of any problems and how were these problems dealt with?
• Did they keep noise to a minimum
• Did they complete the project on time and on budget

Getting quotes from builders

Here’s the step by step process of getting and comparing quotes from builders:

Always get 3 quotes

By getting a number of quotes, you can better judge the true price and you are also less likely to get ripped off. It can be astonishing how much prices vary. Also, each time you speak to a builder about the work, you will learn more about it – and will be better able to judge if a tradesman knows what they are talking about, or is spinning a yarn.

You’ll soon realise how surprisingly difficult it is to get a quote out of a builder, but persevere. Approach at least 5 tradesmen from the off so that you have enough quotes to be able to compare. Read more in our guide Getting builders’ quotes: Where do I start?

How to get a realistic quote

To get an accurate quote you’ll need to provide as much detail as possible including:

• The work that needs to be done, in the greatest detail you can
• Details on who will be doing what: Will you be project managing, hiring tradespeople and ordering materials? Or do you want the builder to do this?
• Details of planning permission requirements.
• The materials the tradesman will use. If you want high quality materials, state in writing what they are.
• What materials you will supply – will you provide the paint, tiles or lighting attachments?
• Plans or drawings for Building Control purposes if needed.
• Anticipated time scales. Good builders are often booked up months in advance. So finding out when they can start is important – but you may want to wait for your preferred builder.

How to compare builders’ quotes

So that you can effectively compare builders’ quotes, make sure you:

• Always get quotes in writing: Never accept a verbal quote, except perhaps for the very smallest jobs that are just a few hours work. Always get a written quote for the job, detailing the costs for the brief above.
• Don’t just go on price: It’s very easy to give a low estimate initially in order to attract business and then put the price up later. Low prices might result in lower quality too. Go with a tradesman you trust to do a good job rather than one that gives you low prices.

Use our find a builder service to connect you with quality, local builders you can trust to help with a wide range of home projects however big or small.

6 key questions to ask before hiring builders

Vetting builders before hiring is important when finding good builders. It also helps you avoid cowboy builders and making a costly mistake. Here are some important questions to ask:

Find quality, local builders you can trust to help with your home project however big or small with our Find a builder service now.

KEY INFORMATION

How to avoid cowboy builders

When you’re looking for a builder, here are some red flags to avoid to reduce the risk of accidentally employing a cowboy builder.

• Lack of a written contract or if there’s a contract, it’s vague which could cause problems down the line.
• Asking for large deposits or payment in cash. A 10% deposit is reasonable but don’t pay over 25%.
• Can’t provide details of insurance.
• Won’t provide references. It’s fairly standard to ask for references so if they won’t provide any, ask yourself why.
• Communication issues. If they’re not responsive to your initial stages of getting a quote, it doesn’t bode well for working together.
• If people knock on your door and offer you unsolicited services always turn them away. There are lots of con artists who operate in this way, and no reputable trader gets work by cold-calling on strangers.

Getting a contract with your builder

Using a building contract offers protection, reduces risk and helps make you feel more in control of your project.

With this in mind, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), offers the RIBA Domestic Building Contract, which is a simple and clearly laid out contract between a homeowner and a builder.

Endorsed and supported by HomeOwners Alliance, the RIBA Domestic Building Contract is suitable for all types of non-commercial work, particularly work done to your home, including renovations, extensions, maintenance and new buildings. Its key features include:

• Written in plain English that is simple to understand
• Guidance notes to help complete the contract
• Provides an effective way of managing payments to the contractor
• Gives you control over the timely completion of the project
• Provisions for collaborating with the contractor over events that may delay completion or add costs to the project

Find more information in our guide Building contract for home improvements.

The new RIBA contract is now available online

Paying your builder

Here’s how the process of paying your builder should work.

• A schedule of payment should be agreed before work starts and written into your contract.
• For bigger projects like extensions, it’s usual to split the payments into stages.
• Check you’re happy with the work before paying each stage.
• The FMB recommends that you agree the amount you’ll hold back as retention until you are happy to sign off the work, this is often 2.5%-5% of the total.
• Don’t pay cash. Pay by bank transfer, cheque or credit card.
• Don’t be surprised if you’re asked for a deposit. These vary but while 10% is reasonable, don’t pay more than 25%.

Find quality, local builders you can trust to help with your home project however big or small with our Find a builder service now:

Frequently Asked Questions