Avoiding Cowboy Builders

This article was written and distributed by the Federation of Master Builders, the building industry's largest trade organisation, representing over 13,000 small and medium-sized companies throughout the UK. If you'd like to know more about the FMB, or would like to find a reputable builder, try the Find a Builder web site at: http://www.findabuilder.co.uk.

What price peace of mind?

Cowboy contractors are costing us money - around £1.5bn per year! That’s the amount, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) it costs consumers to put right the wrongs caused by fly-by-night builders. But while many post-contract problems are easily avoided by first choosing a contractor who has a proven track, what else can homeowners do to get peace of mind among the chaos of refurbishment? It’s simple – take out insurance! Damp-proofing is a classic example. All reputable damp-proofing firms will offer a guarantee – usually for 30 years - that they will revisit and repair a damp course should it fail. But how many of them are around in 10 years, let alone 30? A failed damp course is usually only picked up when a property is sold and a new survey required, so if, in the meantime the installers have gone out of business or moved out of the area, the seller is left to pay the price all over again. To overcome this, many damp-proof companies also offer insurance backing against their guarantee, which will cost around 5% of the work done, and it’s well worth it, though do read the small print. Some schemes guarantee the work for 30 years, but only include the insurance for 20. Building trade associations can offer protection against faulty building work and materials through an insurance-backed warranty, such as the 10 year MasterBond warranty offered by the FMB, which has been offering this type of protection for 20 years. Jackie Holman learned the benefits of such a scheme the hard way and wishes her builder had offered her such reassurance. When she and her partner James moved into their house seven years ago, it needed a lot of refurbishment. In April last year, they decided they could at last splash out on a new kitchen and work began. Jackie says: “We had a tiny lean-to at the back of the house, so we decided to extend the room as well as having a new kitchen installed. James is a keen cook, so we were really looking forward to it. “ Things seemed to be going well, until the couple arrived home one day to find water pouring through the ceiling of the new extension. Jackie recalls: “The builder had removed the overflow from the upstairs loo because of the extension and hadn’t replaced it. He’d told us it wasn’t necessary.” Unfortunately he had built kitchen units around the stopcock, which made it difficult to get to, left building debris all over the garden and had laid the tongue-and-groove floor unevenly. Then when the new boiler started to go wrong, the couple discovered it was so badly installed that British Gas wouldn’t include it on their service contract and Jackie and James will have to pay for re-installation by an independent Corgi-registered fitter. Jackie adds: “To top it all, the builder had put pictures of our house – inside and out - in the local paper to advertise his work, without our permission!” Unfortunately, the case continues... The message is clear – keep the cowboys out of the kitchen and choose a vetted builder who is a member of an established organisation. But cover yourself for complications, too. Even with the most experienced and skilled contractor, things can go wrong, and an established insurance-backed guarantee will ensure that a job is completed well, without extra expense. And that’s reassuring for any householder. The Federation of Master Builders insurance scheme, MasterBond, can only be offered to clients by FMB registered builders, after they have passed stringent checks. It costs just £75 per £5,000-worth of work (plus insurance premium tax) and will cover against faulty workmanship or materials for up to two years and against structural defects for 10 years. Should you move during that time, the insurance stays with the property and is passed on to the new owners. For further details or to get a free copy of the FMB’s “Essential Guide to Improving Your Home”, telephone the FMB on 08000 152 522 or log on to their website, www.findabuilder.co.uk.

Homeowner advice - selecting a local reputable tradesman or builder

It is crucial to the success of your home improvement or maintenance project to select a reputable tradesman or builder. The following advice is intended to guide the homeowner through the process of selection to ensure that the homeowners experience is a happy one.

Experience

It is likely that the proposed builder will have experience in his field from working on similar projects to yours in the same local area. So ask neighbours and other tradesmen if you know any if they have some knowledge of the proposed builder. An established builder will possibly be working locally to some extent and therefore will wish to maintain or build up their reputation locally. This is a good assurance that the builder will probably seek to do a good job for you and seek to gain follow on referrals as a result of your job.

Specific expertise

It is not always necessary as there are builders who have very good all round skills but you may wish to seek a tradesman with specialist experience of your project type. Such a tradesman will be able to understand more easily important issues such as specifications, materials and project scheduling necessary to meet deadlines

A local tradesman or builder will have more practical knowledge of local properties and issues relating to them.. Issues such as structural knowledge and local materials and construction of homes in and around yours. Generally, the more familiar a builder is with a style and type of home construction the better they can deal will problems that may arise. A local builder should also be able to offer advice on products and materials available locally.

Customer focussed service

Talk to your tradesman or builder about any issue relating to the project - they should listen to and understand your needs and concerns and help ease any concerns you may have.. In discussing costs your builder should also be able to advise you on ways to undertake the project to meet your budget.

Good communication is a key component in a successful customer/contractor relationship. Not only in terms of the customer/builder interaction but also ensure that you have a means to communicate effectively like telephone, email and fax. You may wish to prioritise your decision to hire a builder on issues of good communication and customer focus as these are key elements in the professional relationship and ultimately the success of the project. Your selected tradesman should be communicative and professional.

Good, reputable home improvement builders and tradesmen are essential to the success of your home improvement and maintenance project and will ensure that your project will be delivered on schedule, on budget and to an agreed specification. Choose builders and tradesmen with correct professional accreditations, insurances and references. Ask to see photos of past work and references from previous customers in your area and for similar project types.

As we always say, if your home improvement or maintenance project is undertaken by an unqualified builder or without a written contract then you may experience problems. Using a reputable tradesmen source like www.homepromatch.com will ensure that you connect with qualified and insured kitchen and bathroom fitters, rated and recommended by other local homeowners.

Take the time to review tradesmen reviews and ratings and meet the tradesmen before you make your choice. A little care taken at this time will pay dividends and reduce the possibility of you experiencing contractor problems. Decide on a specification and timescale and draw up a works contract with terms agreed between yourself and your contractor that you are comfortable with.

About The Author

An experienced trade professional, Nigel Beswick writes home improvement and maintenance articles for www.homepromatch.com, an online resource connecting homeowners with vetted and customer recommended home improvement tradesmen and builders throughout the UK.

Find home improvement articles to save you time and money, get helpful tips and advice and design inspiration at http://www.homepromatch.com/Articles/List.aspx

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builder, tradesmen, home improvement, maintenance project, qualified,insured,recommended,reputable,experience,assurance,customer service, professional,

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