Advice needed to Avoid Cowboy Builders

bery_451

Hi,


My relative likes to do a double story side extension in Birmingham. Anyone can recommended a good builder in Bham?


If not which website shows approved builders in my area?


Cheers,

Doozergirl

I'd search for recommendations. If you're on social media, ask your wider friendship circles rather than just immediate friends if you can't think of any.

We're near Birmingham and also have a local recommendations page on Facebook where people ask for recommendations. I found my TV aerial guy from there.

Once you have found potentials, ask for references and check them. You can even ask to go and see a previous project. Most builders will have previous clients that are happy to show off. We certainly do, though a lot of potential clients don't even take up the offer.

bery_451

Great what is that page called on Facebook?

Doozergirl

Bromsgrove Recommendations and Information.

Bromsgrove isn't exactly far, but I bet people there will also know of other pages around. There's B31 Voices as well, I think.

bery_451

What about this government scheme?:


http://www.homeimprovementsguarantee.co.uk/


Also will my home and contents Insurance cover cowboy builds?

Doozergirl

bery_451 wrote: »

What about this government scheme?:


http://www.homeimprovementsguarantee.co.uk/


Also will my home and contents Insurance cover cowboy builds?

That has nothing to do with the government. As a builder, I wouldn't be happy using it at all. We have to trust clients as much as they trust us - somethings a lot of clients don't seem to appreciate. I'm certainly not trusting a third party with what would be my money and frankly, would not trust a client that couldn't bring themselves to trust me. An absolute world of pain is waiting to happen there.

Agree with the builder what you will pay for and when. Usually you'd agree stage payments based on certain works being carried out.

Builders should carry public liability insurance. Nice builders will also carry the cost of full contract works insurance, especially if it is a big build. Your home insurance ultimately covers your property and everything not associated with the build, but you must tell them that you are having building work carried out.

Furts

Doozergirl wrote: »

That has nothing to do with the government. As a builder, I wouldn't be happy using it at all. We have to trust clients as much as they trust us - somethings a lot of clients don't seem to appreciate. I'm certainly not trusting a third party with what would be my money and frankly, would not trust a client that couldn't bring themselves to trust me. An absolute world of pain is waiting to happen there.

Agree with the builder what you will pay for and when. Usually you'd agree stage payments based on certain works being carried out.

Builders should carry public liability insurance. Nice builders will also carry the cost of full contract works insurance, especially if it is a big build. Your home insurance ultimately covers your property and everything not associated with the build, but you must tell them that you are having building work carried out.

My perspective on this is hig exist as middlemen to grow rich by taking a cut out of the consumers expenditure. There can be no other viewpoint for they are a commercial business and any business exists to make a profit. A simply fact of life and I have no issues with this.

My issue is with consumers who do not undertake the most simple and fundamental procedures before ever engaging a builder. In the vast majority of cases this is a combination of ignorance, seeking the cheapest and not seeking thorough professional advice. If consumers were to change this mindset there would be little need for schemes such as hig.

To give an anecdotal example - over recent years I have taken on 30+ tradesmen to work on my home. Thousands hours of work have been undertaken. Not one tradesman has swung the lead, all have agreed on dates and times for work, none have turned up late, none have been sneeking off early, all have been fair and open over payment and the standard of workmanship of every tradesman has been excellent. All were local construction workers, trained in UK, and doing a decent days work to support their families and earn a profit.

I state all this simply because the relentless fear, and mindset, about cowboy builders bewilders me.

cyclonebri1

Avoid all social media and advert sites, thats what SM has become.

Go only with recommendations from friends, family, and folks you know. That way you know whose house to burn down if things go teats up.

OK, over the top but I'm serious in where to look

hollydays

https://www.noroguetradershere.com

bery_451

Ok what about these websites?:


http://www.fmb.org.uk/


http://www.builders.org.uk/


https://www.trustmark.org.uk/


Which is the best to use?

Doozergirl

I told you to find recommendations! You continue to google.

The FMB is not a guarantee of quality but members will have made an effort and had some checks. We were national finalists in the FMB 2015 master builder of the year awards and had a regional award but are not even members this year. It is a marketing thing. If you need the help with referalls it's good, but as a builder, personal recommendations are better for us too. We have no need of late so the membership is wasted. I know a plasterer that we don't even use as a plasterer who is a member as a builder!

You need to do the same due diligence with any building company, wherever you find them. Check references.

Trust mark generally comes free for the first year through being a member of the FMB or other trade body for relevant trades. I don't know anyone who is a member without.

Builders.org.uk, no idea. Possibly a bit like the FMB, perhaps, but not.