How would you stop cowboy builders before they cause problems?

Doozergirl

Annie1960 wrote: »

You try and find a builder in this area who will do this. Typing in capitals does not add anything to your point, it just makes you sound hysterical.

To turn your point around and address the question I originally asked, then, maybe it should be prohibited for builders to take payment in advance? This type of regulation would indeed be very helpful, but I can't see any of the builders in this area complying with it.

How many builders in your area did you actually know? I know a lot of builders and no one takes money up front unless a bespoke product is being created. I certainly can't see the likes of Anglian or Everest being prohibited from taking money up front!

I suspect the capital letters come from repeatedly having to state the bleeding obvious.

Doozergirl

Annie1960 wrote: »

Ah, yes, I see what you mean. That was an example for a fairly small sum of money, and I suspect the format of any such scheme would need to be varied for the much larger sums paid to builders for something like an extension. An escrow, perhaps?

It would need to be tied in to an arbitration scheme in case a dispute arose. Of course, the majority of contracts would not end in a dispute, only a small percentage.

How about a retention?! I'm failing to see what the point of an ESCROW account is. I don't think you understand how little of the amounts paid actually go to the builder's pocket. What % do you think should be paid into this account and when?

comeandgo

I also work in industry and while I can't suggest non may try and ask for payment up front, non of the better ones do. Many of my family members are hands on trades men, small one man bands, all working from job to job on word of mouth, if you want them, you have to wait.
This workman who did such a bad job for you, have you named him and left feedback anywhere? If customers did this then maybe others would read it and make a decision on whether to use him.
A bit like trip advisor but brick advisor.

Annie1960

Doozergirl wrote: »

61 posts in and we're finally told what the agenda is. You might be annoyed, but it clouds your perception of everything we say and it clouds the way that you address people on this board.

In all the posts on this board about cowboy builders, the vast majority of people do not follow any kind of process. Post this morning about a veritable stranger being given the keys to a job and left to it, I presume having been paid, is a case in point. Regulation isn't really going to stop people on either side behaving that way.

Regulation may have helped you, or perhaps helped the person after you, but we don't know the full story. It is quite usual not to see the building inspector between floor slab and roof on and it's also quite normal to send photos to the inspector as evidence of insulation etc.

But the second inspector sent me the notes from the first one, and the builder had lied.

Annie1960

Doozergirl wrote: »

How many builders in your area did you actually know? I know a lot of builders and no one takes money up front unless a bespoke product is being created. I certainly can't see the likes of Anglian or Everest being prohibited from taking money up front!

I suspect the capital letters come from repeatedly having to state the bleeding obvious.

You would be surprised at how many I spoke to. All wanted money up front. Perhaps its geographical. Architect also confirmed this is normal around here.

Doozergirl

Why did you have another inspector?

Doozergirl

Annie1960 wrote: »

You would be surprised at how many I spoke to. All wanted money up front. Perhaps its geographical. Architect also confirmed this is normal around here.

Was your architect regulated? He doesn't sound all that with it!

Annie1960

comeandgo wrote: »

I also work in industry and while I can't suggest non may try and ask for payment up front, non of the better ones do. Many of my family members are hands on trades men, small one man bands, all working from job to job on word of mouth, if you want them, you have to wait.
This workman who did such a bad job for you, have you named him and left feedback anywhere? If customers did this then maybe others would read it and make a decision on whether to use him.
A bit like trip advisor but brick advisor.

I have taken all possible actions against him to try and stop him doing this to others, Architect has also done the same, and his actions are probably more potent than mine.

Annie1960

Doozergirl wrote: »

Why did you have another inspector?

Because it took me a while to find another builder, and in the meantime the first inspector had moved job.

The second inspector went beyond her normal remit and briefed me on the work as it went along.

Furts

Annie1960 wrote: »

How exactly was this my fault?

Like many posters have alluded to you have your own agenda and are hell bent on ignoring any advice given to you.

There are countless questions to be answered regarding what you did, but there is little point in me going into detail:

From the qualifications of your Architect, to this person exceeding their brief, to your viewing the builders work, to your competence at judging the customer and the work, to your inability to comply with Buildings Regulations protocol, to your inability to understand agreed Inspection regimes, to your unwillingness, or inability, to seek any professional help to guide you through all this.

These are some that come quickly to mind, but there is also your mindset. You believed you were in control but decided to schedule the work to coincide with your holiday away. You also decided that you were competent to act as manager/inspector/surveyor but your countless posts on this Forum asking for guidance from everything from a sink to a worktop suggests you do not have the attributes to manage such work.

You have been through a bad time with your problematic builder but your bitter, twisted, attitude should be pondered over. Is this a result of your experience? Or did it exist before this saga and contribute to the overall problems?