Builder asking for too much money upfront for extension and shed builds

teneighty

Rather than tying yourself up in knots and compromising on what you really want just to try and get it under permitted development maybe you should just put in a planning application. For the sake of the application fee of £172 it's surely worth a go.

Of course that assumes that the extension does not contravene local planning guidance.

System

That's a lot of standard building regs notes for a planning drawing!
(I forget how lax the English regs are for uvalues on extensions and full cavity fill etc - can't remember the last time I detailed walls like that! And watch out for thermalite block in specs...)

Anyway, as suggested, get the extension design you want and then worry about which permission is required, no point in trying to comply with pd if you can't get what you want.

krmach

Sorry for using the same thread for my issue but I am in the same predicament as the OP with regard to paying a deposit to the builder.

We've received planning approval for a single storey extension for our semi-detached bungalow. We have approached 5 builders and received quotations from 3. The quotes didn't vary much so we decided on this one builder, we checked his work and interviewed his previous clients.

He's a busy builder so he can only start the build in July and he's asking for a 5% deposit to secure our dates in his diary. The build cost is close to 100k including VAT, so we have to pay him circa 5k.

I understand that home owners can change their minds even if they've committed to the build and leave the builders out of work in the process but I also want protection for my money. I'm looking at an escrow account or any builder deposit protection scheme that's reliable. Anyone has experience on this, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Furts

krmach wrote: »

Sorry for using the same thread for my issue but I am in the same predicament as the OP with regard to paying a deposit to the builder.

We've received planning approval for a single storey extension for our semi-detached bungalow. We have approached 5 builders and received quotations from 3. The quotes didn't vary much so we decided on this one builder, we checked his work and interviewed his previous clients.

He's a busy builder so he can only start the build in July and he's asking for a 5% deposit to secure our dates in his diary. The build cost is close to 100k including VAT, so we have to pay him circa 5k.

I understand that home owners can change their minds even if they've committed to the build and leave the builders out of work in the process but I also want protection for my money. I'm looking at an escrow account or any builder deposit protection scheme that's reliable. Anyone has experience on this, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Going off topic slightly, but to many folks your situation is unusual. £100000 for a single storey extension to a semi bungalow is a huge amount of money, and would not be common.

You say you have Planning, but this is almost an irrelevance in the grand scheme of things. With £100k of work you need Full Plans Buildings Regulations, a Specification, possibly working drawings, probably a Structural Engineer for the roof design, and a Contract. You may also need professional help, be this a Clerk Of Works or whatever. Yet you mention none of these and only refer to Planning.

Obviously if you do not have all this then no builder can accurately price your work. Also there is no way you can be in control, and you risk being taken advantage of.

Come back to Forum folks with all the confirmations on my points. Otherwise alarm bells are ringing.

krmach

Thanks Furts, apologies if I missed those information. We have all those you mentioned, we had an architectural designer who prepared the working drawings and specs, applied and received building regs approval, though structural engineer still to come back with their calculations. In all the three quotes we've received, the builders said they have factored in the costs of the lintels and support beams as they can clearly see where it needs to go and what type based on the specifications. It's a 67sqm extension with a mezzanine and the quote includes VAT, about £1492/sqm. We're based in the North East.

Furts

krmach wrote: »

Thanks Furts, apologies if I missed those information. We have all those you mentioned, we had an architectural designer who prepared the working drawings and specs, applied and received building regs approval, though structural engineer still to come back with their calculations. In all the three quotes we've received, the builders said they have factored in the costs of the lintels and support beams as they can clearly see where it needs to go and what type based on the specifications. It's a 67sqm extension with a mezzanine and the quote includes VAT, about £1492/sqm. We're based in the North East.

You might say trivia, but to get Building Regs and not have roof calculations is concerning. Something you need to pursue.

All round that is going to be a Grand Designs type build project. Well done, and I wish you well.

krmach

I'm not sure about it being Grand Designs though it looks very good in the drawings. It's now down to the builders to make it happen but it's very difficult to simply give away money without any insurance to protect us if things go awry.

Doozergirl

You are going to have to trust them to keep your house standing in a few months. In the grand scheme, with a 5/6 month delay to fit you in, I don!!!8217;t think £5,000 is unreasonable to hold your date. We turn down work left right and centre and there are long delays before we can book anything in. Perhaps you can negotiate that amount downwards - maybe £3,000?

Once they start, they!!!8217;ll be extending you the credit line. Trust does go both ways, people forget that when they!!!8217;re spending money but builders also dedicate time and stick their necks on the line for clients too.

Clearly you need an invoice stating that the Money is a holding deposit to maintain their next space for you.

If you think they might go bump for £5,000 though, then you need to look at a different builder now! £5,000 isn!!!8217;t actually much when you!!!8217;re used to working on £100k jobs. You need more in the bank as a slush fund.

LandyAndy

Since when has ' become !!!8217; ?

Furts

krmach wrote: »

I'm not sure about it being Grand Designs though it looks very good in the drawings. It's now down to the builders to make it happen but it's very difficult to simply give away money without any insurance to protect us if things go awry.

It is a risk, but that is the real world. You are dealing with property law now and not consumer law, or view it as playing with the big boys and girls now. £5k is not huge relative to a £100k project. Painful it may be, but your mindset should be this is covered by your contingency fund.

Think of Carillion, and then you can see that even the big firms can go under. It happens and if this happens to you there is nothing you can do about matters, unless you first get tipped off. But even then you would need dialogue with the builder to refund your deposit.

You have to go with your gut instinct and any vibes you get about the builder's financial standing.