Regulation against cowboy builders - why doesn't it exist?

thriftyC

I'm not sure if this has already been discussed elsewhere on the forum (please point me in the right direction if so), but I've recently had a run of bad luck with builders, and the more I learn about the industry, the more I'm baffled by the lack of regulation and enforcement of existing standards. Anyone can set themselves up as a builder without qualification, membership of trade bodies are optional, and there is no ombudsman for existing housing stock (despite a new one for new homes). The building industry is worth £110 billion annually to UK economy. Tens of thousands of people lodge complaints about rogue traders every year, and the number is rising. If you're a cowboy builder, it's a perfect storm. 

Cars are required by law to have an MOT, holidays are ATOL protected, rental deposits are protected under the assured tenancy deposit scheme, care homes must be registered with CQC to operate, doctors and nurses must register with the GMC or NMC in order to practice, waste carriers need to register with the Environment Agency, even broadband suppliers have an ombudsman in case of disputes. Yet in the construction industry - where you may make some of your biggest expenditures as a consumer - there is barely a single safeguard. 

The privatisation of building control services has compounded the problem in my view. The service is paid for by the homeowner, and so they are technically the client, however the reality is that many building control companies rely on the repeat custom of building firms in order to continue practicing. This gives inspectors significant incentive to keep contractors on side, and therefore to sign off work which does not fully comply with regulations. I certainly found that with my house, and I've heard radio reports describing the same on a commercial scale with the big house builders. 

It strikes me that homeowners are wholly unprotected when engaging contractors to complete improvements on their houses, and despite appearances, regulations are very poorly enforced and standards often low. 

The problem seems to be systemic, and there are potential solutions (beyond greater consumer education on how rogue traders operate), but they would require significant political will: 
1. Mandatory licencing
The Federation of Master Builders recently floated the idea of a mandatory licencing scheme which managed to get some traction in the House of Lords, but they've since watered it down to the existing Trade Mark scheme, and upskilling in the green construction sector instead of more widespread regulation. 
2. Referencing scheme

When letting a property out, a landlord is able to carry out some very standard referencing checks on the tenant, which allows them to assess and agree the risk level they're exposing myself to. The deposit is ring fenced to protect both parties under the Government's ASL deposit scheme, which provides mediation in the event of dispute. No such scheme seems to exist when contracting builders. Wouldn't it be fairly easy to roll out?

I was just wondering what other people's experiences had been and whether there was a similar enthusiasm for better regulation of some form? I've lost thousands renovating my home and the stress of sorting it all out has been intensely stressful at points. Would be great if others didn't have to suffer the same. 

fred246

It's the same with garages servicing and repairing cars. It's up to the customer to do the research. The government keep out of it.

JJ_Egan

Would these cowboys have to register as a cowboy builder ??

Montgomery278

I think it's a simple case of... when enough MPs have fallen foul of cowboy builders and found themselves in real financial turmoil as a result, something meaningful might be pushed through Parliament.

Thrugelmir

How much are you prepared to pay to have the regulation ?   Bottom line is that the cost is borne by the consumer.