Federation of Master Builders

Doozergirl

mexican_dave said:

Trade association badges on letter-heads are in my opinion "for show". Your Gas Safe engineer who called-in a mate, might only be a GAS engineer not a plumber (your water pipes were knocking), but on the other hand is he a fraud? If you have a phone number or any contact for him, then maybe report it to Gas Safe. One day he might blow a house to bits, or worse!
Going back to building work, I always type-up a simple Scope of Works, of what I want built, a sketch if it helps. It soon sees-off cowboys! The Scope of Works can be a discussion document between householder and builder, enabling both to agree to the finer details before stating work. I usually confirm these details in an email: referencing the Scope document; the agreed cost ; timescales; and confirming appointment of the builder. This email is "gold" if you have to threaten to go to court. Caution - there comes a point when a job gets big or complex and you should call-in professional support: architect or architectural technician or surveyor, they can help avoid pitfalls eg how will you pay for "extras" & what is an "extra". Maybe a conversation over the phone with one of these is enough to set you on the right track?

Plumbing is an unregulated trade, as is 'builder'.   Gas engineers and electricians are regulated. 

In the absence of regulation, the FMB are the closest thing to a regulator that the consumer is going to get.  As a not for profit organisation, they do their best, carrying out a 17 point check- on all applications, which includes an independent inspections of work, checks on trading history, director checks and insurance checks each year.  They reject around 20% of applications, they're not there to make money for shareholders, they're there to raise standards.  

You say you're producing scope of work and something tantamount to a contract, the FMB produces a plain English contract that will cover many more eventualities than your own document and members are bound to use that by their Code of Conduct.  

They also offer a dispute resolution service if you fall out with your builder.  The aim is to resolve conflict amicably.  In the absence of regulation the only thing they can do is expel the builder from membership and publicise it.  The results of the resolution may help with evidence if it gets to court. 

If the government won't regulate then you as a consumer are out there with no support at all, just the due diligence that an organisation like the FMB do on your behalf, paid for willingly by your builder.   The vast majority are proud to wear their badge and separate themselves as the wheat from the chaf.  

All of that costs you, the consumer, nothing.  I'm not sure what there is to complain about! 

Membership does make a difference if you as a consumer are aware of it.  No cowboy is going to apply for membership and anyone who is causing trouble is going to get found out quite quickly through consumers reporting them.  

As for the OP's report, they did indeed highlight a problem builder, I chased it up with the Director of Membership for them and it was followed up with a Standards Committee hearing for that member.   I'll check on what happened there.  

Edit:  They were expelled.  Their name appears on this list.  

Expelled members | FMB, Federation of Master Builders

For what it is worth, they had been a member for 10 years without complaints and had several inspections in that time.   It looks like he has gone bump now.  It doesn't help the OP at all but it looks like someone that ran into financial difficulties for whatever reason and tried to trade their way out with disastrous consequences.   If there was regulation then he might be banned from trading at all.