It is worthwhile considering what company is able to do the work on your property. No legislation exist preventing any individual setting up and trading as a builder, and like any other industry there are both good and bad companies. On the other side of the scale, some of the larger construction companies may not be interested nor competitive to undertake smaller value contracts for the general public.
Three areas of advice are prevalent in this task of appointing a reputable company
- Recommendation
- Approved / Registered contractors
- Guarantees
Recommendation (word of mouth)
If you know of anyone who has had recent works done in the past, and was pleased with the work, you could ask to inspect it and obtain feedback from the person. This offers comfort that the company you appoint has a proven track record of doing similar work
Approved / Registered Contractors
Reputable builders are part of reputable organisations and The Federation of Master Builders is just one such organisation that registers and monitors companies in order to ensure a set standard. It also provides a guarantee through master bond, that if you are unhappy with the service they will arbitrate and even appoint another contractor to rectify problems if a compromise cannot be reached. For more information visit www.fmb.org.uk
Guarantees
Does the builder pricing the work offer any guarantees when works are complete, and if so for how long after. Be very careful in this area and we take an example of the damp proof injection company that offers a 30-year guarantee over the company that offers a 20-year guarantee but insurance company backed. If the company should cease to trade, similar to ABTA for holidays, the insurance company backed guarantee will still stand, whereas the other will be worthless. Ensure that when deciding on appointment of builder and guarantees that the full and true picture is understood.
