How do i avoid a cowboy builder, advice please !!!?

I need a few walls knocking out and quite a bit of building work doing but after watching so many programmes like builders from hell i fear im going to end up with a cowboy builder myself, what advice can anyone give me to avoid this happening, how can i assure im going to get the quality work i expect for my money and what should i remember to ask when given a quote?How do i avoid a cowboy builder, advice please !!!?
Ask for references. Make sure they are licensed and insured. Ask for copies of their license and insurance. Most contractors claim they have license and insurance, but half of them cannot produce the paperwork to prove it. A reputable contractor will not mind producing them for you. I do this for almost every job that we start. Also get them to show you step by step what they plan to do.How do i avoid a cowboy builder, advice please !!!?
You could ask Trading Standards for the names of builders you should avoid? Maybe they have names of decent builders too, or can tell you where to find them?


Make sure your quote includes the cost of everything, you don't want them adding little bits and pieces as they go along so that you end up paying twice what you were quoted. Pay with a cheque so if anything isn't satisfactory you can cancel it and withhold payment until it's been dealt with. Remember, YOU are in control!
he will be the one wearing jeans and a ten gallon hat and will turn up on his horse


he will also tell you to beware of cowboy builders and tell you some horror stories (usually jobs he did earlier)
put up a sign that reads';no cowboys welcomed here, if you are one ill shoot your horse!';
Whatever you do do not give a deposit, I did and I knew and was recommended the builder and now am in the middle of an expensive court case as the builder never started work.


My new builder has just finished work and did not ask for a penny and it was a long job! Hope this helps
I am a self employed carpenter. I have never asked for any money up front. on larger jobs I will ask for an interim payment to cover cost of materials already bought and used. most of my work comes from recommendation. I am surprised that so few people have asked to see any qualifications or liability insurance but I guess that is because of my reputation. I would say as already advised, you ask around people who have had work done recently, bearing in mind not all jobs run smoothly but providing the end result was to the complete satisfaction of the client is what counts. and don't be embarrassed to ask to see proof of liability insurance.





I don't entirely agree with trade bodies, having worked for a builder who was a member of numerous trade accreditation schemes. I left because I was not comfortable with some of the botches he wanted done on peoples houses. the concept is good but unfortunately they are flawed
Get fixed quotes.


Get at least THREE quotes.


Ask neighbours who have had building work and ask them.


DON'T pay up front, if they need cash be wary.


Even if you follow all of these you can still be too ';soft'; with builders and they can take advantage. This means you don't have to be horrid but they are working for you.
Ask him for the addresses of people who he has done work for recently and contact them. If he is reputable he will not mind providing this information. Do not be impressed by him claiming to be a member of the revelant proffessional body, although there are loads of tradesman who are legitimate, the scoundrels will try to hoodwink you.
try and get a fixed price for the job,and ask around the neighbourhood for the name of a reputable builder
It's a minefield, no doubt about it; but there are a lot of good,honest tradesmen out there, so don't despair. I always advise clients to contact their local trading standards office, as they often have an approved contractor scheme for local builders %26amp; tradesmen. Another good idea is to check that any tradesmen you bring in are members of a professional body (Guild of Master Craftsmen etc). Another trick is to run the names of any builders you are thinking of using through an internet search engine, to see if there is any good or bad press listed.


When the builder is at your home going through the jobs you require, they should be taking notes and measurements, and asking you questions about how you want the job to look when completed. Almost certainly some or all of the walls you require knocking out will be supporting walls, so ask him what type of RSJ's the builder will be using. If he or she just takes a look at the work you need doing and after a few minutes gives you a ballpark figure, show them the door. You require a QUOTE, not an estimate. The quote should be written on company paper, and list everything he or she is going to undertake, and include materials and labour, plus plant (skips/scaffolding/acrows etc). There should be no hidden extras, and do not hand over a penny until the job is complete. Ensure that if the builder includes VAT, that they are actually registered to pay VAT, and are not just stinging you for a few extra quid. If the builder asks or insists that you pay any monies in advance, again show them the door-a good quality tradesman will have confidence in his skills, so that they don't need to worry that you're going to be unhappy with the job and refuse to pay.


The going rate for a tradesman now is around 拢200 per day, so you can ask for your quote to be broken down into labour, materials, and plant. This will at least help you to calculate roughly how many days the builder is billing you for, and you can tally this up with how many days it actually takes. If there is a discrepancy, you agreed to the quote so you'll still have to pay up the agreed amount, but you will at least know whether or not you are getting value for money.





Hope this helps
I would ask the builder if he is registered,is he insured,try to get someone on recommendation also ask to see some of his previous work.
Get a bow and arrow and some eagle feathers,


Seriously, see if any friends can recomend any one, perhaps colleagues at work.


Some of the real cowboys also carry around bogus portfolios of their work including false letters of praise from ';clients';


Usually, these ones can't wait to show you all this.


It's so easy to produce stuff like this these days.


Have a look around the neighbourhood and check out any jobs that are going on.


Be wary of some of the so called Member of ???? brigade,


A number of these either don't exist or you just pay a tenner for the sticker and a registration number. Local authority building control should be able to advise you of reputable builders.