Whether or not you are a personal home owner, a commercial landlord, a business, a housing association or a local authority; when you want a building contractor it's crucial to pick one that can do a high quality job at a fair cost to an agreed timescale. In this industry, horrific stories abound about long delays (or even unfinished work), overcharging and bad quality (and infrequently dangerous) standards of work and materials.
Here are some guidelines to help you to choose the right building contractor so that your building project goes well.
Health & Safety
The contractor must have the necessary health and safety certifications (ask to see them), training (ask the staff) and policies. If they don't have these they're a danger to themselves and you.
Organisational Memberships
The contractor should have memberships of organizations such as NFB (National Federation of Builders), NHBC (National House Building Council) and Exor. Check with these associations that they actually are certified members. Such memberships and accreditations should be on the builder's website. For instance, our memberships and accreditations can be discovered at Hungerford Builder.
Experience & References
The contractor must be able to give examples and references of work they have done which is analogous to your requirements. Ask for references and follow them up. A good web site here is very helpful as it should show examples of the contractor's work as well as having satisfied customer testimonials. Look for reviews and ratings in Google Places and other applicable local directory internet sites. Google the contractor's name and see what comes up and the try again adding words like 'complaint ', 'problem ' and 'quality ' to your search.
Cleanliness & Tidiness
Are there vehicles and offices kept neat? If not, then they are probably going to leave your place in sloppy state. Their staff should be well mannered and well dressed (ideally with ID badges and uniforms).
Materials
Where do they buy their building materials? They should use reputable suppliers. Always ask.
Trades & Contractors
Do they employ a good range of building trades (e.g. Bricklayers, carpenters, roofers and decorators)? If they only have one trade then they are going to have to subcontract out the other work and will not really have the experience to correctly manage those subcontractors. Where they do subcontract out work, they should have evidence of a longstanding relationship with the subcontracting firms.
Pricing & Timescale
When possible, they should quote a set cost and timescale for the job with a clear statement of work so you know what is and is not included. They ought to have a variations process to agree pricing and impact of any changes that pop up during the job.
Here are some guidelines to help you to choose the right building contractor so that your building project goes well.
Health & Safety
The contractor must have the necessary health and safety certifications (ask to see them), training (ask the staff) and policies. If they don't have these they're a danger to themselves and you.
Organisational Memberships
The contractor should have memberships of organizations such as NFB (National Federation of Builders), NHBC (National House Building Council) and Exor. Check with these associations that they actually are certified members. Such memberships and accreditations should be on the builder's website. For instance, our memberships and accreditations can be discovered at Hungerford Builder.
Experience & References
The contractor must be able to give examples and references of work they have done which is analogous to your requirements. Ask for references and follow them up. A good web site here is very helpful as it should show examples of the contractor's work as well as having satisfied customer testimonials. Look for reviews and ratings in Google Places and other applicable local directory internet sites. Google the contractor's name and see what comes up and the try again adding words like 'complaint ', 'problem ' and 'quality ' to your search.
Cleanliness & Tidiness
Are there vehicles and offices kept neat? If not, then they are probably going to leave your place in sloppy state. Their staff should be well mannered and well dressed (ideally with ID badges and uniforms).
Materials
Where do they buy their building materials? They should use reputable suppliers. Always ask.
Trades & Contractors
Do they employ a good range of building trades (e.g. Bricklayers, carpenters, roofers and decorators)? If they only have one trade then they are going to have to subcontract out the other work and will not really have the experience to correctly manage those subcontractors. Where they do subcontract out work, they should have evidence of a longstanding relationship with the subcontracting firms.
Pricing & Timescale
When possible, they should quote a set cost and timescale for the job with a clear statement of work so you know what is and is not included. They ought to have a variations process to agree pricing and impact of any changes that pop up during the job.
About the Author:
SIS Construction is a family owned and run building company, based in Hungerford West Berkshire, with a lots of experience, and employing all building trades. We have experience of repairs, maintenance, modifications, extensions, refurbishment, development etc. Further information can be discovered in our FAQs about Building Work.
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