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How To Find A Good Builder

Take your time when looking for a builder or subcontractor to carry out work on your new home. Recommendation is always best. Once you have contacted a builder, ask him for the names of several recent clients in your area.

Go and look at his work and ask what he was like. Give detailed plans and specifications to several builders and ask them to provide you with an estimate. A good builder will always be happy to do this and will explain why work needs to be done and how long it will take. Employ a builder who offers an insurance-backed guarantee, but remember you will still need to take out your own structural warranty.

There are also associations like the Federation of Master Builders (020 7242 7583) who look to maintain a high standard of quality from their members. They do not, however, inspect the work of their members and would not be able to take action against a particular member, unless they have received numerous serious complaints about them.

Your Local Authority may have a list of contractors, but remember they cannot give recommendations or much information on individual builders due to the Data Protection Act 1998. Each Local Authority will have it's own policy on the matter.

Once you have selected your builder, ask if they are a member of a trade association and always get a written contract, signed by your builder. This should set out all the work to be done, agreed price, method of payment, start and completion dates, insurance and guarantees and how you will resolve any disagreements should they occur. If you don't feel happy about drawing up your own contract, the Joints Contracts Tribunal (JCT) has produced one, published by Construction Industry Publications (0121 722 8200).

Your builder will notify your Local Authority when he is due to start work on your site. The local Building Inspector will visit the site regularly to inspect the work, similarly, if your builder is NHBC registered (National House Building Council) and has registered the property, one of their inspectors will also make regular site visits.

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