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Printable · First site visit

Questions to ask a builder before you hire them

Print one copy per builder and take it to the first site visit. Tick each question once you have a clear answer, and note anything you need in writing. The answers matter, but so does how readily a builder gives them.

Read the full method

designer-builder.co.uk/checklist/questions-to-ask-a-builder/

Builder: ______________________   Date of visit: ____________   Quote due: ____________

1. Company and cover

  1. Are you a limited company, partnership or sole trader? What is the registered name?Check a company on Companies House: active, accounts filed, no pattern of dissolved companies.
  2. What is your trading address?A real address, not just a mobile number.
  3. Can I see your public liability insurance details?Insurer, policy number, cover amount and expiry. £2m to £5m is common.
  4. Do you have contractor's all risks cover for the works?Or will my home insurance need to cover them? Ask your insurer either way.
  5. Are you VAT registered? What is your VAT number?Check it on GOV.UK if they will charge VAT.
  6. Are you a member of any trade body or scheme?Check membership on the scheme's own site, and whether it offers deposit or warranty protection.

2. Team and workload

  1. Who will be on site each day, and who is my main contact?Name and phone number of the site lead.
  2. Which trades do you employ and which do you subcontract?Electrician, plumber, plasterer, roofer, groundworker.
  3. Are your electrician and gas engineer registered to self-certify?Electrics: membership of an authorised self-certification scheme. Gas: Gas Safe registration.
  4. How many other jobs will you run at the same time?Ask what happens if one overruns.
  5. When could you start, and how many weeks on site?Get both in the quote.

3. The price

  1. Will the quote be a fixed price, split by section?Prelims, demolition, groundworks, structure, roof, windows, M&E, finishes.
  2. Which drawings and revision will you price?All builders must price the same set.
  3. Does the price include VAT?Write the answer down.
  4. What provisional and PC sums will you include, and how much?Over about 15% of the price is a lot of guesswork.
  5. What is excluded?Building control fees, skip permits, kitchen supply, flooring, decoration, garden reinstatement.
  6. How do you price changes I ask for during the job?Ask for a written price before any change is made.
  7. How long is the quote valid, and can material price rises be passed on?30 to 90 days is typical.

4. Contract and payment

  1. Which written contract do you normally use?A JCT Home Owner or Minor Works form is a good sign. No contract is a red flag.
  2. What deposit do you need, and what is it for?Up to about 10%, linked to materials ordered.
  3. What are the payment stages?Each stage should match work done. Keep a meaningful final stage.
  4. Will you agree to a retention, and what rectification period?3 to 5% retention, with 6 to 12 months for defects is common on homes.
  5. Who is responsible for any design you do?Steel connections, roof design, heating layout.
  6. What guarantees come with the work and the products?Ask for them to be listed in the contract.

5. Approvals

  1. Who applies for building regulations approval, and who pays the fees?Full plans is the safer route for an extension.
  2. Who books the building control inspections?And who gives me the completion certificate?
  3. Does the work need party wall notices?Excavating near a neighbour or cutting into a shared wall usually does.
  4. Are there drains under the footprint?If a public sewer runs there, the sewerage company must agree before anything is built over it.

6. Living with the build

  1. What are your working hours?Check any local restrictions and agree them.
  2. Where will the skip, materials and vans go?Skips on the road need a council permit.
  3. Will the crew need my toilet, water and power?Or will you bring welfare facilities?
  4. How will you protect the rest of the house from dust?Ask what happens when the back wall comes out.
  5. How will you keep the neighbours informed?A good builder will raise this unprompted.

7. References

  1. Can I visit two finished jobs from the last year?Ideally similar to mine.
  2. Can I see one job in progress?A tidy site is a good sign.
  3. May I phone the owners?Ask about timing, final cost against quote, problems and defects.

Notes

Next: once you have prices, line them up in the quote comparison worksheet, then plan payments with the payment schedule.