Hiring a builder in the UK may sound like an easy task, but it is not. Many fraud companies in the builder’s market make the job of hiring very tricky. Searching the internet for builders near me in itself is not enough to be sure of hiring the best builders.
Moreover, the existing competition is enormous in the market, and various firms claim themselves to be the best. With such scenarios, selecting and hiring a builder in London gets complicated. However, if you ask the ten major questions given in this article before hiring, you will find the best builder near you.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Builder
Given below are the top ten questions that are a must to ask before hiring a builder. Also, ensure that you get the answers to all these questions with confidence.
- What are your Past Working Experiences?
The first important thing to ask is about their past experiences. Know directly from them on the works they have done in the past, and the time it took for them to complete the job. Also, know about how long they have been working as a builder in UK. All of this information will help you to know if the person you are deciding on hiring has enough experience and skills for your work or not.
- Have you Worked for Other Firms Before This One?
Always ask the builder before hiring on the firms that they have worked and left. Know about whether this is the first firm they are working with or that they have worked with others before. Ask them the reason for changing the firms, if they have changed any, and know all their past records to ensure that they are perfect for your work.
- What are the Service Charges?
You must know their service charges before you decide on hiring them. Know in detail about their total cost and ask whether they are open for negotiations or not. Make sure that The prices of builders in London are reasonable, and they fit your budget before you decide to hire them.
- What Guarantees do you Provide for the Work to be On Time?
Another major important question that you must ask about is the guarantee that they provide for the work to be delivered on time. Make sure that you get some written guarantee from them that the work will be provided on time, including the consequences of what will happen if they fail to do so.
- What Guarantee do you Provide for the Work to be According to the Desired Results?
This question is very crucial and necessary to ask, as you want your work to be performed according to your demands. Ask them in detail about the guarantees they are willing to give if the work is not done right. Also, ensure that these guarantees are provided legally in a written format. Try to seek for the money-back guarantees as they are more reliable.
- Is the Full Quotation Given in Writing?
It is vital to receive the full quotation in writing. This quotation must include all the services that they will provide and the cost they will charge from them. By doing this, everything about the cost will be clear beforehand. Therefore, you will not have to face problems in such matters later, and no manipulation can be brought at the price once you get the full quotation in writing.
- Do you have Insurance?
Always ask if the builder you are hiring has current insurance or not. The building jobs are tricky, and you never know when a mishap will occur, even with the best builders in London. Therefore, ask them for insurance and make sure that their insurance is valid. You can contact the insurance company yourself to know about the validity of the insurance they have.
- Do you have Any References to Provide?
Always remember to see for references as they can give you more accurate information about the quality of work provided by the builder you are hiring. As the builder, they have any references to offer, and once you get the references’ detail, contact them, and have an insight on the builder you are hiring. If you get negative feedback from these references, then that builder is most probably not the one to hire.
- Can I have your Address and Contact Details?
If you have not found a builder near me, you must ask for the builder’s address and other contact details. Also, cross-check that the details provided to you by the builder are correct. It will help you to be safe from getting yourself caught up in any kind of fraud or scam as you will have the upper hand and know about the ways you can contact the builder. Also, during the building process, there are times when you need to contact the builder on your own, which is another reason why you must have the contact number.
- Are you a Part of Trade Associations?
Ask them if they are a part of a trade association or not. If they say that they are a part of a trade association, you can be even more insured about the builder you are hiring. Make sure that they are from a reputed trade body, for example, the National House Building Council. By doing this, you will sort of have a guarantee of the work and can trust their services more.
Final Note
Don’t be awkward when asking the questions and try to get as much detail as you can on each issue. Also, ensure that the builder has the answers for all of these questions and is confident in them as that will help you in deciding whether they are perfect for your work or not.
