Builders Alliance in Bury

The construction trade has a bad reputation, thanks to a minority of dishonest firms. Here’s our guide to locating and hiring the best builder in Bury, and taking the relationship off to a good start.

Obtaining a good builder in Bury

When appointing a builder in Bury, a little research goes a long a way. Rather than asking family and friends for recommendations, the most suitable approach may be to find people in your area who have had a building work undertaken by a builder in Bury that’s similar to yours. Check to see if their house is from the same period and the project was of a similar size. The will be most desirable placed to tell you about any problems they experienced and any solutions they found. 

The UK's Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is a well-regarded building industry association. Which Trusted Tradesmen undergo rigorous evaluation to join the scheme, but an FMB membership could provide additional reassurance that you’re choosing a fair and dependable firm.

Membership of a licensed body alone doesn’t guarantee a good builder in Bury. Many years of experience could be more worthy than association membership – use solid judgement when reading reviews.

Obtaining quotes from builders in Bury you should contact at least three builders in Bury, whatever the size or nature of the job. It is unlikely that builders in Bury will give you an accurate estimate or quote for anything on the telephone.

Arrange site visits to your property. A good builder in Bury will be able to guide you and explain your options. They should get enough information to issue a quote.

If you already have plans or drawings which were presented for planning permission, provide copies to prospective builders in Bury to help them produce accurate quotes.

Never agree to any work on the spot. The intention of the visits should be to get three comparable quotes on paper and to meet the tradesmen who’ll be spending days, weeks or even months in your residence. A good builder in Bury never presses prospective customers into a purchase.

Make sure that quotes cover the cost of all materials, scaffolding, waste disposal, ‘making good’ and so on. Alarm bells should sound if any building constructor offers cash or VAT-free deals.

Remember that the lowest quote is not necessarily the best. Reflect the quality of the survey and, if required, revisit online reviews or customer testimonials for a final check. The use of your ‘gut feeling’ should not be underestimated either. As the old adage goes: ‘if it seems too good to be true…’.

Hiring a builder in Bury

The first point to do is check whether your first selection builder in Bury is available to undertake the task according to your deadline.

Next, you should request on seeing evidence of public liability insurance which covers the job to be carried out on your property. You should also secure that work is covered by an insurance-backed warranty. A great builder in Bury won’t mind giving you proofs of the paperwork.

Builders in Bury should also provide a written contract for more extensive jobs. The FMB has a Plain English template contract which you could request your builder in Bury to use or review against anything they supply.

Consider:

·      What results in the event of unforeseen changes?

·      Are there fines if the work is late?

·      Would prolonged disadvantageous weather affect the job?

·      What materials will be accepted and who will supply these?

·      Will outsourced labour be used?

·      What happens in the case of any work not meeting a satisfying standard?

It seems trivial, but sorting out the likes of toilet arrangements, skip location, working hours and related in advance could limit disputes later.

Make sure you also organise regular meetings on-site for progress updates.

Paying a builder in Bury

You should agree on a schedule for payments in advance of work starting. This should appear in writing in the contract.

It’s not uncommon to be asked for an instalment upfront, particularly for larger jobs such as garage conversions or home extensions. If the job consists of numerous phases, you could fairly be asked to pay for each stage as it’s achieved.

On conclusion, dig out the contract:

·      Is everything finished?

·      Are you satisfied with the work?

·      Has the site been tidied up?

·      Have all appropriate certificates and other paperwork been supplied?

The FMB says it’s understandable ‘to retain 2.5% of the contract value for a three to six-month snagging period.’ Once the builder in Bury has achieved any snagging works, you should pay the final instalment.

Price Match Guarantee

Even though a price match Gauruntee sounds good as a customer, sometimes tradesmen are just doing it to get the job. This later can arrise some complications with funds, Builders will sometimes agree that the project can be completed on a minimum budget although they have not actually crunched the numbers themselves. Always go through material costs and labour costs as seperate. This will aviod any disagreements later on in the project. 

Dont always take the first quote you are given, as it may be the last you will be able to afford so our advice at Builders Alliance LTD is to shop around wirth Builders in Burnley and gather as many quotes as you can.

01254 492329