If you are planning to construct a new home and worried about builder selection, then welcome to my blog. You landed at the right place. Just go through this article and you will get what you are looking for. Finding builder is not a real problem. The real problem is that many of our builders were shopkeepers a week ago, or insurance salesman or window cleaners. Builders are not, and never have been required to be registered or qualified at what they do, and yet they have potential to devalue our homes through sheer ignorance, and turn them into dangerous structures that are not fit for living. This is only due to lack of competence. The skills shortage in the building industry is acute.
Difficulty of finding skilled tradesman is as difficult for building contractors as it is for homeowners. You always find skilled tradesman busy at work, because they are not short of work and never seem to have to advertise. If you want to hire them then always book in advance. If they are busy a week duration work then will already been hired for next week. So, you should plan in advance and book them in advance.
Follow the following ten expert points that will help you in finding the right builder
1. Shortlist Builders
Find builders from yellow pages, newspapers or any other under construction projects in your town. It would be wise if you discuss it with your colleagues, friends or relatives. Based on this prepare a shortlist of four or five builders and make sure at least two to three are from your local area. This will avoid extra travelling costs.
2. Request for Quotations
Approve your plans from concerned authorities and define your scope of work with the help of designer and invite builders to give you a detailed quotation for the work. Make sure plans are pre-approved otherwise whole this activity is just a wastage of time and resources.
3. Detail Study
Now is the time to review builder’s quotation. Go through each builder quotation separately and check whether he has mentioned drawing reference number for each particular work or just he copy pasted of some previous quoted works. If he has mentioned drawing numbers then this mean he has read detailed specs. Also check whether builder has inspected the site. Check whether he has studied the plans and highlighted all the details that are not shown on the plans like power points, heaters, light numbers and fittings and so on. Make sure these petty things are not left later.
4. Membership
Check whether they advertise any trade association membership. If yes, then check whether the trade association offers a free arbitration service in case you and your builder enters into dispute. Also check whether they offer any warranty of their work and how much it will cost.
5. Previous Work History
Ask builders to submit a short list of recently completed contracts. Out of these, select any two projects and visit the site to check quality of work if possible. If not, directly contact the owners. Builder will only arrange a visit for you, if they have satisfied clients.
6. Time Period to Complete the Work
Check the time every builder is taking for completion of your project. It is important to get a schedule copy with quotation and timely make it clear that in case work is given to them, then shared schedule will also be a part of the contract. Check ratio between delivered on time verses not delivered on time.
7. Insurance
Ask builder to show evidence of any public liability insurance and check its validity. It happened that builders showcased the out dated insurance.
8. Security Fee
Avoid builders who request a deposit for materials or whatever up front. Those that need are unlikely to have the financial security necessary to carry out the work, and may already be refused credit at local builders merchants. Builders with active accounts pay for materials on a monthly credit basis, not on a cash on delivery basis and shouldn’t require any down payments in advance of starting work.
9. Builder Capacity
Check builder capacity for such amount of work. Does he deliver any such capacity projects in recent past? or this is going to be his first one. If not check any other project of that much capacity.
10. Builder Commitment
How builder has fulfilled his previous works commitments. Check ratio between delivered on time verses not delivered on time.
11. Builder Capacity
Check builder capacity for such amount of work. Does he deliver any such capacity projects in recent past? or this is going to be his first one. If not check any other project of that much capacity.
11. Turnkey Delivering Companies
Some contractors specializing in only execution, but also offer a design and build and even design, build finance package. Be aware of that adage about putting all your eggs in one basket. Their design may be more about making it easier for them to do the work than about your requirements. Their specification may be traded down during the work to save them money. They are more likely to be jacks of all trades than experts of any.
Finally they have a reputation for being able to convert anything, regardless of the shortcomings of the home (like the lack of headroom for example) without advising the client of those shortcomings. However, they can be extremely quick and well-organized, particularly if they are trading over a large area or nationality. Their labor force will be travelling distances, and they won’t want to drag the job out longer than is necessary.
