Find the right contractors for your home building project with our in-depth guide

SHUTTERSTOCK/CHLOROPHYLLE PHOTOGRAPHY

When it comes to arranging building works, there’s more than one way to crack an egg. Some of you might be planning to engage a main contractor to deliver the whole project to an agreed price, specification and timetable. Others might prefer to be more involved on a day-to-day basis – trading their time in the hope of saving some money – by self-managing and directly contracting some or all the individual sub-contractors (subbies). Either way, you’ll want to be confident you’re hiring good people who’ll get the job done to the standard you expect.

Where to look

There’s a theory that a builder or trade is only as good as their last job. Most operate fairly locally, and word tends to travel fast, so they have a reputation to uphold. If they’ve done quality work for their recent clients, stands to reason they can do the same for you. So, it’s always worth asking neighbours, colleagues, friends and family who they used on their projects and if they’d recommend them.

But don’t limit yourself to this route. “Sometimes the chemistry worked for that client, but doesn’t for you,” says Calum Taylor, Build It’s MD and presenter of our project management Virtual Training course. “Perhaps the two of you simply don’t gel, the trade doesn’t like your particular type of job, or they’re too busy on other sites.”

A better resource could be recommendations from other partners on your build – the local merchant, key suppliers, your design team or other building professionals. For instance, if you’re building a timber frame home, ask the provider whether they’ve done other projects in the area and who was used. The owner may well be happy to invite you around to look at their project and introduce you to their builder or trades. “The gold standard for recommendations, though, is to look at other live builds,” says Calum. “If you see a good-looking project that seems to have progressed smoothly, with a tidy site, then knock on the door and ask the client if they’re pleased with their builder.”

If you can’t find a personal recommendation for a trade, it’s time to go online. The Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB’s) Find a Builder Service is a useful tool – enabling you to search locally by trade or job type. The FMB does some pre-vetting for you when trades join the organisation, and provides all its members with contract templates.

The Accreditus Register takes things a step further; submit your job details and their team will match you to vetted builders on the register, provide you with feedback from past customers and send a detailed quote. Accreditus also offers free background checks (including looking at that trade’s credit history) and quote comparisons, and monitors customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis.