ILLUSTRATION: DAVID STEVENS
Frankly, it’s staggering how many people - both builders and their clients - try to dodge the task of completing necessary paperwork. Some of this paperwork is essential to stay on the right side of the law. Some of it, while technically optional, is needed to protect everyone involved in the event of a breakdown in relationships as the build progresses, or when extra works payments need to be finalised. Whether you’re undertaking a small bathroom refurb or a large self-build, you should have the correct paperwork in place - though obviously, there will be a lot more in the latter case! The box over the page lists the majority of the paperwork needed for a new build. Yes, it does look like an awful lot, but hundreds have gotten through it, and you can do it too.
You should never start any works without at least a contract in place