What to ask a builder before you say yes
The questions that separate a builder who has thought your job through from one who hasn't. Ask them before you agree to anything, and pay attention to how they answer.
You’ve got a quote you like and a builder who seems decent. Before you say yes, spend ten minutes asking the questions below. A good builder will have answers ready, because they’ve thought about all of it already. A builder who gets shifty or vague is telling you something.
Who will actually be doing the work?
On a big job, the person quoting is often not the person on the tools. That’s normal. What you want to know is whether the people turning up are their own team or subcontractors they’ve used before, and who’s in charge on site day to day. Ask for a name. If the answer is “depends who’s free”, be careful.
Have you done a job like this recently, and can I see it?
Not photos from years ago. A recent job of the same type, ideally one you can go and look at or a customer you can speak to. Builders who do good work are glad to show it off. On Hard Hat Way, the work a trade posts is rated by other trades, so you can see how their peers rate them before you ever ask.
What exactly is included, and what isn’t?
Get them to walk you through the quote line by line. Materials, labour, skips, scaffolding, plant hire, making good afterwards. The word to listen for is “extra”. Anything they describe as extra should be written down now with a price beside it, not discovered halfway through.
What could change the price once you start?
Every honest builder knows there are things they can’t see until they open something up. Rotten joists, bad drains, a wall that isn’t where the drawing says. Ask what the risks are on your job and how they’ll handle it if something turns up. The right answer is “we stop, we show you, we agree a price before we carry on”. The wrong answer is “it’ll be fine”.
Who deals with building control and planning?
If the job needs it, someone has to apply, book inspections and get the completion certificate. Ask whether that’s you or them, and whether it’s in the price. Don’t assume. A job with no completion certificate is a problem when you come to sell.
Are you insured?
Public liability insurance covers damage to your property or a neighbour’s. Ask to see the certificate. A builder who’s insured will have it on their phone.
How do you want paying?
The answer should be a schedule tied to progress, not to dates. Something like: materials on delivery, a payment at a clear stage, the balance on completion. Never the whole lot up front. If they ask for a deposit, ask what it’s for. Materials is a fair answer. “To secure your slot” is a weaker one.
When can you start, and will you be on other jobs at the same time?
Builders juggle. Some will start your job to lock it in, then vanish to another site for a fortnight. Ask straight out how many days a week you’ll see them and how long the whole thing should take. Then ask what happens if it runs over.
What do you need from me?
Water, electricity, a toilet, somewhere to park, access through the house, keys, where the skip goes, whether the dog needs shutting in. Sorting this out now stops the first day being wasted.
Can I have all of that in writing?
Everything above, on one document, signed by both of you. Not because you don’t trust them, but because in three months’ time neither of you will remember what was said in the kitchen. A builder who resists putting it in writing has just answered every other question too.
Listen to how they answer
The content matters, but so does the manner. Did they turn up on time to look at the job? Did they measure, or just glance? Did they ask you questions back? The builder who wants to understand the job before pricing it is the one who’ll take care over building it.
When you post a job on Hard Hat Way you can ask these questions in the app before you choose, and the site visit is where the final price gets agreed. No surprises.