Building is of course an exciting time, usually it’s been a bit of marathon just dealing with the design, planning & local council. But one of the most important decisions is still to be decided - who will be constructing your new home?.
As we are all too aware these days, choosing the wrong company to do your build can have huge implications in terms of stress and money in the long-run so after many interviews with clients and potential clients I thought it would be good to put together a list of 'must ask' questions.
I am always shocked at how people decide on a builder without any real evidence of who they are about to employ.
Recommendations
Most people start the process of finding the perfect builder through a good recommendation.
Recommendations can be tricky. I personally think recommendations are good, however you should consider a few things first:
Who's doing the recommending? Is it a friend or a friend of a friend? Are these people really qualified to comment and on what are they basing their recommendation on - workmanship, price or reputation? Don't be afraid to ask around and ask as many questions as you need to. It will be worth it in the end.
I believe an architect’s recommendation is always a good one to go on. They know the industry and usually have very high standards of workmanship, quality and will have worked closely with builders during their time. But, above all you should always satisfy yourself - as someone else's suggestion may be because of something particular to their own needs or preferences - not yours. Before I start working with a new sub-contractor, even if I have been recommended them by someone I trust, I always qualify their workmanship for myself.
Things to Discuss
The first thing to avoid discussing at the meeting (this sounds mad), is your project! Remember, it is about what and who the builder is - what can this particular builder offer you and your home?. It is not about what can this project offer the builder. This is an important thing to remember.
It is important to feel like you can trust your builder. If you can't trust them, don't hire them. It can sometimes be a hard one to gauge whether or not you can trust your builder when you first meet them, after all it is almost a cliche that tradesmen are notorious for promising the earth and delivering nothing! Hopefully the questions I've prepared will help you work out the builder you choose is the right one.
9 Must Ask Questions:
Some of these things may be hard to ask, but you have an obligation to yourself to ask them. Remember - this is an interview.
- Is the builder licensed? – Ask to view their card. It is illegal to be building without this licence.
- Is the builder trade qualified? (trade certificate) – I cannot think of any other industry that has so many unqualified people doing work.
- Is the builder on site? If not, who will be doing the job? – The builder you meet with may not ever come to your site, ask who will be there and qualify them.
- Have they ever been in arbitration? – this is not necessarily a bad sign but it is wise to ask why, how it was all handled and what the outcome was.
- Sub-trades what are they like? – How long have they been working with their sub-trades, ask for some contact details and ring them for a chat too.
- Photographic records of projects – will they supply this at the end of the project for your records?.
- Who are the staff – who else is working on site, apprentices, hammer-hands etc.
- Knowledge of products – quiz them on something that you are trying to find an answer on for your project. For example; what are their thoughts on thermally broken aluminium windows? What are their recommendations for insulating the home? Are there ‘greener’ options available?
i.e. paint, cladding etc. - Job references – ask for contact details for the most current (previous 3) projects. Ring these previous clients and have a chat.