For homeowners · Building & extensions
How to find a good builder
Building work is the largest sum most homeowners ever hand to a tradesperson, and it runs for weeks rather than hours. Choosing well is less about finding the lowest price and more about checking that the builder has done your type of job before, can show you it, and will write down exactly what is and is not included.
What to check before hiring a builder
- Recent, comparable work — an extension builder and a refurbishment builder are not automatically interchangeable. Ask for two or three jobs like yours finished in the last couple of years.
- Public liability insurance in the trading name you are contracting with, and employers' liability if they have staff on site.
- Whether they are a limited company or a sole trader, and that the name on the quote matches the name on the bank details.
- Who is actually doing the work — the person quoting, an employed team, or subcontractors they manage.
- How they handle building control, and whether that is in their price or yours to arrange.
Building regulations and planning
Most structural work — removing a wall, forming an opening, extending, converting a loft, altering drainage — needs building regulations approval even when it does not need planning permission. A good builder will tell you which applies before quoting and will build to pass inspection. Agree in writing who submits the application, who pays the fees and who is present for inspections. GOV.UK sets out when approval is required.
Questions to ask a builder
- What is included, and just as importantly what is excluded — skips, scaffolding, making good, decoration, waste, welfare?
- What is the programme, and what would realistically delay it?
- How are variations priced if we change something mid-job?
- What is the payment schedule, and what is each stage payment tied to?
- Who is my point of contact day to day?
Deposits and stage payments
A modest deposit for materials is normal on larger jobs. Very large up-front payments are not. Tie payments to completed stages you can see — foundations poured, roof watertight, plastering complete — rather than to dates, and keep a final retention until snagging is done. Never pay the full amount before the work is finished.
Comparing builders' quotes
Quotes for the same extension can vary widely because each builder has assumed something different. Give every builder the same written scope and drawings so they price like for like, then compare the exclusions line by line. Our guide on comparing quotes explains how to normalise them.
How Find A Trade Local can help
Post your building job once with your postcode, photos and any drawings, and local builders who cover your area can express interest. You compare profiles, reviews and answers in one place. You can also browse builders or start from your area.
Frequently asked questions
- How many quotes should I get for building work?
- Three is the sensible number for anything substantial. Fewer and you have no benchmark; more and you will struggle to compare them properly and will waste builders' time.
- Do I need an architect before I ask builders to quote?
- For anything structural, drawings make quotes far more accurate and comparable. For straightforward work such as a knock-through, a structural engineer's calculations plus a clear written scope are often enough.
- Should a builder ask for money up front?
- A deposit towards materials is normal. Paying for the whole job in advance is not, and it removes your only real leverage if something goes wrong.
Planning building work? Post the job and hear from builders who cover your area.
Related on Find A Trade Local
Sources and further reading
This guide is general information for UK readers and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Where a decision depends on your circumstances, speak to a suitably qualified professional.