Finding a builder - what do I need to know / ask?

[ExtensionAnxiety]

Morning all, I am about to embark on a single storey extension and I feel nervous and out of my depth, tbh.

Plans have been drawn up, approved and building control have given the go ahead. So I'm now at the stage of inviting builders round to quote. This is the bit I'm unsure of. What do I need to ask then? How does this initial meeting go? Scared of getting ripped off / taken advantage of.

Can you please tell me your experiences and any tips, thank you.

We had an extension built last year, make sure you get quotes from multiple builders, not just one. Has anyone near you had work done recently who can recommend a builder (we saw ours in the area often)
I would be wary of any builder with immediate availability, in my experience the decent builders are busy. Ours had a 12 month wait but was worth waiting for.
I think your instinct can tell you a lot, if you get a bad feeling its probably for a reason. These people will be in your house for a long time so you have to feel comfortable with them.
In our initial meeting he looked at the architect plans we had, walked around the property and discussed what we wanted, he had some ideas also based on his experience. He then went away, came back with a quote and then we had another meeting discussing the quote, timelines etc

Hi op , first look at builders locally, check them out on yell and check a trade and look at reviews. When you meet the builder tell them what it is you want and don't be persuaded into extras . Builders normally will get back to you a few days later with a quote which breaks down their costs so you can see where money is spent . Get more than 1 quote to make sure you are not being over charged and to see who you are most comfortable with .
A good builder is a busy builder so expect you may have to wait a while for the job to be done. Make sure it's agreed up front about payment, my builder who's done a few jobs for me now takes a small deposit and payment is on completion , never pay the full costs up front . When you choose your builder ask them how long they expect the job to take and what days and hours they will be working on your property.

Thank you, this is helpful.

I haven't got paper plans, it's all on the planning portal. Shall I print stuff off to show builder? Sorry if my questions seem silly

Whatever you do, be sure to talk to clients that your would-be builder has already completed work for. Our builders suggested that the build would take ten weeks and they would bill us for 10% of the total each week. It all sounded perfectly reasonable, but of course the building work over-ran, they had all our money and they then stopped coming! They ignored emails, didn't answer the phone, and this went on for months. It's been really stressful. We then discovered that they had form for doing the exact same thing to other clients.

While choosing builders, we did go and see one of their current jobs where they were still building, and everything seemed fine. But with hindsight, I'd always ask to speak to a client where they'd finished a job some months earlier, and ask if there had been any problems with them disappearing before the job was done, the quality of the work, and whether or not they'd passed Building Control.

@ExtensionAnxiety yes I'd print the plans off

I'd absolutely try and go by word of mouth. Are there neighbours or people locally that you've seen having building work done? Can you knock on their door and ask who they used and if they were happy? Are you a member of any local facebook group who you could ask for recommendations (be wary of people promoting themselves or family)?

We're starting a loft conversion next year and we got four builders around to quote, based only on recommendations. None could start until 2024. So definitely avoid any with immediate availability.

I'd take websites like Checkatrade with a large pinch of salt. Any good builder won't need to advertise or be on there.

Don't look on sites like checkatrade, you basically pay to list on there. It's nothing more than advertising.

We had a new patio built last year and used builders that our NDN's had used. They came well recommended and have since done about 6 other properties in the village purely on word of mouth. Try local FB and ask for recommendations that way, and go to see their work/talk to previous customers.

Do you set up a contract with the builder? Do you agree payment stages?

Honestly, a troll appears on the most mundane thread!

@ExtensionAnxiety it's really important agree payment stages and ask to get it in writing .

100% word of mouth. Yes there should be a services contract and staged payment schedule. Payment schedule should be tied to build weeks AND what is to be completed by that time. For example, payment 2 - week 2, foundations poured, payment 3 - week 4 structure built to roof level etc... Just as a reference, the detailed quote for our single story extension, no renovation of existing space, was 4 A4 pages long.

Don't ask on FB, you'll just get relatives recommendations
You need to get personal recommendations if you can, then ask to see their work if you are nervous
See if they are a member of the FMB, this means they get checked to make sure their work is a good standard and is an extra layer of not getting ripped off
Try and get at least 3 quotes, don't think that the lowest quote is the best value for money
Ask how long they've been in the trade etc
Agree on a payment plan in writing
Try not faint when you see the price materials are extortionate now

I thought it was funny @JuliaMclaughlin78 😄

I'd underline one of @TripodsWadingUpTheThames 's points. Ask for them to put you in touch with previous clients, and phone them up for testimonials! If they are good ones, they will not mind doing this!

Thank you for explaining this, sounds like a good idea - but how did you know all the build stages? - I haven't got a clue!

Yes print out your plans

Write a very simple scope of works and, if you can, draw on your plans what lights you want and what plug sockets - even if it means writing 'plug for cordless Dyson' etc. The more information you can put on your plans and scope of works then the more likely you will have quotes by different builders that are comparable. Otherwise builder A estimates 1 central light and 2 plugs in the new room and builder B estimates 20 downlights and 10 plugs! Then your cheapest quote grows legs during the build as the builders assumptions become clear.

Choose your flooring sooner rather than later.

If it's a kitchen extension then plan your kitchen and get nice images from the kitchen company.

Go and talk to previous clients of the builders. Ask previous clients 'what went wrong and how did Builder respond?'. Stuff goes wrong on every job. It's not that nothing goes wrong, it's how they handle it.

Plan plan and plan some more! Get pictures. Know what you want. Get a lighting designed involved (or post final plans on here and see what people suggest). Layered lighting is most comfortable. 15 downlights in a grid is awful.

Kitchen cabinets are much of a muchness unroll.you get to hand built / rosewood carcasses.

Quartz worktops are worth it. So are boiling water taps IMHO!