Discussion
An absolute law unto themselves.
I'm about to get regs approval on the extension I want building so 5 weeks ago I wrote to every builder in my yellow pages with a display ad asking if they would be interesting in quoting on the project.
To date I have had one reply. He made an appointment to come and see me today and didnt turn up. When I telephoned him he said he had just won a large job and would not be able to help me afterall.
Does anyone know a good builder in the Staffordshire area?
We havent even broke ground and Im starting to get frustrated.
I'm about to get regs approval on the extension I want building so 5 weeks ago I wrote to every builder in my yellow pages with a display ad asking if they would be interesting in quoting on the project.
To date I have had one reply. He made an appointment to come and see me today and didnt turn up. When I telephoned him he said he had just won a large job and would not be able to help me afterall.
Does anyone know a good builder in the Staffordshire area?
We havent even broke ground and Im starting to get frustrated.
My £0.02? Find a good architect. Get him to run the job and sort out builders for you. The extra it costs in fees will be far outweighed by having the job completed properly on time and on budget. I meet far too many people who find someone in the Yellow Pages and then go through nightmares trying to get the job completed.
She must know someone that does that she can recommend. Failing that, there ought to be a building surveying practice in the area that could do it. Try www.rics.org Click on "public" on the left hand side under "who are you" and then you will get a "find a surveyor" option.
At the moment we're in the same boat as you B17nns... I was going to do the same topic.
Plans have been given to recommended builders and the two we chose are both a week overdue with there quotes. It was hard work getting them to even turn up!
The problem is that they can pick and choose... a lot of people are extending because the house prices are so daft.
I'd heard about the project manager option but thought it was overkill on a one room extension.
Hope all goes well for you.
Plans have been given to recommended builders and the two we chose are both a week overdue with there quotes. It was hard work getting them to even turn up!
The problem is that they can pick and choose... a lot of people are extending because the house prices are so daft.
I'd heard about the project manager option but thought it was overkill on a one room extension.
Hope all goes well for you.
cliffe_mafia said:
Hope all goes well for you.
Likewise.
Agree that a project manager is probably overkill. Was even considering project managing myself but seeing as I can't even get one company to quote on the whole job I don't fancy trying to organise all the trades myself.
Just can't believe I can't find a reputable builder to give a £30k job to
.
Don't get me started on builders. Even with an excellent architect and project manager, you're still at the mercy of idle, untalented wasters who will stand around smoking all day, do a half-arsed mess of a job and then have the nerve to get ratty when you refuse to pay them for not meeting the terms of their contract 
Bitter? Who, me?
Next time I'll bloody do it all myself...
Bitter? Who, me?
Next time I'll bloody do it all myself...
[smug mode]
I know an excellent builder. He comes round to my house to price up any jobs we need doing when it suits us.
He has a waiting list but does all his jobs according to urgency - that of the work, not the client.
If he quotes you £1K for the job the bill will be exactly that or less.
He knows his stuff and if it's outside his knowledge he knows who to speak to.
He has NEVER advertised, nor did his dad who he took over from a few years ago when dad retired. Having said that dad pops out to help from time to time when all hands are commited and there is an urgent job on.
Oh, and he's never gone bust in 10 years of trading and neither did his Dad who started up in 1960's.
[/smug mode]
I know an excellent builder. He comes round to my house to price up any jobs we need doing when it suits us.
He has a waiting list but does all his jobs according to urgency - that of the work, not the client.
If he quotes you £1K for the job the bill will be exactly that or less.
He knows his stuff and if it's outside his knowledge he knows who to speak to.
He has NEVER advertised, nor did his dad who he took over from a few years ago when dad retired. Having said that dad pops out to help from time to time when all hands are commited and there is an urgent job on.
Oh, and he's never gone bust in 10 years of trading and neither did his Dad who started up in 1960's.
[/smug mode]
Can't help in your area I'm afraid.
Only consider one who has been referred to you by someone who is happy with the work they've had done.
Once you've found a good one, look after them, lots of tea and biscuits.
My plasterer arrived today to plaster a ceiling, took one look at it, and said I'd be wasting my money as it was in good condition(it was under hideous wallpaper when he quoted) this would have lost him a few notes, but I found him a couple of other ceilings
Unlike the bunch of cowboys my insurers appointed to repair/replace my locks, cr@p job, no security screws available and tried to book an hours time for 10 minutes work with a break.
Only consider one who has been referred to you by someone who is happy with the work they've had done.
Once you've found a good one, look after them, lots of tea and biscuits.
My plasterer arrived today to plaster a ceiling, took one look at it, and said I'd be wasting my money as it was in good condition(it was under hideous wallpaper when he quoted) this would have lost him a few notes, but I found him a couple of other ceilings
Unlike the bunch of cowboys my insurers appointed to repair/replace my locks, cr@p job, no security screws available and tried to book an hours time for 10 minutes work with a break.
wedge girl said:
Only consider one who has been referred to you by someone who is happy with the work they've had done.
Once you've found a good one, look after them, lots of tea and biscuits.
And even then be aware that things may go wrong... We had a bloke (plasterer by trade) who did a great job of the outside of our house, including getting a roofer etc when work needed doing that he couldn't do. We arranged to have him rebuild a garage, and cos he's busy we were waiting for him to become free.
Work starts, the old garage goes in a skip on Monday and on Tuesday I get back from work to find the wife and her dad a bit flustered.
It turns out Nick the plasterer has a bit of a mental health history and has been sectioned and taken into the local mental institute
He's had a manic turn and taken on far too much work (and some characters he met down the pub to help out
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