Recommended Tradespeople?

[bradders]

I've been scouring Google, looking for a site of recommended tradespeople - there are loads of them.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a particular site? Is one much respected and well renowned?

Is it better to look to a local type site (W Yorks) or is a national resource better?

What do the trade use, I guess is the key?

Cheers Bradders.

[V8mate]

Word of mouth/personal recommendation will always beat the 'recommended' websites which are invariably just advertising conduits.

[scirocco265]

V8mate said:

Word of mouth/personal recommendation will always beat the 'recommended' websites which are invariably just advertising conduits.

Agreed, however, when you can't find recommended tradespeople through word-of-mouth, I used Rated People. Tradespeople pay to have their details on a site, customer sets the job, they come back and quote, and then you can read our users' reviews.

[bradders]

scirocco265 said:

V8mate said:

Word of mouth/personal recommendation will always beat the 'recommended' websites which are invariably just advertising conduits.

Agreed, however, when you can't find recommended tradespeople through word-of-mouth, I used Rated People. Tradespeople pay to have their details on a site, customer sets the job, they come back and quote, and then you can read our users' reviews.

Thanks for the heads up - that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for, I hope.

V8 - agree that word of mouth counts, but I cannot find anyone who has had anything near the level of work done that we are looking at. Ground works alone, we will need to excavate approx. 13m x 12m to 3m deep - and baring 1m at it's deepest of topsoil, the rest of it is solid rock.

The only people I know who have had any work done in the last 10 years, is a mate who had a room put ontop of an existing garage...

[V8mate]

bradders said:

Ground works alone, we will need to excavate approx. 13m x 12m to 3m deep - and baring 1m at it's deepest of topsoil, the rest of it is solid rock.

Why do you need to excavate rock?

[bradders]

V8mate said:

Why do you need to excavate rock?

I need to excavate rock, to build the extension we are planning (3 story, including lower ground level summer room), and lower part of the existing garden to match the level of another area of existing garden.

[dave_s13]

Sounds pricey!!

Can't help with the groundworks as my little job wasn't quite on that scale and I just hired a digger and did it myself.

If you want the number for an excellent plasterer though the lad I used was great. Not just the fact that he was good at plastering but was always there early and worked hard - something some tradesmen don't really do!

I can also recomend a sparky (but not a plumber - I was a bit dissapointed with him.)

I'm in Leeds BTW.

[bradders]

dave_s13 said:

Sounds pricey!!

Can't help with the groundworks as my little job wasn't quite on that scale and I just hired a digger and did it myself.

If you want the number for an excellent plasterer though the lad I used was great. Not just the fact that he was good at plastering but was always there early and worked hard - something some tradesmen don't really do!

I can also recomend a sparky (but not a plumber - I was a bit dissapointed with him.)

I'm in Leeds BTW.

Many thanks Dave - will give you a nudge as we get nearer the time - could be a while away yet!! Planning has been approved, and we are in the middle of getting building regs docs sorted.

As to sounding pricey - yes, I very much expect it will be. It's one of those cases of being caught between two options - moving or building. To get what we wish for as extra's on the existing house (summer room, gym, dining room, tv room, en-suite bedroom) will be costly, but no more so than selling up and buying it ready built elsewhere. The downside with moving would be losing the views - difficult to describe, but safe to say, we think worth keeping.

[Vron]

I can recommend a Builder / Kitchen Fitter / Plasterer and Tiler but not the plumber as most of his efforts have had to be re-done. Sheffield - if you want their details pm me.

[PaulG40]

Is the MyHammer.co.uk or something website not worthwhile to use?

[mk1fan]

It might be worth checking out the local BNI networking groups too. As the nature of BNI is to be self sustaining the Trades that join should be competant and trustworthy.

[Mojooo]

Do you have council approved as such - http://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ - although its doesnt include your area.

I use mybuilder - website very much in the ilk of myhammer - its hit and miss.

[neilsie]

i've gone via which local before with good results: http://local.which.co.uk/


also, asked neighbours. this hasn't always worked out well though.

[bradders]

Thanks all. Have posted on Rated People. Will see if anything positive comes back from that, and if not, will look to the other suggestions. Once again, thanks.

[Slagathore]

If it's solid rock, is it not possible to just dig to 1m and then lay the foundations?

That rock isn't gunna be moving any time soon?

Piling might be easier, I've only read about them being able to go through normal soil, but they might be able to get them through rock?

[bradders]

Slagathore said:

If it's solid rock, is it not possible to just dig to 1m and then lay the foundations?

That rock isn't gunna be moving any time soon?

Piling might be easier, I've only read about them being able to go through normal soil, but they might be able to get them through rock?

The rock, unfortunately, is where the lower ground floor will be going! Obviously, the foundations for this will more than happily sit on the rock - but we need to get a fair chunk of it out first.

[Slagathore]

bradders said:

The rock, unfortunately, is where the lower ground floor will be going! Obviously, the foundations for this will more than happily sit on the rock - but we need to get a fair chunk of it out first.

Ahh, I get you now!

Blimey, that's gunna be one hell of a job!

I'd imagine groundworks like that are probably a bit above your average general builder.

Only thing I can think of doing would be to call a few of the bigger developers local to you and see if there is anyone they can recommend.

Good luck! And don't forget, PH loves pictures of construction/building projects

[doorman]

bradders said:

I've been scouring Google, looking for a site of recommended tradespeople - there are loads of them.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a particular site? Is one much respected and well renowned?

Is it better to look to a local type site (W Yorks) or is a national resource better?

What do the trade use, I guess is the key?

Cheers Bradders.

Try your local Trading Standards, they operate A Buy With Confidence scheme, traders pay an admin fee not advertising fee.

See my site for the logo you should be looking for, top left corner.

www.prestigegaragedoors.co.uk

[Simpo Two]

doorman said:

Try your local Trading Standards, they operate A Buy With Confidence scheme, traders pay an admin fee not advertising fee. See my site for the logo you should be looking for, top left corner.

But with respect, is that not simply a case of 'pay some money and get a comforting logo to stick on your website', like the Guild of Master Craftsmen?

[doorman]

Simpo Two said:

doorman said:

Try your local Trading Standards, they operate A Buy With Confidence scheme, traders pay an admin fee not advertising fee. See my site for the logo you should be looking for, top left corner.

But with respect, is that not simply a case of 'pay some money and get a comforting logo to stick on your website', like the Guild of Master Craftsmen?

Absolutely not, stringent checks are done on work carried out and your financial standing, prior to acceptance, and your work is monitored via each job done via customer feed back cards.