How to Spot a Cowboy Builder Before You Hire One

Sometimes a project is a little bit too much for you to handle, which means that you’ll need to hire a builder to come in and do the job for you. While this is typically a good idea, you do run the risk of ending up with a cowboy.

To spot a cowboy builder before you hire one, make sure you follow these tips:

Are they recommended?

Reviews are very important and there are lots of places that you can go online to find them, but the easiest thing that you can do is hire a builder who is recommended by someone you know and trust. This is especially true if they have done previous work for that person as it will give you a much better idea of the quality of their workmanship.

How does their quote compare?

While everybody wants to pay as little as possible for building work, the truth is you get what you pay for. If their quote is much lower than that of other builders then it could mean that they are going to be cutting a lot of corners or that they have little to no experience in producing accurate quotes.

Aren’t with a trade association

It is easy to check if your builder is with a trade association or not, if they claim they are but they aren’t then it is a criminal offense. While not all builders will be members of the trade association, using one that is will ensure that your job is completed to a decent standard.

Did they ask for money up front?

Alarm bells should be ringing if they did, as a reliable builder would never ask for this even if it is to pay for materials. If it is a particularly large or long job, they may ask that the amount be paid in instalments, but generally payment will be collected once the job is completed to the agreed standard.

Won’t offer you a contract or schedule of work

These are two things you require as a customer, to know exactly what they plan on doing and when each stage will be completed by. If you haven’t been provided with this then it is very likely that you may be dealing with a cowboy. Find out why they won’t provide this and if there isn’t a legitimate excuse then walk away.

You can’t find details about the business

If the builder doesn’t freely provide information about the business, such as a registered address or even a landline then you should start to become suspicious. While many builders will simply use their mobile phone as a main form of contact, having a fixed address is essential.

Look for the Trustmark Logo

In order to combat cowboy builders, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills created the Trustmark logo to help people recognise reliable tradesmen. If your builder isn’t on this list then take precaution, alternatively if you haven’t found a builder yet then you can use your local authority’s list of registered contractors to do so.

Doesn’t charge VAT

While not every builder will charge you VAT – if they have low turnover or are a new trader they won’t need to register – if they don’t charge you VAT you should be wary. Often this is done because they are avoiding paying VAT which means they can charge less money and make more profit. This is illegal and should be reported.

Only accepts cash

You should be given several ways that you can pay, so if the builder only accepts cash you should be cautious. This means that there is no paper trail, especially if they don’t give you a contract, which means that if they have carried out shoddy workmanship then you may not be able to get your money back.