How to choose the right contractor for your extension project
One of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning for a new extension is your choice of contractor. There is no shortage of building firms offering their services, so you’ll need to be able to do your due diligence. Picking the wrong contractor will have a direct impact on the quality of the build and given how much you will be spending, it’s a mistake you cannot afford to make.
Below we discuss how to choose the right contractor for your extension project so you can ensure you make the right decision.
Recommendations
A good place to start is to get direct recommendations from family members, friends, neighbours or your architect who may have recently used a building firm. Contractors will naturally tell you the positive side of their services. However, speaking to someone who recently had work done to their home gives you a more rounded insight. You can also ask the contractor for any references and if it is ok for you to contact them directly to verify. If they are a reputable company they should have a good number of references to hand and give you the contact details without any issue.
Customer reviews
If you don’t feel comfortable doing any of the above, then you could use the internet to carry out some research. It’s commonplace for reputable companies to have Google reviews (with star ratings) that will give you an indication of their capabilities. You can also use respected trade websites such as Checkatrade, TrustAtrader or MyBuilder, which are independent websites that verify trade companies and enable customers to leave their own reviews.
Trade associations
There are two checks to carry out when it comes to trade associations. Firstly, look on their website to see if they display the relevant pages for their trade. Of course, anyone can say they are a member without actually being one, so the second check should involve you going to the trade association’s website to verify the company is a member. Being part of a trade association means they must meet certain quality and service standards in order to retain their membership. Two good examples would be the Federation of Master Builders and the National Federation of Builders.
Credit checks
Having some insight on the financial security of the contracting company can be helpful too. After all, they will be using your money to buy the materials for the job, so you’ll want to ensure the funds are used well and that they do not have any constraints that causes delays or stops them from sourcing high quality products.
As an optional extra, at Tereyn we can carry out a detailed credit check before you agree to work with a contractor, giving you more assurance that the company will deliver the quality of work required.
Quote comparison
It’s a good idea to speak with a few different contractors and to ask each of them to provide their own quote. You should probably request no less than three different quotes, as making a decision based on any less than that may not give you a rounded view of current market prices.
This process will give you some indication of their planning, attention to detail and responsiveness. If they have asked the right questions then the quote should include all relevant aspects of the project. Also make sure that the invoice includes labour and material costs, if there are any additional fees and if VAT is included in the price.
Try to avoid telling each contractor the price quoted by their competitor. While it may seem like a good idea to use a cheaper quote to reduce the offer from another company, being offered a cheaper price does not mean you will get the best job. Of course, you will be working to a budget, but generally, a reputable company that charges a little more will base their price on quality of service and materials, rather than reducing the quote just to win the job.
Get expert help finding the right contractor
Tereyn Architects helping homeowners in Cambridge to manage all aspects of their extension project. We offer tendering services that relieves the stress of dealing with quotations and dealing with contractors, while always giving you full control and the final say.
You have the option of working with reputable contractors that we have working relationships with, or we can submit tenders to contractors you would like to approach. We adapt our service to your needs, so to find out more call us today on 07984 760 920 or send us a message here and we’ll get right back to you.
