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By Sarah Modlock
For as long as there have been people to build and fix our homes, there have been some people who are not up to the job. You only have to watch programmes like 'Rogue Traders' to see that a small number of unscrupulous – and often unqualified – cowboys are still offering their services to unsuspecting home owners and dragging down the reputation of every good professional. So how do you begin to find a decent builder, plumber, electrician, roofer or tiler? And once you find one, how can you make sure the job goes smoothly? Ideally, get a recommendation from a neighbour, friend or relative. If this is not possible then trade bodies are good place to start as many only accept members who are experienced and some have codes of conduct and even dispute resolution services. My advice is to check carefully on the website of the relevant body so that you know what standards apply. Ask tradesmen for their membership cards – this is particularly essential for anyone looking at your boiler, who should be Gas Safe registered – and call the number or use the website of the relevant body to make sure they are registered. You should also look for the organisation's 'Trustmark' symbol, which denotes standards that are endorsed by the government. The Trustmark site can also help you find a reliable tradesman: www.trustmark.org.uk Trade bodies Builders: There are more than 180,000 construction companies operating in the UK but they can only gain membership of the Federation of Master Builders if they have been trading for a minimum of 12 months, have six references including one from a 'professional' or Local Authority Building Control and have Public and employer liability insurance (if applicable). Directors of companies are checked and the business address and details of the firm are verified. Federation Of Master Builders: www.fmb.org.uk - 020 7242 7583. You can use the 'find a builder' service and there is also a chance to post a job and receive quotes online via at www.myhammer.co.uk Other bodies include: Home Builders Federation: www.hbf.co.uk - 020 7960 1600, National Federation Of Builders: www.builders.org.uk – 08450 578 160, National House Building Council: www.nhbc.co.uk – 0844 633 1000 and the Federation Of Plastering And Drywall Contractors: www.fpdc.org – 020 7634 9480. Plumbing and heating: Gas Safe has replaced CORGI in the UK (apart from Northern Ireland). By law, anyone carrying out work on gas installations and appliances in your home must be on the Gas Safe Register. Be gas safe – always use a Gas Safe registered engineer. Always ask to see their Gas Safe Register ID card: www.gassaferegister.co.uk – 0800 408 5500. The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) – is the leading Trade Association for the Plumbing and Heating Industry in England and Wales. It operates a customer charter which says members must provide written quotes, specification of work and any exclusions plus terms of payment. To become a member a firm must have trading under its current name for at least two years, all operatives must be able to demonstrate suitable levels of competency and the business must carry at least £2m of Public Liability Insurance. The firm must also operate a documented Complaints Handling Procedure, meet the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations Approved Contractor Scheme and must produce evidence of financial probity. They also operate a 'find a plumber' service: www.aphc.co.uk - 0121 711 5030. Other bodies: Institute Of Plumbing And Heating Engineering: www.iphe.org.uk - 01708 472791. Electricians: Electrical Contractors' Association: www.eca.co.uk - 020 7313 4800. The Electrical Safety Council - www.esc.org.uk - has useful information. "Find out if an electrician is Part 2 registered," says Alison Parkes, a spokesperson for the council. "The vast majority of work should be done by someone with this Local Authority Building Control registration; the site www.competentperson.co.uk will give detailed information." Parkes also recommends NICEIC (niceic.org.uk), the electrical contracting industry's independent voluntary body, with a database of 24,000 government-registered electricians across the UK (www.findanelectrician.info). Glaziers: Glass And Glazing Federation: www.ggf.org.uk - 0870 042 4255 Roofers: National Federation Of Roofing Contractors: www.nfrc.co.uk - 020 7638 7663 and Confederation Of Roofing Contractors: www.corc.co.uk - 01206 306600, Painting and decorating: Painting And Decorating Association: www.paintingdecoratingassociation.co.uk - 02476 353776. Finding your tradesman • Anyone with only a mobile phone number. • Anyone cold-calling. • Anyone offering unusually low quotes. • Anyone who wants to be paid entirely in cash or cash-in-hand all with a promise on no VAT to be paid. No legitimate business will work off the books like that. • A tradesman that over-emphasises any faults. • Someone who criticises rival builders in the area. • Anyone who confuses you with jargon and technical explanations or insists that the details are not your problem, laughing when you suggest showing them plans. • Anyone who tells you they can start work immediately – a good builder is usually a busy builder. Always: • Ask for references and check them if possible – talking to the people that have had work done and looking at it if you can. • Get at least three quotes before agreeing any work. • Ask if VAT is included – it can add a sizeable amount to the final bill. • Ensure that the tradesman has insurance cover for accidents in case things go wrong. • Get everything in writing so that you both know from the start what has been agreed. You will need this written contract to protect yourself if anything goes wrong. If they are unwilling to put anything in writing, particularly a contract of work, or to give you a firm price, get someone else to do the work. • Check trade membership with body they belong to – cowboy building firms have been known to fake membership. Once you find your tradesman Before work begins: • Make sure that you have all the professional advice you need on the project if it is a large or complex job. This may involve the support of architects, surveyors or other specialist professionals. • Agree a payment schedule. Frank Shepherd, of Consumer Direct, says that payment by instalments is best, keeping back at least 30% until completion. He adds that credit cards are the safest method, providing free basic insurance for all purchases between £100 and £30,000. • Get a written contract. This should be jargon-free and spell out what he will do and when. It should also give a fixed price. Once work is underway: • Monitor progress – looking over small jobs immediately after completion and checking bigger projects daily, if possible. • Develop a good working relationship with your tradesman. If you have any concerns about the work, discuss them with your builder as soon as possible. • Keep extras to a minimum and instruct your tradesman in writing about all variations to the specified work. • Make any agreed stage payments or reasonable up-front payments promptly. • Keep a written record of the progress of the work, making a note of any instructions you give the builder and any payments made. When the work is complete: • Your tradesman should leave the site clean and tidy, ready for use and dispose of any waste properly. • Any relevant instructions and guarantees will be handed over to you and you will be properly briefed about any relevant maintenance or operating issues. • Report any urgent defects to your builder promptly and in writing. • List any non-urgent defects for your builder to correct at an agreed time – a date will be arranged for your builder to return and complete any defects which may have arisen during the first few months. • Settle the final account promptly. If you have problems..... Next week: find out how to deal with problems once the work is done. |
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