The Importance Of A Comprehensive Builder's Quote

By Author: Joe Matheson
Total Articles: 1
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Although I am by no means technical and am in fact a semi-retired writer living on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, I still potter with my property from time to time when some money comes rolling in. We have some really good builders and local tradesmen who have settled here, and our sense of community usually ensures a good result. This is not say that the same rules do not apply, that wise people have learned to follow elsewhere.

Conflicts do however still erupt from time to time involving neighbours, and, for whatever reason there may be I tend to get involved in sorting these. Typically, these arguments are either about money, or the scale of work that was required. This is not uncommon, even where rated tradespeople are involved. In my experience they are either not good with paperwork, or simply assume that their judgement will be trusted when they claim for extra work. The solution is of course to get a few competitive quotes against a comprehensive specification.

I found a useful source of information at mr-skill.co.uk while I was still in London, and still use it whenever I am looking for a builder's quotes ...
... The website is really straightforward, and you can find all the rated tradesmen easily in your area, including those who may have only recently moved in. There are also useful tips to help you plan a job.

I have found that the secret is to select a tradesman or builder on the basis of an hourly rate and an agreed mark-up for materials. Once this is locked-in, I have an open discussion about what I have in mind, and what can, and can not be done under the particular circumstances. This includes statutory issues, borough council requirements, what is already there and so on. When the job has been agreed and written down, I call for a final quote based on the agreed hourly rates and margins. Since I discovered this, I have had few problems.

The above is really common sense when you think about it. I work for an hourly rate myself and the cost of the total job is simply a reflection of the amount of work involved. If I need special software I usually charge for this plus a small handling fee. When you apply the methods that I outlined above, you will find working with the recommended builder that you chose a pleasure, and, of course a happy tradesman does a better job.