Building a home is an investment that will last for generations, and it’s important to know what questions to ask a builder before employing them.
Below are some questions you should ask any potential builders before contracting with them.
It’s important to ask the right questions before employing a builder. These questions below will help you evaluate their skills and knowledge and to decide if they are the right fit for the job.
The questions should be tailored to your needs but here are some general ones:
A building contractor can cover various areas of construction, including extensions, renovations and new builds. It might be that the building contractor covers all aspects of construction, but it might also be that they don’t really deal much with what you would like help with. It’s better to find this out early on!
Make sure to understand how many years of experience the building contractor has, as well as how much experience their staff has! There are many ways that a building renovation or extension can go wrong and the more experienced the building contractor is, the less likely things will go wrong!
Another element to consider is the type of projects that they have experience of. Residential builders might not necessarily have experience working on commercial building development.
Ever heard about the building or government project that was delayed, ran over budget or took too long to finish? Building work can have many reasons for delays and there are many factors outside of a builder control, but if a builder consistently takes a long time to finish a project, then they might not be the right builder for you.
Ask the potential builder how long it typically takes to complete the type of work that you are asking for, and make sure it’s a fair comparison. A property refurbishment, for example, could take much less time than a new build.
Nobody likes hidden costs, or unclear costs that lead to paying more than you expected - and asking the builder to clarify their pricing structure can ensure you stay within budget (assuming they are the right building contractor for you).
Transparent pricing is important. If there are any doubts about their pricing structure, then ask for clarification and consider hiring a different builder if doubts still remain.
The answer to this question will vary depending on the type of work you are looking for help with. Renovations or refurbishments require different expertise to being involved in new builds.
It’s good to ask this question as it might bring up something that you hadn’t thought about. It might also raise alarm bells if they give a somewhat doubtful answer.
Quality builders will have great testimonials from happy clients. There are very few (if any) building contractors that provide great work but don’t have any customers.
Ask the builder for references related to the work that you want doing. If you are looking for building work for your extension, then ask for testimonials from clients who have had help with extensions. If you need refurbishment work, then get feedback from clients who had support with refurbishments… and so on.
Need help with your building work?
We hope that you have found value in this article. At Avanti, we are professional Commercial and Residential builders with experience in a range of building services including new builds, refurbishments, renovations of older buildings and extensions.
Call our builders in Wiltshire today to find out about how we can help. You are bound to have plenty of questions to ask us!
