The builder you choose matters more than almost any other decision in the project. A good one keeps you informed, sticks to the price and leaves the paperwork in order. These twelve checks will tell you most of what you need to know before you sign anything.
Twelve checks before you sign
1. Are they a member of a trade body that vets its members?
Membership of the Federation of Master Builders means a builder has been vetted and is inspected. You can confirm membership on the FMB website rather than taking a logo on a van at face value.
2. Are they a real, active company?
For a limited company, check Companies House. It is free, and shows whether the company is active, how long it has traded and whether its accounts are up to date. Dacorum Builders Ltd, for example, is company number 14434991.
3. Do they have the right insurance?
Ask to see public liability insurance and contract works insurance, which covers the building while it is being built. Check the dates.
4. Is the quote written and itemised?
You want a quote, not an estimate: a fixed price for defined work, broken down item by item. An itemised quote shows exactly what is and is not included, and makes it far easier to compare builders.
5. Who will actually be on site?
Ask whether the work is done by their own team or subcontracted, and who your day-to-day contact will be. One person to ring throughout the job saves a lot of frustration.
6. How are payments structured?
A clear schedule of stage payments, tied to work completed, protects both sides. Be wary of large sums up front.
7. Is there a written contract?
For any significant job, insist on a written contract setting out the price, the scope, the payment stages, the programme and how changes are handled. The FMB and the JCT both publish contracts for homeowners.
8. Will they handle building control and the certificates?
Ask how building regulations approval will be obtained, and which certificates you will receive at the end: the building control completion certificate, electrical certificates for new circuits, and gas safety certificates for any gas work. You will need these when you sell.
9. What guarantee comes with the work?
Ask what guarantee the builder gives, and whether an insurance-backed warranty is available, which protects you if the builder stops trading.
10. Can you see recent work?
Photographs of finished jobs are a start. Ask for recent references, and whether you can see a job in progress. Reviews on Google and trade sites help, particularly the detail in them.
11. Is the timescale realistic?
A builder who can start next week on a large job may be quiet for a reason. Ask for a programme and a start date, and ask what would move it. Our extension timeline shows what realistic looks like.
12. Do they explain things clearly?
You will talk to this person a lot. If they explain planning, party walls and the build sequence in plain terms at the quoting stage, that usually carries on through the job.
How to compare quotes fairly
- Check the scope matches. Make sure each quote covers the same work, finish and specification.
- Look at provisional sums. These are allowances for items not yet designed or chosen, such as a kitchen or tiles. A quote with low provisional sums looks cheaper than it will end up.
- Read the exclusions. Drawings, fees, skips, decorating and making good the garden are common ones.
- Check VAT. Is the price with or without it?
Red flags
- A price with no written breakdown.
- Pressure to decide quickly or to pay in cash.
- No business address or landline, or reluctance to give a company name.
- Large payments requested before any work starts.
- Vague answers about building control, insurance or who will do the work.
Your rights
If you sign a contract away from the builder's business premises, for example at home, you normally have a 14-day cooling-off period. If you ask for work to start within those 14 days, you may have to pay for work already done if you cancel.
What we do
Dacorum Builders Ltd is a Federation of Master Builders member based in Hemel Hempstead. Every job starts with a free site visit and a written, itemised quote, is run by our own team with one point of contact, and finishes with the certificates handed over. You can read what our customers say and see finished work on our projects page.
Common questions
How many quotes should I get?
Three is a sensible number. Fewer makes it hard to judge what is reasonable; many more usually just adds time. What matters more is that each quote covers the same scope.
Should I pay a deposit?
A modest payment towards materials ordered specifically for your job can be reasonable. Paying a large sum before any work happens on site is a risk. Stage payments tied to finished work protect both sides.
What if I signed the contract at home?
Contracts signed away from the builder's business premises, such as at your kitchen table, normally come with a 14-day cooling-off period under consumer law. If you ask for work to start within that period, you may have to pay for work already done.
Is the cheapest quote a bad sign?
Not necessarily, but check what it leaves out. A low price often comes from missing items, generous provisional sums or a lower specification. An itemised quote makes this easy to spot.
General guidance for homeowners in England, written in September 2026. Rules, fees and prices change, and every house is different, so we confirm everything for your property on the free site visit.
