The underlying advice is that by choosing a Master Builder it will provide you with the peace of mind that you can contact the Federation of Master Builder’s Disputes Service in the unfortunate event that you need to raise a claim against your builder.
Tips include:
- Check that they are a current member of the Federation of Master Builders using the Find a Builder Service
- Ensure you ask for a quote rather than an estimate, and have a written copy of the quote and work agreed
- Take out FMB insurance to protect yourself
- Have a written contract in place which cover start and finish dates, agreed rates and material costs, what will happen in the event of a delay and how the builder will manage post work clean up (including who will pay for a skip if needed).
- Ensure that any changes to the original agreement are put in writing by the contractor
- Pay by card in stages, avoid paying any upfront costs and look in to payment protection
- Let the contractor know about any issues you have with their work and give them a chance to resolve them.
The FMB dispute service includes a free conciliation service in which they will contact the member for you and give them 14 days to respond to your complaint. If they are unable to get a response from the member they will refer you for independent mediation, at a nominal cost to both parties.
The FMB are seeing a large increase in queries to use the service, so ensure that when you’re choosing a tradesperson for your home, or sub-contractors for your project, that you’re going for a Master Builder for this added reassurance.
Construction accountants
As exclusive accountancy partner for the London region of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) our team are recognised for their work in the construction industry and have access to industry insights, information and events. You can find out more about our construction and property accountancy services here.
Specialising in the construction sector, David is an advisor to large joint venture projects and residential / commercial developers.