Finding a builder is easy. Finding a good one is the hard part, because the people who do a poor job are often the ones with the slickest quote and the earliest start date. This guide walks through the process in the order you will actually meet it, with the checks that matter and the ones that do not.
Why You Have to Do the Checking
In the UK there is no general licence for builders. Anyone can put up a website, order a van sign and call themselves a builder, so nobody is screening them on your behalf. A few areas are regulated: gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and electrical work in a home must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations, usually through a registered electrician. Everything else (structural work, plastering, tiling, general building) relies on the builder's own standards and on the checks you make.
That sounds worrying, but it makes the process simple. You are not looking for a magic certificate. You are looking for a company that is real, insured, has done this type of job before, and is happy to prove all of it in writing.
Where to Find Builders Worth Calling
Start with sources where someone has already put their name behind the builder:
- Recommendations from people you know. A neighbour whose house you have seen is worth ten anonymous reviews. Ask what went wrong as well as what went well, because every project has a few wobbles and you want to know how the builder handled them.
- Trade bodies and vetted schemes. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), TrustMark and similar schemes check members before accepting them. Membership is not a guarantee of a perfect job, but it filters out a lot of people you would otherwise have to filter yourself.
- Review platforms. Read the three-star reviews and the replies to complaints. How a company responds to criticism tells you more than a wall of five stars.
- Your own street. Skips, scaffolds and vans parked nearby show who is working locally. A company that is already busy nearby is less likely to disappear halfway through your job.
Be careful with cold callers, door knockers and anyone who says they have "materials left over from another job". Reputable builders are usually booked ahead and do not need to chase work from your doorstep.
What to Check Before You Ask for a Quote
Do these checks before you spend time on a visit. Each takes a few minutes and can rule a company out quickly.
| Check | How to do it | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Company details | Search the company name on Companies House (free). Look at when it was set up and whether accounts are filed. | A registered company or clear sole-trader details, a real address, and a track record that matches what they tell you. |
| Public liability insurance | Ask for the certificate and read the dates and the cover level. | In date, covers your type of work, and a sensible level of cover for the size of job. |
| Employers' liability | Ask if they employ anyone. If they do, ask for this certificate too. | A valid certificate. It is a legal requirement for businesses with staff. |
| Gas work | Ask for the engineer's Gas Safe ID card, then check the number on the Gas Safe Register. | The card matches the person, and the register shows the type of gas work they are allowed to do. |
| Electrical work | Ask which scheme the electrician is registered with (for example NICEIC or NAPIT) and check it on the scheme's site. | A registered electrician who will issue an electrical certificate when the work is done. |
| Trade body or guarantee | If they claim FMB, TrustMark or similar membership, check the member directory yourself. | Listed on the official site, and clear on what the guarantee actually covers. |
Also ask who will actually be on site. Some companies employ their own tradespeople, others subcontract everything. Neither is automatically wrong, but you should know which you are getting and who your single point of contact is. The longer version of this conversation is in our 10 questions to ask a renovation company.
How to Compare Quotes Properly
Get at least three written quotes, and make sure each is based on a visit to your home. A quote given from a phone call or a few photos is a guess, and guesses get corrected later at your expense.
- Give every builder the same brief. Same drawings or description, same level of finish, same exclusions. Otherwise you are comparing different jobs.
- Insist on itemised quotes. Labour, materials, waste removal, skip hire, making good and decoration should be visible, not buried in one total.
- Look at what is excluded. Many low quotes simply leave out things the others include, such as tiling, electrical certification or plastering.
- Ask how unknowns are handled. Older homes hide surprises behind walls and under floors. A good builder explains how variations are priced and agreed, in writing, before the extra work begins. It also pays to keep your own contingency, commonly 10% to 15% for older properties.
- Question the outlier. If one quote is much lower than the rest, ask what is different. Sometimes it is a leaner overhead. Often it is a smaller scope.
If you want a rough idea of what the numbers should look like before quotes arrive, our cost guides for kitchens, bathrooms, loft conversions and extensions give a Manchester-specific starting point.
References and Seeing Finished Work
Photos are easy to borrow. Evidence is harder to fake. Ask for two or three recent customers you can actually contact, ideally from jobs similar in size to yours, and ask the builder for permission to visit one finished project if the owner is happy for you to do so.
When you speak to a past customer, ask practical questions:
- Did the job finish on the date you were given, and if not, how was it communicated?
- Did the final price match the quote, and how were extras handled?
- Was the site kept tidy, and did the same people turn up each day?
- Would you hire them again without hesitation?
Payment, Contracts and Your Rights
This is where most expensive mistakes happen, so slow down here even if you are in a hurry to start.
Put it in writing
A proper contract or written agreement should cover the scope of work, the price, the payment schedule, the start and expected finish dates, how changes are agreed and priced, who clears waste, and what guarantee applies. Model contracts from bodies such as the FMB are written for exactly this.
Pay in stages, not up front
A deposit of around 10% is common. Be wary of anything above 25% without a clear reason such as made-to-order materials, and walk away if you are asked for half upfront. Tie later payments to finished stages of work. Some homeowners also hold back a small retention, often 2.5% to 5%, until snagging is done a few months after completion.
Think about how you pay
Paying by credit card for part of a job may give you extra protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for purchases between £100 and £30,000, and card payments are easier to dispute than cash or a transfer. Be cautious with last-minute changes to bank details sent by email or text. Phone the builder on a number you already trust before paying.
Know your cancellation rights
If you sign a contract in your own home or away from the business premises, you will usually have a 14-day cooling-off period. If the builder starts work during that period, you need to ask for it in writing, and you may have to pay for work already done. Check the cancellation wording in the paperwork before you sign.
Keep the paperwork afterwards
Ask for completion certificates where they apply: gas safety, electrical certificates, building control sign-off and any guarantee documents. You will want them when you sell the house.
Manchester Specifics to Raise Early
Greater Manchester has its own quirks, and a builder who works locally will mention them before you do.
- Older terraces and semis. Victorian and 1930s houses often have solid walls, old pipework and uneven floors. Ask how the builder deals with what is found once the work opens up. See our Victorian terrace renovation guide for the usual surprises.
- Party walls. If your work touches a shared wall, which is common in terraces and semis, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require you to notify neighbours. The builder should raise it, but the legal responsibility sits with you as the owner.
- Planning and building control. Each Greater Manchester council has its own team, and conservation areas have extra rules. Ask the builder who handles applications and sign-off. Our planning permission guide covers the basics.
- Parking, skips and access. Many Manchester streets have no driveway. Ask where the skip goes, who applies for any highway permit, and how materials will reach the house.
- Living through the work. If you are staying in the house, agree working hours, dust control and kitchen or bathroom access in advance. Our guide to living at home during a renovation helps with this.
Red Flags
Any one of these is worth a pause. Several together mean you should walk away:
- Pressure to decide on the spot or a "price valid today only" line
- A big discount for paying in cash, or a suggestion that you do not need paperwork
- A request for a large deposit before any materials are ordered
- No written quote, or a quote with one lump sum and no breakdown
- Reluctance to share insurance certificates, company details or references
- Only a mobile number, no address, and no trace of previous work you can verify
- Starting dates that are suspiciously immediate for a busy trade
If It Goes Wrong
Even with good checks, projects occasionally hit trouble. The order that usually works best:
- Document everything. Take dated photos, keep messages, and write down what was agreed and what is outstanding.
- Raise it in writing. Describe the problem, what you want done and by when. Keep the tone factual.
- Use the complaints route. If the builder belongs to a trade body or guarantee scheme, they will have a complaints process you can use.
- Get advice. Citizens Advice can explain your options and pass concerns to Trading Standards.
- Consider formal routes. A card chargeback or Section 75 claim may be possible if you paid that way, and the small claims court deals with disputes up to £10,000 in England and Wales.
Do not pay for work that has not been done, and get a second builder to assess the state of the job before anyone else starts correcting it. If the builder has gone bust or disappeared, an insurance-backed guarantee, if one was arranged, is what protects your deposit. It is one of the best reasons to ask about guarantees before you sign anything.
A Simple Order to Follow
- Shortlist from recommendations and vetted schemes
- Check company details, insurance and registrations
- Get three written, itemised quotes from site visits
- Speak to two or three recent customers
- Agree a written contract with staged payments
- Keep a contingency and keep all the paperwork
Whoever you hire, use this list on them. We are happy for you to use it on us too.
Once you have chosen someone, our renovation order of work and checklist shows the sequence the project should follow and the checks to make between stages.