AdviceBy adminFebruary 18, 20265 min read
Price matters, but the cheapest quote usually omits something. Ask for insurance documents, two recent references you can visit, and a programme with named milestones. If a contractor hesitates on any of the three, keep looking.
Start with paperwork, not promises
A serious contractor hands over public liability cover, employer's liability where relevant, and trade credentials without being asked twice. Check the dates, check the names match the company quoting you, and confirm the cover suits the scale of your job. This takes one email and rules out the riskiest bidders immediately.
"The cheapest quote usually omits something. Find out what it omits before you sign."
Visit two finished jobs
Photos prove nothing. Ask for two recent clients you can visit in person and one job still in progress. On the finished jobs, look at the junctions — where roof meets wall, where tile meets trim. On the live site, look at tidiness, edge protection, and how the crew speaks to the client. Both visits tell you more than any brochure.
Demand a programme with names and dates
- Named milestones — strip-out, first fix, second fix, snag, handover — each with a date.
- A single point of contact who answers for delays, in writing, every week.
- Payment tied to completed stages, never to calendar dates or materials stored off site.
Get those three things in the contract and the build stays calm even when the weather doesn't cooperate. We put our programme on page one of every quote — hold us to it.
