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Contact Information
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Tel: 024 7637 6376
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
One Stop Shops:
Nuneaton Town Hall
Coton Road, Nuneaton,
Warwickshire, CV11 5AA
Bedworth Area Office
High Street, Bedworth,
Warwickshire, CV12 8NF
Contact Us
Maps and Directions
Tel: 024 7637 6376
Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
One Stop Shops:
Nuneaton Town Hall
Coton Road, Nuneaton,
Warwickshire, CV11 5AA
Bedworth Area Office
High Street, Bedworth,
Warwickshire, CV12 8NF
Contact Us
Maps and Directions
Choosing a Builder
If you require a builder to carry out works to your property you should check them out thoroughly before employing their services.
Here are some suggested guidelines.
- For large or complex projects consider employing an independent professional agent to advise you i.e. an Architect, Surveyor or Building Engineer.
- Discuss the extent of your contractual arrangement with your agent. Does it involve the preparation of plans only or is site supervision part of the package? Are they employed for Planning Permission purposes only or will they also deal with your Building Regulation application? Will they deal with other construction related matters?
- If you consider your project too small to require an agent, get advice from someone within the construction industry that you know and trust.
- Always obtain quotations, at least three, and have them checked by your agent.
- Don't always go for the cheapest quote.
Ask the following questions of the builder:
- Are they members of the Trustmark scheme? Details of the scheme and recognised tradesmen can be found on their website
- Are they prepared to use a contract such as the Joint Contract Tribunal Building Contract for Home Owners/Occupiers?
- Are they members of a recognised trade or professional organisation that assesses skills and competencies as a requirement of membership?
- Do they offer warranties or guarantees?
- Where have they worked before?
- Are they happy for you to see their previous work?
- Can they supply references from satisfied clients?
- What is their previous experience in the particular project you intend to carry out?
- Will they use trained personnel on your job?
- How do they want to be paid, on completion or in stages?
- Will they give you a completion date?
- Will they accept a penalty clause on failure to complete on time?
- Will they agree to you drawing up a letter of agreement covering main points of the job, including work to be done, agreed price, start and finish dates and payment methods?
- Will they agree to independent arbitration should you have any dispute?
Finally, reassure yourself by checking out the builders work, references and other aspects, like work habits, with previous clients.
ASK QUESTIONS NOW, DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.
You may find it helpful to contact Consumer Direct, the Government's phone and online consumer advice service. They can provide clear, practical advice about your rights, choosing a tradesperson, and what to do if things go wrong. Consumer Direct can't recommend individual firms, but they will give you contact details for approved scheme operators who have suitable TrustMark registered tradespeople who can carry out the work you need doing.
You can call them on 08454 04 05 06 or visit their website
