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In a recent Department of Trade and Industry survey nearly half of those questioned (47%) said they would pay cash in hand for building work. These people will be the loudest to complain when things go wrong, yet they only have themselves to blame.
However tempting it may be to save money by paying cash in hand to a jobbing tradesmen, the result is often shoddy workmanship which will then have to be made good by a professional so that the work is paid for twice. Don't expect to be able to find the cowboy builder who bodged your home, let alone have the faults rectified by him.
It therefore makes sense to employ a professional in the first place, such as a member of the Federation of Master Builders. Members must meet specific criteria before they are allowed to join, having both their business and craftsmen's skills assessed.
Through the FMB its members can offer an insurance-backed warranty called MasterBond. It covers house extensions and loft conversions, plus heating installation, double glazing work and other structural and decorative work when part of a larger contract. The scheme provides protection against loss of deposits should a builder go bankrupt, and should the builder go out of business, insurance cover of up to 25% of the contract price or £10,000 (whichever is the lesser) to cover additional costs for completing the job. For this extra assurance customers pay a 1.5% premium on the total cost of the work.
One of the main causes of dispute between builder and customer is due to a simple lack of understanding on either side as to what was agreed in the original quotation. To help overcome this the FMB has a Quotation Contract that sets out clearly both party's obligations, and comes with clear and comprehensive guidance notes. It is believed to be the only contract of its type in the building industry to have gained a Crystal Mark from the Plain English Campaign.
Ian Davis, Director General of the FMB, commented,
"Only employing a reputable builder who is a member of a recognised trade organisation and who can offer an insurance-backed warranty will ensure that a job goes well. Those people who choose cash in hand operators will soon find that they have wasted their money and caused themselves frustration."
FMB members in your area can be found with the free Find A Builder facility at www.fmb.org.uk or by calling FMB head office on Tel: 020 7242 7583.
First posted: 26 November 2001. Last modified: 26 November 2001.
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