Is it reasonable to view builders' previous work?

[dogfonos]

Would appreciate any advice/guidance or opinions...

Planning application for our ground floor, two room extension has been granted and we're currently working on obtaining building regs. approval so I'm ready to look for suitable builders. Is it reasonable to expect to be able to view a builder's previous similar work? Do builders usually have arrangements with previous customers to allow such viewing? Thanks.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Completely reasonable and very sensible, no reputable builder is going to object to that idea. And most happy customers will be quite pleased to have someone else to show off their new extension/bathroom/whatever to.

 

[^woody^]

No. You can look from the street if you like and that won't tell much, but its not normal to go mooching around someone's house.

Would you actually know what you are looking for though?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Maybe not but you can have a chat with the householders, find out if things ran more or less to time, more or less to budget, did they get what they thought they were getting, that sort of stuff.

 

[^woody^]

you can have a chat with the householders, find out if things ran more or less to time, more or less to budget, did they get what they thought they were getting, that sort of stuff

And what are the chances of that being accurate?

And what are the liability issues if the homeowner says the builder was great, but is crap, or says the builder is crap and he doesn't get the job, when he was really quite good?

Also, the problem is that the OP needs to have a criteria to judge what is good and bad. Look at the Amazon reviews, though not necessarily fake, many people say products or service were "awesome", when in fact they are average at best.

Using a suitable professional person to specify and assess potential contractors is a good option when clients don't know what they should be getting.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

you can have a chat with the householders, find out if things ran more or less to time, more or less to budget, did they get what they thought they were getting, that sort of stuff

And what are the chances of that being accurate?

And what are the liability issues if the homeowner says the builder was great, but is crap, or says the builder is crap and he doesn't get the job, when he was really quite good?

Also, the problem is that the OP needs to have a criteria to judge what is good and bad. Look at the Amazon reviews, though not necessarily fake, many people say products or service were "awesome", when in fact they are average at best.

Using a suitable professional person to specify and assess potential contractors is a good option when clients don't know what they should be getting.

All valid points. And (thinking on) I've been caught once like that 'oh yeah xxx was great', used him for a job and he was not great. What sort of professional person do you use for that job (this is an honest question not a snidey comeback)? I've gone on guidance from building inspectors before now (you'll not go far wrong with so and so) but that's been for smaller isolated projects rather than a scheme.

 

[wessex101]

If I have to use a new builder I ask for 3 references and ask to visit the job he is working on at the moment. But having said that I try to stick with the regular firms I have worked with for many years as I've had my fingers burnt before using new firms who had glowing references but turned out to be totally useless and a quick site visit doesn't always tell the whole story.

I have found people sometimes seem to sing the praise of "their" builders when it wasn't really deserved, even from fellow professionals which is rather worrying (or maybe a deliberate attempt to stitch me up). Probably one of the best guides is how far they are booked up in advance, the good small firms I use have jobs lined up for at least the next 6 months and sometimes 12 months so you have to be prepared to wait for them.

I couldn't tell if OP was doing their own drawings or was using an architectural designer as the latter can be a good source of recommendations for local builders.

 

[noseall]

Just go ahead and ask. If the builder is forthcoming and approachable then great. If the builder is vague and elusive then run a mile.

If you only use it to test his response then it may garner you some insight.

 

[dogfonos]

Using a suitable professional person to specify and assess potential contractors is a good option when clients don't know what they should be getting.

Indeed. We have had a qualified person on-board to date and he will prepare a 'tender document' for prospective builders. Any opinions or information I obtain from a builder's previous customers would be supplementary.

And what are the liability issues if the homeowner says the builder was great, but is crap, or says the builder is crap and he doesn't get the job, when he was really quite good?

Also, the problem is that the OP needs to have a criteria to judge what is good and bad. Look at the Amazon reviews, though not necessarily fake, many people say products or service were "awesome", when in fact they are average at best.

I would have thought that few folk are naive enough to accept a strangers info or opinion at face value, or am I being optimistic? It's a question of judgement. As for what's good about the building and what's not, I could only look for the visually obvious. Haven't given much thought yet but things like outer wall damp proof course distance from ground, settlement cracks and quality of brick laying. If anyone can suggest anything else that a layman could spot...?

An aside...
About a year ago, we had some fairly minor repair work done on our tiled roof. Didn't know anyone who'd recently had roof work done so chose the roofer on the basis of Trading Standards and WHICH? approvals and they were Confederation of Roofing Contractors members, amongst other industry bodies - you get the gist. Plenty of glowing testimonials too. However, I'm still waiting for a satisfactory completion after one of the repairs failed.

This experience has encouraged me to get a little more involved in builder selection for our extension.

 

[^woody^]

Do you know the acceptable standards for brickwork or plastering for instance? Do you know what is expected shrinkage cracking or foundation movement? Do you know whether the cracking is poor design or poor work? Do you know if that nice looking gloss paint is going to peel off next month?

Does the homeowner from whom you are getting their opinion know?

That's why the idea of touring around interviewing past customers looking for the obvious is pointless.

 

[noseall]

Recommendations from friends or colleagues is a good start. So is a conversation with these people that goes like "the builder was on time every day, he was there every day, he was tidy, approachable, transparent with financial issues, had an excellent work rate, did the job on budget and on time and finished the job to our satisfaction."

Pretty much sums me up in a way. All my customer have me back too, which is a good sign. Narcissus - eat your heart out.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

nosy do you ever get requests from potential clients to see previous jobs?And if so how do you deal with them?

 

[noseall]

nosy do you ever get requests from potential clients to see previous jobs?And if so how do you deal with them?

Yes. I just list them all over a three year period and hand the list over. I suggest they do a drive by. If the customer is out and about (visible), just engage in friendly conversation and see where it gets you.
I have learned over the years that you need to keep customers happy, particularly if you want local work, which I most certainly do. My last van I had from new and it had done aboot 78'000 miles when I got rid of it. It was bought 2003 and sold in late 2014.
You can keep your trekking many miles to jobs, I dunner want it.

 

[mattylad]

Methinks Woody does not like someone looking at his work and also thinks that everyone else cant see ****e work.

 

[^woody^]

I've got no problem anyone checking my work if it's still standing after the 12 month defect period has ended.

However a proven trait that people will exhibit is what is called "confirmation bias" when they attempt to check products and services that they know little about. This basically means that they will make irrational and often wrong decisions based purely on preconceptions, not on the evidence. I've mentioned some of the common mistakes above.