Builders in the UK

Finding a good builder in the UK

A builder is the person you hire when a job is bigger than one trade: a rear extension, a loft or garage conversion, knocking through a kitchen, a full renovation of a tired house. A general builder does the structural work, from foundations, brickwork and blockwork to steels and roofing, and brings in or coordinates the electricians, plumbers, plasterers and decorators around it, so you deal with one person and one programme rather than six.

That is also why choosing a builder deserves more care than any other trade. You are trusting them with a large sum, your home's structure and months of your life. There is no legal register for builders, so the checks are practical: recent, detailed reviews; jobs you can go and see; insurance; a written contract with a schedule and staged payments; and, for anything structural, a clear answer on how Building Control sign-off and, where needed, planning permission will be handled. Membership of the Federation of Master Builders or TrustMark is a useful signal, because both vet their members.

The best builders are booked months ahead, which is itself a good sign. Start early, get three written quotes on the same drawings so you are comparing like with like, and expect the cheapest to be cheapest for a reason. The listings here show each builder's reviews, opening hours and contact details, so you can compare who works in your area and what local people say about them.

What builders do

Extensions and conversions: single and double-storey rear and side extensions, loft conversions, garage conversions, outbuildings and garden rooms, including the foundations, structural steels and roof.

Renovation and structural work: knocking through walls, removing chimney breasts, underpinning, replacing lintels, damp and timber repairs, re-plastering and full refurbishments of older houses.

Smaller building work: garden and boundary walls, repointing, patios and paths, new or blocked-up openings, porches, and repairs after subsidence or storm damage.

Before you hire a builder

• Get three written quotes on the same drawings and specification, itemised so you can see where the money goes.
• Ask to visit a recent job and speak to the owner, and read reviews that describe the whole project, not just the finish.
• Agree a written contract with a start date, a programme, staged payments tied to progress, and how changes will be priced. Never pay a large sum up front.
• Confirm public liability and employer's liability insurance, and ask whether the work will carry an insurance-backed warranty.
• Ask who applies for Building Regulations approval and who deals with the inspector; on a structural job it should be part of the builder's service.
• Verify any FMB or TrustMark membership they claim; both can be checked online.

What building work costs in the UK

As a rough guide, a single-storey rear extension tends to cost somewhere between £2,000 and £3,000 per square metre outside London, and more within it, before the kitchen or bathroom inside it is fitted out. A garage conversion is usually a five-figure job; a loft conversion with a dormer generally starts in the tens of thousands. Day rates for a builder and a labourer vary by region but run into the hundreds.

Materials, access, ground conditions and the specification move these numbers a long way, which is why like-for-like written quotes matter more than any guide. Allow a contingency of ten to fifteen per cent for the things nobody can see until the walls are opened.