Beat the cowboys
Ciaran Brennan suggests ways to get the most out of your home improvement and avoid being taken in by the cowboys
BEWARE OF BUILDERS: Bob The Builder may not be much use to use if you want work done, but make sure you do not hire a cowboy company
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Tuesday February 26 2008
Bogus builders, cowboy construction companies, dodgy decorators -- everyone seems to have heard a tale of woe about the carry-on of some of the less dependable or incompetent characters involved in the building trade.
Botched jobs, massive cost over-runs, work not completed -- the list of misdemeanours seems endless and it usually involves the beleaguered householder footing the bill to get the mess sorted out.
"In Ireland today we have a serious issue with the lack of regulation in the construction sector," explains Mike Flanagan of Conspect.ie, a construction consultant company which carries out vetting of tradespeople and contractors, supervision and inspection of on-going works and recording of faulty workmanship.
So how do you avoid hiring a dodgy tradesperson?
Scale
Agree on what has to be carried out and a time scale for completing it, says Rosey Broderick, managing director of Homewise.ie, an online directory and information centre on home improvements in Ireland.
"Get that put in writing before you even start the project or definitely before you make any payments to them," she says.
"Another of the big areas is certifications and qualifications and then check that they are fully insured to carry out any work for you."
Mr Flanagan agrees that getting everything down in writing is a must.
"Even if you don't understand all the building terms, just get a simple breakdown of labour, materials and a time frame written in there," he says.
And make sure the agreement is on a company letterhead with an address.
"If you buy something in a shop you have somewhere to go back to," he says.
"How are you going to pursue someone where you don't even have the bare minimum of an address?"
A crucial area where householders are often tripped up is in the area of whether the work is inclusive of VAT, according to Mr Flanagan. "You get given a price and then you get the invoice and the invoice has an extra 21pc.
"Look for that from the start -- the VAT should be clear whether it is inclusive or exclusive."
Always be wary of requests for large deposits as a company or tradesman could go out of business overnight and that will mean your money is lost, explains Mr Flanagan.
"You would be looking at a deposit of maximum 20pc of the total work.
"That would be acceptable," he says.
Staggered payments are common place as they can give surety to the contractor and the customer.
"If there is a staggered payment schedule, it should be agreed upon at the quote stage and not sprung on you later," he says.
"Overall, 15-30pc should always be kept back for final payment, for snags, little problems, you should always have that security, even if there is a staggered payment schedule and a deposit."
Alarm
If a tradesperson says they need money for materials, this should set alarm bells ringing in your head.
"This isn't a good sign," he says.
"Building materials are usually the cheapest thing and most reputable people have 30 days credit with their own suppliers so it is the kind of statement that would turn me off immediately if I was talking to somebody about a price."
Nor should people judge a tradesperson by appearances or the size or prominence of their advertising.
"More times than not you can have flash, smooth talkers, with new vehicles and the largest yellow pages ad call and give you an estimate and then they will just send a few apprentices down and get on to the next job as quick as possible," he says. Don't be afraid to ask for and check their references.
Ask for previous customers and call them to see if they were happy with results, advises Ms Broderick.
While it is always advisable to get a number of quotes, never let the contractor or companies know you are getting a few quotes as they will be less inclined to issue you with one or even call to see the job if they think you are getting multiple quotes, according to Mr Flanagan.
And always remember that a quote is a binding price whereas an estimate is only an educated guess that can increase as the work commences.
Staying on the building theme, Mr Flanagan says that following these tips are like putting down good foundations on a house.
"If you don't get these foundations laid, you're just setting your self up for a fall."
