Choosing a Bristol builder: the questions that separate the good ones
The worst building stories in Bristol start the same way: a friend of a friend, a price on the back of a card, a big deposit, then a fortnight of silence. Choosing well is the decision that decides whether your loft takes ten weeks or five months, so this is how to choose a builder the way we would ourselves: the checks that take ten minutes, the questions that reveal expertise, the red flags, and a checklist you can print. It is the piece to read before you sign anything.
Check the entity before you check the person
Start with the company. Type the exact name on the quote into Companies House and check four things: the company is active, the incorporation date matches the years of experience claimed, accounts are filed, and the directors are the people you met. If the quote and the bank details name different companies, ask why, because the contract must name the entity that carries the insurance. For the record: Wilson & Cole Developments Ltd, company number 13362420, incorporated 28 April 2021, directors Daniel Webster and Craig Cook, Unit 1 and 2, Douglas Road Industrial Park, Kingswood BS15 8PD.
Then insurance. Ask for the public liability certificate and the employers' liability certificate, and read the insured name and the dates. GOV.UK requires anyone with employees to hold at least £5 million of cover, with a fine of £2,500 for every day without it. A builder who cannot produce the certificate is either uninsured or disorganised. We send copies on request.
Then the trade body. FMB membership means something because of what sits behind it: the FMB vets applicants on trading history, credit history and insurance, and has their work independently inspected before and after joining. Check the membership on the FMB's own register rather than trusting a badge on a van. Checkatrade listings show verified reviews. Neither replaces the Companies House check.
Read reviews for patterns, not stars
Most builders show a rating above 4.5, so the number tells you little. Read the words and look for repetition. Do several reviewers, unprompted, mention the same things: the time the crew arrived, the state of the site at 5pm, how a problem was handled? Those are habits, and habits are what you are hiring. Be suspicious of a page of five-word reviews posted in the same week.
The strongest signal of all is repeat business. One of our FMB verified reviews comes from a Bristol developer commissioning his third dormer with us; another client had us drive to Hereford to build a roof because, in his words, "I wanted the job done right and by people I trust." Then ring two past clients and ask: would you use them again, and what went wrong along the way? Everyone has a hiccup; what happened next is the answer you want.
The quote test: itemised or lump sum
Citizens Advice says get written quotes from at least three traders, but three lump sums cannot be compared. Ask each builder for an itemised quote: structure, roof and dormer, glazing, stair, electrics, plumbing, plastering, decoration, scaffold, skips, building control fees and provisional sums. Then check the exclusions line by line: the en-suite, the stair, making good the landing, VAT. A lump sum hides where the money goes and turns every change into an argument. An itemised quote lets you see why one price is £6,000 higher than another and decide whether that difference is a bigger dormer or a bigger margin. Ours are detailed and itemised, and our loft cost guide shows the sort of breakdown to expect.
On deposits, Citizens Advice says push the figure down and never agree to more than 25%; ours is a booking deposit of around 10% once you are in the diary, with the balance in stages against work done. Insist on a written contract covering scope, programme, payment stages, how variations are priced, and who applies for building control approval. Ask for the guarantee in writing too; ours is described on our FAQ page.
Ask to visit a live site
Any builder can show you a finished loft. Ask to see one that is half built, and go at four in the afternoon. You are looking for floor protection down, a sealed work zone, tools away and the walkway clear, a scaffold that has been inspected and tagged, and a client who is happy to talk while the crew are still there. Sites tell the truth in a way brochures cannot, which is why we invite everyone who asks for a quote. The dust question explains what you should expect to see.
The regs question that reveals expertise
One technical question separates people who build lofts from people who say they do. Ask: "My house is two storeys now. How will you handle the fire escape route once the loft makes it three?" A competent answer comes without hesitation: the staircase becomes a protected route to the front door, the rooms opening onto it get fire doors, mains-wired interlinked smoke alarms go on every level, and there are approved alternatives if the layout makes that impossible. Anyone who says lofts do not need building regulations, or that the inspector will not check, has told you everything.
Follow up with two more. "What U-value are you insulating the roof to?" should get you 0.15 W/m²K for a new roof or dormer, and 0.18 for insulating an existing pitched roof at rafter level, without a pause. "Who does the structural calculations, who submits to building control, and when do the inspections happen?" should get you a named engineer, a decision between a building notice and full plans, and a list of stage visits. On a terrace, ask who serves the party wall notices; the right answer is you, two months ahead, with the builder's help. Our guides on building regulations, loft stairs and the Party Wall Act will make you a harder person to bluff.
Red flags
- A large deposit up front, or a request for "materials money" before anything is on site.
- Cash only, no VAT invoice, or a price that only works if the paperwork is skipped.
- No company number, no fixed business address, and a mobile number as the only contact.
- Pressure to sign today, or a price that expires by the weekend.
- A quote far below the others. Someone is either missing scope or planning to find it later.
- Availability next Monday for a loft, when the good firms in Bristol are booked for months. Not always a red flag, but ask why; why the good builders have waiting lists explains.
- Vagueness on building control, or an electrician and gas engineer they cannot name (ours are NICEIC and Gas Safe registered).
How to choose a builder: the printable checklist
Take this to every quote meeting.
- Company found on Companies House: active, dates match, directors match, accounts filed
- Public liability and employers' liability certificates seen, names and dates checked
- Trade body membership checked on the register, not on the van
- Reviews read for patterns; two past clients rung and asked "would you use them again?"
- Three itemised written quotes, exclusions compared line by line, VAT shown
- Deposit modest and staged payments agreed in writing
- Written contract: scope, programme, payment stages, variations, building control responsibility, guarantee terms
- Live site visited, at the end of a working day
- The regs question asked and answered without hesitation; engineer, electrician and gas engineer named
- Party wall notices and planning route explained, with dates
Nothing on that list is special to us. Dan and Craig named this company after their grandfathers, both builders, to give builders a better name; the founders' story explains why, and our about page has the credentials to check us against every line above. Homeowners carry a few duties of their own on any project too, set out in our CDM guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether a builder is legitimate?
Search the exact company name on Companies House and confirm it is active, the dates match the experience claimed and the directors are the people you met. Ask for public liability and employers' liability certificates and read the insured name and dates. Check trade body membership on the body's own register, and confirm a real business address.
How much deposit should I pay a builder?
As little as possible. Citizens Advice says never agree to more than 25% and to pay in stages rather than up front. Wilson & Cole takes a booking deposit of around 10% once a project is in the diary, with the rest paid in stages against work done.
Should I get an itemised quote or a lump sum?
Itemised, every time. An itemised quote shows structure, glazing, stair, electrics, plumbing, plastering, decoration, scaffold, skips, building control fees and any provisional sums, with exclusions listed and VAT shown. Three lump sums cannot be compared.
What questions should I ask a builder before hiring them?
Ask how they will handle the fire escape route once a loft makes the house three storeys, what U-value the roof will be insulated to, who does the structural calculations and building control application, who serves the party wall notices, and whether you can visit a live site.
Is FMB membership worth looking for?
Yes, provided you check it on the FMB register. The FMB vets applicants on trading history, credit history and insurance, has their work independently inspected, and holds members to a code of conduct that includes written quotes and contracts. It is one check among several, alongside Companies House, insurance certificates and reviews.
Call Dan or Craig on 0117 2510365, or send us the details of your project and we'll call you back within one working day.
