Wirral builders: what to look for

For most people, finding a builder is the biggest “who do you know?” question they’ll ever ask. Wirral has plenty, from one-man extension outfits to proper construction firms, and the gap between a good one and a chancer can run to tens of thousands of pounds. Here’s how to find a good one before you sign a contract.

There are 18 builders and construction firms listed across Wirral on WotsItCalled, in Heswall, Moreton, Greasby, Irby, Birkenhead and Hoylake. Some are general builders who take on extensions and refurbs, some specialise in new builds, and a couple are landscaping or building-services outfits. They do very different jobs.

Work out what kind of builder you need

“Builder” covers a lot of ground. Pin down the job first and you’ll stop ringing the wrong companies.

• Extension or loft conversion: proper structural work. You want a main contractor who runs the site and coordinates the trades, or a builder with a small team of their own who brings in a plumber, sparks or plasterer as needed. Either way, insist on a project manager or one clear point of contact.
• Full renovation or refurb: gutting the inside and rebuilding it. Again you want a firm used to running a whole project rather than a jobbing builder, and a realistic programme with dates, not “about six months”.
• Small works and repairs: brickwork, a bit of rendering, garden walls, garage conversions. A smaller outfit or a decent handyperson-builder usually beats a main contractor who’ll price it like a project.
• New builds: if you’re self-building, look for recent new-build work on their website, insurance that covers it, and past customers you can actually ring.
• Landscaping, hard-standing, driveways: often lumped in with builders, but usually a separate specialism. Not every builder does paving properly.

How complicated the job is, and how many trades it needs, tells you which of these to ring.

Five questions to ask before you sign anything

Ask every one of these before you agree to anything, pay a deposit or let anyone order materials.

1. Can I see a job like mine that you’ve finished in the last twelve months? You want a real address, and ideally a phone call with the customer, rather than photos on a website. A decent builder is proud of recent work, and a chancer will fumble this one.
2. Will I get a written contract with payment stages tied to work completed? This is essential. A deposit of more than 10 to 15% up front is a warning sign, and stage payments should follow the work done, not the calendar.
3. What’s your public liability insurance and do you have employer’s liability if you’ve got staff? £2m public liability is the minimum for building work, and employer’s liability is a legal requirement if they have employees. Ask for the policy number.
4. Who’s the project manager and who’ll actually be on site? The person who sells you the job isn’t always the one who runs it. Get names, and find out how often the project manager will visit.
5. What happens if the job runs over or costs more than quoted? A proper contract covers this with a variations procedure. Ask how extras are priced and agreed, because the worst stories tend to start with “while we were in there, we noticed…”

What a good listing actually tells you

Five minutes on a builder’s listing and website can save you weeks of hassle.

• Photos of finished projects, ideally with some in-progress shots: seeing the stages, not just the glamour shot, shows they’re proud of how they work as well as the result.
• Reviews that name the project: “they did our two-storey extension in 14 weeks, cleaned up every day, stuck to the quote within 3%” beats “great builders” by a mile.
• A registered business address and company number: a mobile number isn’t enough, and a limited company is easier to chase if things go wrong.
• Trade memberships: FMB (Federation of Master Builders), NHBC, TrustMark or similar. None is a guarantee, but members have been checked to some standard.
• How they handle a bad review: a calm explanation and an offer to put it right suggests a firm that takes complaints seriously. An aggressive reply is your cue to walk away.

Wirral builders worth a look

Here are a few already on WotsItCalled to start with. Read the listings, ask for recent references, and take your time.

• Abbey Builders: Pensby / Heswall / Birkenhead area, nearly 30 reviews, a solid all-round building firm that’s been around locally for a long time.
• The Open Plan Building Co, Wirral Builders: Heswall, a top-rated newer outfit that specialises in open-plan and extension work.
• Greenland Garden Landscape Fencing and Patios: Moreton, a landscaping firm for hard-standing, fencing, patios and outdoor builds.

More Wirral builders are being added, and there are already others on the directory in Heswall, Greasby, Hoylake and Irby. The full list is on the Wirral builders category page, and the national builders directory covers the rest of the country.

The short version

• Extensions, refurbs, small works, new builds and landscaping each need a different kind of firm, so sort the job first.
• Ask for a recent finished job you can visit or ring about. References beat photos.
• Get a written contract with stage payments tied to work done, and avoid big upfront deposits.
• Expect £2m public liability as a minimum, plus employer’s liability if they have staff, and ask for policy numbers.
• Agree the variations procedure before the job starts, because that’s where surprise bills come from.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Find the place everyone’s on about, or browse everything listed in Wirral.