How to Choose a Builder in Kent

Start with what the company actually is

Before anything else, establish who you would be contracting with. A limited company can be checked on Companies House in two minutes: incorporation date, registered address, directors and whether accounts are filed on time. A sole trader cannot, so ask for a trading history and references instead.

Check that the name on the quote, the name on the insurance certificate and the name on the bank details all match. Where they do not, ask why before you go any further.

Company number and filing history on Companies House · Public liability insurance certificate, in date and in the right name · Employers liability where anyone is employed · VAT registration number if VAT is being charged · A physical trading address, not just a mobile number · Relevant trade accreditations, checked on the scheme's own register

References, but the useful kind

Any builder can produce three delighted customers. Ask instead for a project completed twelve to twenty-four months ago, because that is when the workmanship reveals itself, and ask to visit something currently on site.

A live site tells you more than any reference. Is it tidy, is it protected from the weather, are materials stored properly, is there welfare provision, and does the client look relaxed? Ask the current client one question: what has gone wrong, and how did they handle it? Every project has something. The answer to how it was handled is the entire point.

Getting quotes you can actually compare

Give every builder the same drawings, the same specification and the same list of assumptions. Without that you are comparing three different projects and choosing on price.

Insist on an itemised quote rather than a single figure. It should separate groundworks, structure, roof, windows, first and second fix, plastering, decoration and external works, and it should list what is excluded. Exclusions are where the arguments live.

What a quote should contain, and what it means if it does not. Item | Why it matters. Itemised breakdown by trade or stage — Lets you compare like for like and value-engineer sensibly; Written exclusions — Kitchens, flooring, decoration and landscaping are the usual gaps; Provisional sums clearly labelled — Shows which figures are estimates rather than prices; Stated VAT position — A 20% surprise at invoice stage is the most common dispute; Programme with start and duration — Turns a promise into something measurable; Payment schedule tied to milestones — Protects you from paying ahead of the work; Named contract form or written terms — Defines variations, delays and defects

Payment terms that protect you

Never pay a large deposit. A modest sum against ordered materials is reasonable, supported by supplier invoices. Anything approaching a third of the contract value upfront is the clearest warning sign in the industry.

Structure payments against completed, visible milestones: foundations complete and inspected, structure to wall plate, roof watertight, first fix complete, plastering complete, practical completion. Hold a retention of around five per cent for three to six months to cover snagging, and put all of it in writing.

The red flags worth walking away from

Some warning signs are ambiguous. These are not.

A large cash deposit requested before anything is ordered · Pressure to decide today, or a price that expires this week · No written quote, or a single figure on a compliments slip · Unwillingness to provide an insurance certificate · A discount offered for paying in cash without a VAT invoice · A price dramatically below every other quote received · Cold calling, or work offered because they are 'in the area' · No fixed address and a reluctance to name the trading entity

Local matters more than people think

A builder working regularly in Kent, Sussex and Surrey knows the local ground conditions, has working relationships with the building control teams, and has subcontractors who will turn up. They also have a reputation within a small radius that they cannot afford to damage.

Ask specifically about recent work in your area, on a property of a similar age. A contractor who has repaired lath and plaster in a Wealden cottage knows what is behind your walls. One who has only built new-build estates does not.

Get it in writing, even for small jobs

For anything over a few thousand pounds, use a written contract. The JCT Home Owner Contract is short, plain English and designed exactly for this. It covers variations, delays, payment and defects, and it removes the ambiguity that causes almost every dispute.

Also agree the small things: working hours, where materials are stored, which lavatory is used, how skips are managed, and who is the single point of contact. Written down, these are trivial. Undecided, they become friction.

Frequently asked questions

How many quotes should I get?

Three is the useful number, all working from identical drawings and specifications. More than four rarely adds information and it delays the project by weeks.

Should I always pick the cheapest?

No. Discard the outlier in both directions and interrogate the difference. A quote well below the others is usually missing scope, and you will pay for it later as variations.

What deposit is reasonable?

Enough to cover materials genuinely being ordered, evidenced by supplier invoices. A demand for a substantial percentage of the contract value before work starts is a reason to walk away.

Do I need a written contract for a small job?

For anything more than a few thousand pounds, yes. Written terms covering scope, price, programme, variations and payment protect both parties and cost nothing.