Five tips for spotting a cowboy builder

Unfortunately, a cowboy builder doesn't ride into town on a horse wearing a 10 gallon hat. But if you do fall victim to a cowboy builder you'll soon know about it, with work badly done or simply not finished at all. So how do you spot a cowboy? Here are our top tips on avoiding these fake tradesmen.

Good builders don't have to go door to door looking for trade

Good builders often rely on their reputation and word of mouth to generate business. They'll be proud to provide customer testimonials and proof of their previous good work. If you receive a knock on the door, ask for a business card then politely but firmly refuse their services until you have the chance to check them out.

Good builders will provide a business address

Some good builders work from home, but they'll be happy to let you know where to find them. If your builder only operates from a mobile phone and you can't find them on the internet, then you won't be able to find them when they run out on you in the middle of a job.

Good builders can never start tomorrow

A good builder is always in demand. If your builder says he can start tomorrow because he's got no other jobs on, your cowboy radar should start flashing.

Good builders are professional and courteous

Builders get a good reputation not just because of they way they carry out their work, but because they treat the customer with respect and professionalism. If your builder starts to bamboozle you with jargon they can't explain, or starts to use patronising language, then they're not the builder for you.

Good builders never ask for money up front

A good builder runs a business with adequate cash flow to cover materials. They'll never ask for money up front and they won't ask for cash. You'll sign a proper contract and receive proper receipts on headed paper so everything is accountable and traceable. If you're pressured for money up front, then your builder is likely to ride out of town with it, leaving the job unfinished.

If you're not confident dealing with tradesmen or prefer someone else to do the checking for you, Trust Local can help - we run background checks on all our tradesmen to help stamp out rogue trading and ensure the builder you use is exactly who he says he is.