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Have You Accidentally Hired a Cowboy Builder?

Cowboy builders can cause lots of stress and can be very expensive when they are not identified prior to when they start any building work. Therefore, it is useful to know what clues to look for before hiring any builder so as to spot the cowboy builders from the good guys.

Author: Robert Deans
Date: Mar 13, 2012 - 12:47:51 PM

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You can turn out wasting a small fortune and also a lot of stress if you don't recognize a cowboy builder before they begin work. For you to see the big difference between cowboy builders and good builders, therefore, it's good to understand what signs to look for.



Signs to look out for



Be wary of the builders who cold call. A decent builder is likely to have a quite occupied schedule and will subsequently not have the time and will not really need to approach people at their houses to build up work. If they take any job immediately and are also constantly in search of new work, its a likely sign that they are a cowboy builder.



Moreover, you'll get a categorised and comprehensive quote that shows all the work that is to be done from a good builder. For instance, a quote will break down the types of materials needed for any job such as roofing supplies or building materials. For any good builder this quote might be quite high with regards to the work being done and also the completed result shall be of a very good quality. Cowboy builders will rarely give a thorough and specific quote. The quote will also be outlinedin greater detail by a good builder - you will see what for and why those roofing supplies would be needed.



 Cowboy builders will probably want payment beforehand and tend to deal mainly in cash. In contrast, a reputable builder would have small payment instalments whilst the job is being done.



Steer clear of Cowboy Builders



Taking pre-emptive action is amongst the best ways in order to guard against cowboy builders. It will be much easier and not waste time, money and inconvenience should you notice a cowboy builder well before they start any kind of work.



By requesting for three unique references is amongst the best ways to separate the cowboy builders from the good ones. An honest builder should be pleased to provide unique references as opposed to a cowboy builder who'll be very unwilling to offer any references.



It's also important that anyone who hires a building contractor possess a written agreement set up and signed prior to any work takes place. This written agreement will cover both parties should any work not work right. All the things should be clearly declared in this contract such as what work is going to be happening, what the homeowner was quoted for (such as roofing supplies etc) and also the cost of the work being done. This type of professional understanding gives assurance toeach party should anything go awry.



Make sure you ask lots of questions. The homeowner has to make sure they have got the best person for the task, and a good builder will appreciate this. Also, don't be worried to query a builder while he is doing work. If roofing supplies have been ordered and the householder doesn't understand the importance of them, the builder must be able to demonstrate the reason for the roofing supplies and what jobs are being carried out that will need it.

This post was written by R. Deans on behalf of Ashbrook Roofing, experts in roofing supplies. For more information on roofing supplies please visit ashbrookroofing.co.uk.

View all articles by Robert Deans

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