How we work
Six stages, and no surprises in any of them.
Almost every bad experience people describe with builders comes down to the same three things: a price that moved, a programme that slipped without explanation, and nobody to ask about either.
This is how we run every project, from a bathroom to a twenty-week refurbishment.
The short version
- Free survey and written quotation
- Staged price, stated exclusions
- Payment by bank transfer against work done
- Variations agreed in writing, before they happen
- Certification and snagging cleared before the balance
- 01
The first call
Same day, usually
Tell us what you are planning. We will say straight away whether it is something we do, roughly what it involves, and whether it needs drawings or approvals before it can be priced. If it is not a job for us, we will say so and point you somewhere better.
- No call centre — you speak to one of the four
- Honest view on planning and building regulations
- A realistic steer on lead time before you invest any effort
- 02
The survey
Within a week · Free
We come to the property, measure, and look at the things that decide the price: drain runs, joist depths, head height, floor levels, the condition of what is already there. Pricing a build from photographs helps nobody, so we do not do it.
- Free and without obligation
- Existing drawings reviewed against what is actually there
- Constraints flagged early — party wall, access, tree roots, consents
- 03
The written quotation
3–7 days after the survey
A priced schedule of works, broken into stages, with what is included and what is specifically excluded. Provisional sums are labelled as provisional rather than buried. You will be able to see what each phase of the job costs.
- Stage-by-stage breakdown, not a single figure
- Exclusions stated plainly
- An indicative programme with a start date
- 04
Booking in
On acceptance
A deposit secures the start date and covers the first materials order. Everything else is paid in stages against work that has been completed. Payment is by bank transfer; details are on the quotation and every invoice.
- Deposit against the start date and material orders
- Skips, permits and waste included unless stated otherwise
- Building control application submitted and inspections booked
- 05
On site
The programme
Protection goes down, dust screens go up, and one access route is agreed. We work to the programme and review it with you weekly. If something unexpected is uncovered we stop, photograph it, and price it in writing before going any further.
- Weekly progress review against the written programme
- First fix photographed before anything is covered up
- Variations priced and agreed in writing before they happen
- Site cleared at the end of every day
- 06
Sign-off and handover
Final week
Building control completion, certification for electrical and gas work, and a joint snagging walk-round in daylight. We work through the list before we invoice the balance, not after.
- Completion certificate where building regulations apply
- Electrical and gas certification issued to you
- Snagging list agreed jointly and cleared before final payment
Payment
How the money works.
Deposit
Secures your start date and covers the first materials order. Invoiced, receipted, and set against the contract sum.
Stage payments
Each stage of the written programme is invoiced when it is complete and you can see it. Never in advance of the work.
Variations
Priced in writing and agreed before the work happens. Nothing appears on a later invoice that you have not signed off.
Final balance
Due after the snagging list is cleared and any certification has been issued to you — not before.
Our bank details are issued on your quotation and repeated on every invoice. They do not change mid-project. If you ever receive a message claiming our account details have changed, call 07387 992630 and confirm it with us before sending anything.
Start with a survey. It costs nothing.
Even if you are still deciding whether the project is worth doing, an hour on site will tell you far more than another evening of research.