Hi,

Please can anyone give an opinion on this? We are having the cellar turned into a kitchen and it needs new tanking/ waterproofing. Plastic tanking will be used but my question is, does my builder need to have specific expertise in tanking, like sometimes you need to get a certificate of damproofing off your damproofer? He's a general builder but I don't know if he has to have qualificatons for any sort of guarrantee? He will no doubt want to do it but should I insist on the 'expert'?

My second question please is, when the job starts me and the builder will agree on a payment timetable but I know he may need some money upfront to buy materials. Should I ask him for copies of the receipts when he buys stuff or should I just believe him? One of the guys has worked for me before and he's always done excellent work for us, though much smaller jobs. Will they be expecting me to ask for receipts or will they be offended?

Thanks if anyone can give me pointers.

To give my opinion regarding your first question I would insist on a guarantee for a minimum of fifteen years.

Your second question;

The best and fairest method is for you, or to have a bill of quantities drawn up.

Basically it’s a detailed list of works. Your builder puts his rate next to the item he then multiply it by the quantity shown. This means if your builder wants paying for brick laying you can measure / calculate the quantity of bricks he as laid multiply this by his rate and that’s how much you pay him no more no less. Something like the tanking would be classed as an item on the B of Q.

Have a look at this B of Q I produced for a client it should give you some idea of what I am trying to explain. Most small builders don’t like this method it stops them from claiming for things that they haven’t carried out etc.

A preferred or named suppler is some one you want your builder to employ to carry out a specific part of the project, and therefore he should use this company.

It's cetainly not common to get asked for receipts. When you buy a car do you ask for separate receipts for the wheels, the engine, the paint, the lights etc? If the builder has given you a quote with a breakdown of materils and labour which you have agreed to then that should be enough.

The problem is prices of goods go up and down. Your builder may end up having to pay more for certain goods and less for others. Also if your builder gets the benefit of store or bulk discounts, he should get the benefit of that and not you.

Just my thoughts. Others may disagree.

Cheers

Si

Thanks v much to both replies, really helpful

im painter and decorator, and on my terms and conditions it states on large jobs payment will be required it 3 parts, on at the bigining one in the middle and one at the end, all my quotes say price for labour and materials and gives one price, if some one asked me for the recipts, id be asking why? if you have a payment plan, stick to it if your worried have a talk to him, he should of got a price for the materials before giving you a quote, but like its been said prices go up.

just ask him if the payment plan is enough to cover the materials as the job moves on, i wouldnt show recipts, you have to cover the money it costs to go get the paint on some jobs im on that involves going right out of my way, if i said to the customer il get the paint but you'll have to pay me the petrol money they wouldnt use me, so one way of covering that cost is to add a % on to teh materails, i know one builder who adds on 5%, i just add on what it costs in petrol.

i would ask for the guarantee, other wise ask him to get a company in that only does damp course so you get the guarantee of them.

cheers, really helpful