Choosing a reliable builder in Brisbane
The time to find out the quality of your Brisbane builders is before you hire them. The last thing you want is for a start to be made on the renovations of your Queenslander, only to experience delays, unexpected complications, lack of expertise or availability problems – all of which are more common than you might think.
This means you need to screen your builders and go out of your way to find out how reliable they are before selecting the one that best suits your home renovation.
The following five steps should help you select a reliable Brisbane builder with the best chance of a successful renovation:
- Check licences and insurance
Never assume that your builders are who they say they are. Check with the Queensland state authorities to ensure they are fully licensed tradesmen, qualified to work for you. Also check that they have home indemnity insurance (a Certificate of Currency) in case the builder dies, disappears or the business folds. Don’t touch any builder without one of these.
- Check for building disputes
Does your potential builder have any past or present disputes? You can check this with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, and this will give you an idea of the builder’s track record to date. Those with disputes may be questionable in terms of quality of work or reliability.
- Inspect past projects
It makes sense to be able to check ‘references’ – that is, past projects the builder has been involved in, and completed. This will give you an idea of the scale and scope of work done in the past and a benchmark for the quality of the workmanship and materials that you can expect. If possible, speak to the builder’s past clients regarding service and timescales for completion.
- Ensure present commitments are not too demanding
What present projects is your builder involved in? This will impact availability for your job and how often he will be on the job site to supervise. Many builders over-commit and over-promise, leading to blow outs in completion times or hiring sub-contractors who produce sub-standard work. Pin your builder down to definite dates and project management commitments.
- Insist on an ongoing maintenance period
Most builders should commit to a maintenance period of at least 6 months after the work is complete, whereby they will be on hand to look after any issues that crop up. Get this confirmed and in writing before signing any agreement.
Brisbane Builders is a family-owned Queensland company with 14 years residential and commercial building experience. Our many satisfied customers will vouch for our proven track record of success with home renovations in Brisbane and around the state. Call Craig for a quote on your next renovation project: 0420 466 286.