Articles
Simple guides for UK homeowners about to hire a builder. How to verify a contractor on Companies House, what to do when a builder goes bust, how to spot a rogue trader before signing. The things that matter before a deposit changes hands.
Each guide is written for a specific situation and cross-references UK consumer-protection sources where relevant. For UK construction cost ranges by job type, see our cost guides instead.
Do I need a quantity surveyor to check my builder quote? (UK)
What a chartered quantity surveyor actually does on a domestic project, when the £200–£500 fee is the right call, and when a one-off quote review is overspec for the job.
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Is my garden landscaping quote fair? What UK homeowners should expect
How to read a UK garden landscaping quote: the typical price bands, why two quotes for "the same garden" differ by £15,000, the materials and groundworks detail that should be itemised, the items most often missing, and the red flags worth catching before you commit.
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Is my house rewire quote reasonable? What UK homeowners should expect
The same headline can describe a careful partial rewire by a NICEIC-registered electrician with full certification, or a full-house "rewire" by an unregistered tradesperson with no certificate. Reading which one you have, by bedroom count and band.
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How can I tell if a UK decorator is overcharging?
The £250 gap between two quotes for the same room is almost always prep. Per-room bands, day rates outside and inside London, wallpaper removal, exterior masonry, and the prep scope that separates a finish that lasts ten years from one that shows defects in months.
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Why is one bifold doors quote so different from another?
A £4,500 quote can be doors-only or doors plus £3,500 of structural work sitting off the page. The lines you need to see: engineer, lintel or steel beam, Building Control, FENSA, threshold type. Plus the per-panel bands by material and why VAT is still 20% on bifolds.
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Is my conservatory quote too expensive? What's normal in the UK
A conservatory quote can be the kit (frames, glass, roof) or the finished room (base, heating, electrics, flooring, making-good). Reading which one you have, why the roof choice swings the price, and when Building Regs apply.
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My garage conversion quote seems expensive: how do I know?
A £7,000 garage conversion quote and a £15,000 one can both be honest prices — they are pricing a refurb and a habitable-room build. How to tell which yours is, where the Building Regs path should sit on the page, and what the seven jobs of a real conversion cost.
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Why does the same UK rendering job cost £6,000 and £15,000?
Two rendering quotes at the same price can be two different products with two different lifespans, and two quotes at very different prices can be the same job sized to different render systems. Per-m² bands by system, the scaffolding line that often hides, and the Part L trigger above 25% of any wall.
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