There are two types of bad builders, the cowboy builders
and the rogue traders. Here's the difference between the
two.
Your typical cowboy builder has worked in the trade for a
year and decides it's easy enough to build an extension or
put a new roof on etc. so he hands in his notice and sets up
on is own. This cowboy builder has his heart in the right
place but has neither the experience, tools nor the
qualifications to give you a good job.
The second type are the rogue traders who deliberately sets
out to give you a bad job. This builder will make as much as
he can by cutting back on materials, using unqualified cheap
labour etc. The rogue trader has neither the heart nor the
conscience to give you a good job.
Example of cowboy builders at work.
You want a nice long driveway doing in concrete and you
employ cowboy builder to carry out the work.
This cowboy builder knows the depth should be about 100mm
because he's seen his old boss prepare driveways for
concreting. He's also seen his boss set the shuttering but
how he did it, he has no idea! He has a go anyway and hopes
for the best.
The concrete wagons turn up and pour their load. Two hours
later cowboy builder is panicking. When he saw his old boss
floating up concrete it didn't take this long. The bloody
stuff is going hard and he's only screeded and rubbed up
half of it! He rushes the last section and although the
finish doesn't look very good it's the least of his worries.
He's got three ton of spare concrete sat in front of your
neighbours drive and it's setting fast!
Two days later he's managed to break up the boulder that
blocked your neighbours (and one time friend's) drive so you
bite the bullet and pay him. Another two days later it rains
and your drive is full of puddles. Come winter the local
children use your drive as an ice rink. Your neighbour
laughs.
The rogue traders at work
You want a nice long driveway doing in concrete and you
employ a rogue trader to carry out the work.
This guy knows exactly what the depth should be but concrete
costs money and there is no way he's cutting into his profit
margin by spending your deposit on more concrete than he has
to. He sets up the shuttering and pours the concrete. He
screeds it off and doesn't worry about giving it a float
finish.
He knocks on the door and wants the rest of his £2000 "in
cash please." You query the finish but he explains it's an
anti-slip finish you have to use now due to new building
regulations. "Once it sets it will look great" he assures
you.
You tell rogue trader you know nothing about building work
but you were amazed to see that it only took ten barrows of
concrete to do the whole drive. He tells you eight barrows
is the norm but he threw in the extra two for nothing so you
pay him because you got a bargain.
Every time you park on it you make a crack. A week later the
weeds are coming through the concrete. Another week and it
looks like crazy paving.
Are these rogue traders and cowboy builders really out there
?
The above two scenario's may have been exaggerated to get
a point across (and hopefully give you a smile :-) but these
so called builders are about and they are on the increase.
As house prices continue to rise, people are finding it more
practical and economical to improve or enlarge their current
property rather than move.
This means there is a big demand for good quality builders
and rogue traders know this. They know that if they can
start straight away then chances are you will go against
your better judgment and use them.
But how do you know whether it's a rogue trader or you just
got lucky and caught a reputable builder between jobs?
Check
builders references by going to see previous customers for a
start, don't just phone. A rogue trader will have thought of
that and given you his mates phone number!
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