Fear Of Cowboy Builders Costing £6 Billion A Year

• October 30, 2015|
• News|
• admin-malbern

Cowboy builders is a topic we’ve already covered here at Malbern Windows recently, and it appears recent research has reinforced the difficulties some homeowners face when hiring tradesmen.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has published new figures suggesting shoddy workmanship could be costing the country £6 billion a year. According to the organisation, people’s concerns over unqualified tradesmen means one-fifth of respondents had delayed home improvements.

Price was an issue with nearly one-quarter of individuals, with many feeling the final cost of a project will exceed the quote. A further one in seven believe the work will be substandard, while 33 per cent have already had a bad experience with a tradesperson.

Brian Berry, FMB chief executive, said cowboy builder anxiety is a “grave concern” that hampers the industry’s reputation and creates economic pressures on small construction businesses across the UK.

“What many people don’t realise is that the building trade has moved with the times – there are some fantastic tradespeople out there,” he explained.

Mr Berry also recommended finding tradesmen through recognised industry bodies to ensure they are accredited. People hoping to invest in conservatories and other home improvements in Manchester should check a company’s testimonials to see comments from other happy customers.

However, despite the FMB analysis, recent figures from Swinton Insurance in This is Money showed Britons still heavily rely on tradesmen for a variety of tasks. The organisation claimed the average person spends £300 a year on hiring professional help to fix problems they can often solve on their own.