How to choose a builder in Barbados

Start with what you can see

Ask any builder to show you a job they are on right now. Not photographs — a live site. In one visit you learn nearly everything:

• Is it tidy? Tidy sites are safer, faster and run by people who plan.
• Is anyone working? On a weekday morning, with materials on site and a sequence you can follow.
• Is the work square, plumb and level? You do not need to be a builder to see whether blockwork lines up.
• Is material protected from the weather, or stacked in the rain?
• Will the owner talk to you? A builder who is happy to introduce you to a current client is telling you something useful. So is one who is not.

The questions worth asking

1. Who will actually be on my job, and who runs it day to day? Meeting the owner and then never seeing them again is a common story.
2. What insurance do you carry? Ask to see it.
3. How do you price variations? The answer should be: in writing, before the work is done.
4. What is the payment schedule? It should follow work completed on site.
5. What is not included? A good builder answers this immediately and in detail.
6. What could go wrong on my job? The most revealing question on the list. Anyone who says "nothing" has not looked.
7. Are you working on anything else at the same time? Being busy is fine. Being committed to four jobs and one crew is not.
8. What happens if something fails after handover? You want a person, not a shrug.

Paperwork to expect

• An itemised written quotation with scope, exclusions and provisional sums — see what a quote should show you.
• A written programme with stage dates.
• A written agreement or contract. For a substantial job, get it reviewed.
• Confirmation of insurance.
• At the end: approvals, certificates, guarantees and drawings, handed to you.

The warning signs

• A large deposit before anything happens, especially in cash and especially with no written scope.
• No written quote, or one that arrives as a number in a text message.
• Pressure and urgency. "I have a crew free next week, but only if you decide today."
• No current site to visit.
• Vagueness about the programme.
• Reluctance to discuss what happens if things go wrong.
• Everything is somebody else's fault when you ask about a previous job.

Protect yourself sensibly

• Pay in stages against completed work, and never far ahead of it.
• Hold a retention on the final payment until snagging is finished.
• Keep changes in writing, even by message. A short written record keeps everyone clear.
• Photograph progress yourself. It costs nothing and answers most questions later.
• Get planning permission before, not after. An unapproved building is your problem to carry.

The best single question you can ask a builder is what they think will go wrong on your job. Someone who has thought about your site will have an answer, and it will not be flattering.