When appointing a building contractor to carry out your construction project, clients want to ensure that the person or organisation they employ knows what they are doing and has the necessary skill and resources to undertake the work. Typically, they are expected to be “competent”. But what does this actually mean, and how is it measured?
For present purposes the emphasis is on the “skills and knowledge” aspect of competence, with specific reference to construction projects. It is perhaps worth noting that there is a difference between competence and competency. Competence means the basic ability of someone to perform actions. This means they perform the actions as well as the average person. Generally speaking, “Competency” refers to the more advanced ability and skills of individuals carrying out a particular task. So, we need the building contractor to have the competency to undertake the project to recognised standards and to abide with all relevant statutes. The builders you decide to employ to build your extension or to do your loft conversion may have great intentions but these amount to nothing if their overall building skills or knowledge of the relevant statutes and regulations are lacking.
In my experience (I have been involved in the building industry for over fifty years) more often than not with incompetent builders, the 'let’s do it anyway cos when it's done, they might just let it go' attitude kicks in! I see it all too often when a builder views drawings, specifications and a party wall agreement as some sort of menu where he can pick and choose from, or in extreme cases, ignore completely.
As a Party Wall Surveyor, I come across numerous times when ‘cowboy’ builders choose to ignore the terms of a party wall agreement leading to works having to be re-done at extra cost to the client. Clients generally make the mistake of conflating 'friendly builders' with 'competent builders'. The ideal is to have both a 'friendly builder' and a 'competent builder'.
There has previously been a tendency to assume that if someone says they are competent, it is not necessary to check in much detail. This is no longer acceptable, and it is incumbent on clients to take reasonable steps to ensure that the right builder is employed to undertake the tasks involved in the construction project.
Most general builders come from a trade background, be it a carpenter, bricklayer or plasterer etc. They hope that their limited knowledge will somehow diffuse and transform itself throughout all the skillsets that is required to become a competent builder. They don’t need anything else apart from a healthy cashflow! (That’s another topic for a future blog!)
They don’t have years of adaptations under their belt, so they might have to use ‘best guesses’ based on skills and knowledge they do have – sometimes with costly results.
Having said all that, there are general builders who realise what’s involved. They wish to be knowledgeable and competent builders. They get qualified in relevant skills by doing courses, undertaking CPD regularly, staying updated with the latest building regulations and standard practices. Most good builders will be members of at least one trade body such as the Federation of Master Builders or the Guild of Master Craftsmen etc. Always double-check a builder’s membership claims. Never take their word for it. These are builders who get painted with the same paintbrush as do the incompetent ‘cowboy’ builders. These builders would welcome regulation they can stand over their work and have a professional pride in their work.
It’s really incomprehensible in this day and age that anybody can set themselves up as a general builder. If I want to be a gas fitter or electrician then I have to prove my competence and be registered. I am part of a regulated profession. Building surveyors have to demonstrate their competencies and are regulated by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Domestic builders do not have minimum competence levels, they are not a protected profession, they are unregulated. Without minimum standards, unregulated or ‘dodgy’ building work will continue, and the industry will not shake off its poor reputation, which is driven by rogue operators plying their trade free from consequence.
Often, the simplest way of checking is by seeking references or by asking for examples of previous work. When you invite the builder to quote you for the work, they should be asked to put forward referees or provide details of previous work undertaken. This is so you that you can inspect and verify their work for yourself. Any professional builder would have no problem in facilitating this. Having said this, this method is not perfect, as builders will naturally put forward the best examples, or “friendly” referees, so while it can be a useful guide to their “best” capability, it may not always be typical of their work. You could ask for details of their last three jobs. There is also the option of taking out insurance against the possibility of something going wrong — effectively undertaking to rectify poor performance — or at least bearing the cost of remedial measures. However, this does not prevent a failure in the first instance.
I would like to see the government establishing a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of building contractors by setting standards for qualification and continuing professional development and such other measures as may be considered necessary or desirable. In Australia for example, you need a licence or certificate to do any residential building work and there are different types of licences and certificates available depending on the work you need to do. You must have the approved qualifications and experience before you can apply for a licence or certificate which has to be renewed every few years.
I feel the time has well passed for an accreditation system to be mandatory in order to ensure the competence of all those who offer their services as building contractors.
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