10 Questions to Ask Your Builder Before You Sign Anything – A Homeowner’s Guide for Essex
Nearly everyone who ends up with a bad builder story says the same thing: looking back, they never actually asked the right questions before signing anything. Whether you’re typing ‘builder near me’ into Google or searching specifically for an extension builder in Essex, the results rarely tell you who’s actually reliable. What follows are the ten questions worth asking before you commit to anyone. Most of them, as it turns out, can’t be properly answered without a complete set of drawings already in place, which is worth knowing before that first meeting even happens.
If you haven’t got drawings yet, that needs sorting first. Book a free Discovery Call and get that groundwork done before you speak to anyone about building.
One Thing Before You Ask Any of These Questions
Most of what follows genuinely can’t be answered properly without a complete drawings package, architectural drawings, structural calculations, building regulations documentation, all of it. Without that in place, any price, any programme, and any so-called ‘fixed’ quote is really just a guess. And guesses have a way of turning into disputes once the real numbers show up. A builder who hands you a fixed price without having seen the structural drawings first is guessing, plain and simple.
The 10 Questions to Ask
Are you quoting from a complete set of drawings and structural calculations?
This is the single most important question on this list, and almost nobody thinks to ask it. A builder pricing without structural drawings has no idea what the foundation depth needs to be, what size the steels need to be, or what the roof specification actually is. Whatever number they give you is going to move once reality doesn't match their assumptions, and it usually does. This applies whether your project needed full planning permission or went through as permitted development; either way, the structural package still has to exist before a builder can price accurately. Kirkwood's vetted builders only quote once the full technical package exists, which is exactly why their prices hold.
Is your price fixed, or can it change once work begins?
There's a real difference between a fixed-price contract and an estimate. An estimate can move significantly once the builder's actually on site. A fixed price means the number on the contract is the number you pay, unless you personally request a change in writing. Builders who won't commit to a fixed price from a finished drawings package are telling you something worth listening to.
Can I see an itemised, line-by-line quotation?
A one-page quote with a single headline number gives a builder a huge amount of room to move later. An itemised quotation, broken into groundworks, foundations, blockwork, steelwork, roofing, glazing, plastering, plumbing, electrics, shows you precisely what's actually been allowed for. It's also the only way to properly check a quote against realistic house extension costs for Essex. Vetted builders working with Kirkwood use quantity surveyors specifically for this reason.
Can I speak directly to a previous customer?
Google reviews are useful, but they only tell you so much. An actual conversation with a recent customer gets you information reviews can't — did the price stay where it started, did the project finish on time, how did they handle it when something went wrong? Ask the customer directly, not the builder, whether they'd hire them again. A builder who's confident in their own work will set this up without any fuss.
Who will actually be on site day-to-day, and how often will you visit?
The person who quotes the job is rarely the person who builds it. Ask who the site foreman is, how often the builder actually turns up, and whether subcontractors are involved. Build quality comes down to on-site supervision more than almost anything else. A builder who drops by once a week and leaves everything to whoever's available that day is a very different proposition to one running a tight, consistent team.
What is your payment schedule, and how large is the deposit?
Stage payments tied to genuinely verified milestones protect you; you pay once real work is actually done. A large deposit upfront, anything over 20%, before any work has started, can be a sign of cash flow problems. The payment schedule itself tells you a lot about how a builder thinks about risk.
What insurances do you hold, and are you VAT registered?
Public liability insurance, a minimum of £2 million, isn't optional. Without it, you could end up liable if a worker's injured on your property or a neighbour's land gets damaged. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if the builder has direct employees. Ask to actually see current certificates, not just take their word for it.
How do you handle problems when they come up on site?
Every build hits something unexpected at some point; that's not really the question. What matters is how it gets handled when it does. A good builder tells you straight away, lays out the options and costs before doing anything further, and gets your written sign-off before extra work starts. This question tells you far more about a builder than anything they say while quoting.
Do you have a written contract, and can I see it before I commit?
A verbal agreement isn't a contract. Neither is a signed quote. A proper building contract covers scope, price, payment schedule, programme, how variations get handled, and what happens if there's a dispute. JCT homeowner contracts are the industry standard, and they're fair to both sides. Any builder working without a formal contract isn't giving you the protection you need on a project worth tens of thousands of pounds.
How long will the build take, and do you have a written programme?
A proper written build programme, start date, key milestones, expected completion, shows a builder has actually thought your project through. It also tells you something about their capacity: are they juggling several jobs at once? What happens to your build if one of the others overruns? A builder who can't produce a programme is a builder who hasn't really committed to your project yet.
Summary
The best builders working across Essex are entirely used to being asked every one of these ten questions; it doesn’t faze them. A builder who struggles to answer them is telling you something worth paying attention to. And a builder who can’t properly answer questions one, two, or three simply hasn’t been given what they need to quote your project properly, which means drawings need to come before the builder, not after. Kirkwood works across Chelmsford, Brentwood, Billericay, Wickford, Basildon, and Rayleigh, producing exactly that drawings package before any builder gets involved.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important question to ask a builder before hiring them?
Whether they are quoting from a complete set of drawings and structural calculations. Without this, any price is an estimate that can change significantly once work is underway. A fixed price is only possible when the builder has full technical information to quote from.
How much deposit should I pay a builder for a house extension?
A deposit of 10 to 15 per cent before work starts is reasonable for mobilisation. Anything above 20 per cent before significant work is complete should be questioned. Stage payments tied to verified milestones, foundations, structure watertight, first fix, second fix, snagging, protect both parties.
Do I need a written contract with my builder?
Yes, always. A verbal agreement or signed quotation does not provide adequate protection on a project worth tens of thousands of pounds. A formal building contract, ideally a JCT homeowner contract, sets out scope, price, payment schedule, programme, variation process, and what happens if problems arise.
How to find a builder you can trust in Essex?
Ask to speak directly with a previous customer who had a similar project completed in the last 12 months. Ask whether the price stayed fixed, whether the project finished on time, and whether they would use the builder again. Kirkwood introduces clients to vetted builders whose work and track record are known.
Should I get multiple quotes for a house extension?
Yes, at least three, but only once you have a complete set of drawings and structural calculations. Comparing quotes without drawings is comparing estimates. Once the drawings package is complete, three builders quoting from the same information gives you a meaningful comparison.
What insurance should a builder have for a house extension?
At minimum: public liability insurance (at least £2 million) and employers’ liability insurance if they have direct employees. Ask to see current certificates. A builder who cannot or will not produce these should not be working on your property.
Do I need drawings before approaching a builder?
Yes. Without a complete set of professional drawings, structural engineering calculations, and building regulations drawings, no builder can give you an accurate fixed price. The correct order is: design company first, drawings and approvals second, builder third.
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