In recent years we are seeing more and more cowboy builders, more so than ever before. Thousands of people have been left with shocking and sometimes dangerous building work carried out by people who were supposed to be professional and qualified but were simply fraudsters. There is a serious problem in the UK with cowboy builders, so it is so important that you check the legitimacy of the company you hire before exchanging any money or any work commencing.

Luckily, there are quite a few red flags and it is easy to spot a cowboy builder if you know what to look out for. We have listed some tips and tell-tale signs to help you avoid cowboy builders.

Finds you – if anybody knocks on your door declaring that they have spotted a problem and can fix it for you – avoid! Good builders would not generally do this. This scam has been around for quite a few years and the fraudsters try to target the elderly using this method.

Asks for cash or an upfront payment – a legitimate company will use a recognised payment system and would not ask for a cash payment. The same can be said for asking for upfront payments – a good builder will have all of his tools and materials and would usually take instalments on completion of phases or completion of the job.

Low initial estimates – these estimates are exactly that. Estimates. 9 times out of 10 you will see the original estimate double during the job due to reasons out of the builder’s control. Cheap is not best – ensure you get several quotes and if you receive one that is considerably lower than the rest, avoid.

No reviews or reference – most good builders will have some kind of social media presence with reviews from previous clients, it’s always worth googling the business name and digging around to find reviews. You can find reviews on lots of different sites such as Google reviews, check a trade, or Facebook. There is a small minority of old-school builders who may not be online at all – so you should ask for references, the more the better.