The research reveals that 11% of homeowners have suffered from builders’ shoddy workmanship. Around 200,000 building projects are carried out in British homes by builders every year, at an average cost of £15,740, meaning £260m is wasted on sub-standard work.
The FMB blames this partly on homeowners trying to get jobs done as cheaply as possible, and choosing to pay cash in hand to avoid paying VAT.
Its research shows that 48% of those who had building work carried out last year paid in cash, while 76% of those who were not happy with the work carried out paid in cash.
FMB spokesperson Brian Berry said: “Before employing a builder, it is vital to carry out checks to make sure you are using someone reputable, such as an FMB builder. Choosing your builder on price alone can be a false economy which may neither add value to your property nor make for a smooth building project.”
Architect George Clarke, added: “If you pay a builder large amounts of cash upfront then you leave yourself vulnerable to them increasing the price or walking off the job half-way through and you don’t have any warranty if it all goes wrong. By using a reputable builder, signing a contract, and organising staged payments with receipts, you will have recourse if it all goes wrong”.