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Maybe try Checkatrade, I had a couple of decent guys via that site, and if you have a local advertising magazine, that’s another good source. Also, there’s a site called Nextdoor, which is populated but those living within the area, and you could ask for recommendations on there.
Shoddy quotes, inaccuracy, speed of communication, the general conversation and personality is something I want to check.
It's a big enough job that tbh if it's an otherwise decent builder I wouldn't necessarily begrudge £50 (I don't think you'll be getting change from £15k), but probably shows the demand for small builders at the moment with all the home improvements people are spending money on when they can't go on holiday
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If it's an upfront charge I'd be a bit wary.
We had some major building work done a couple of years ago and there weren't upfront charges for the three quotes. Even though it turned out that it was costing the builders to quote as they used the services of quantity surveyors. I know it cost one of them about £450. So you need to at least be honest with the builders if you're getting other quotes.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
My initial reaction was to say just don't bother with that builder since he clearly doesn't want the work, but on reflection I'd say the other way round - this is more likely to be a highly in-demand professional who knows the value of his time and doesn't want to bother with unnecessary speculative quotes when he could be doing a productive job.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Depending on what the current access to the garage is you could end up with:
-structural opening in existing wall to new shower room
-plastering and/or tiling
Just the tiling and sanitaryware will cost £2-3k, and that's assuming DIY fitting. If you're allowed just stud wall for the new walls and can use existing doorways for access, and there's an existing soil pipe nearby then the rest of the building work and getting someone to fit it all works probably be another £3k on top of that, but otherwise it could get expensive fairly quickly.
I'd recommend at least doing some sketches for building control submission, which will form the basis of your building tender/contract. If the quotes are expensive you could have a QS look at it but a basic costing will cost £150.
It is doable as a DIY project if you're handy (we put in a new downstairs wetroom including a new sewer for under £5k), but it took a while. You still need building control to sign it off, and regulations may be stricter in England than they are here in NI
I've worked in construction as a consultant for over 20 years and have seen these requests popping up lately. I would say don't bother with a contractor that wants paying for a quote as they probably don't want the job anyway.
If it feels hard work now then when they get onsite it will be even harder. Trust me on this.
Listen to your gut feeling, if it feels wrong or hard work go elsewhere.
It's sometimes best to go with a builder that has done decent work for family or friends and you also have an 'in' with them that way. Usually the best builders don't even advertise as they just get repeat business and recommendations. That is the best route to go if you can.
In terms of paying for quotes your basically paying for someones times ... that seems reasonable to me and a written paid for quote is worth more a verbal estimate should anything go wrong during the job.
Dont forget businesses who reply to enquiries from these comparison websites have to pay the website for your contact details.