Why you shouldn’t trust a builder who can start next week

ALARM bells should ring if a builder says they can start work at short notice, industry experts have warned.

This is because good builders ‘will already have a number of jobs on the go’, they say.

A national shortage of builders means it now takes up to seven months to find a decent tradesman and have the construction work completed.

In its warning, the Federation of Master Builders said that having a new kitchen or bathroom fitted is likely to take five months – from finding the right builder to the work being completed. The estimate for a loft conversion is six months and up to seven for an extension.

As many school-leavers are heading to university rather than learning a trade, building firms are struggling with the demand for trained staff. And the availability of EU tradesmen is reportedly dwindling ahead of Brexit. Chief executive at the FMB, Brian Berry, said: ‘When looking to appoint a builder, alarm bells should ring if they say they can start next week. If homeowners want a new extension fully completed in time for Christmas, they should be contacting builders for quotes by May – at the very latest.’

The shortage also suggests that customers face paying a premium if they want to ensure their builder has a strong record and employs trained staff.

Research by the federation puts the average annual salary of a trained bricklayer at just over £42,000. However it says those in areas of high demand can earn around £90,000 a year. The UK average for a plumber is £48,675 and £47,265 for an electrician.

Mr Berry said: ‘We need to be training more UK-born apprentices to reduce future reliance on migrant workers from Europe, or else the construction sector will grind to a halt.’

The Construction Industry Training Board estimates the UK needs an extra 35,000 builders and tradesmen each year between now and 2020.

The National Federation of Builders warned new immigration proposals – restricting people who earn less than £30,000 a year from coming to the UK – will block foreign tradesmen.