The vast majority of builders in the UK would like to see the introduction of a licensing scheme to combat cowboys in the industry, new research has found.
Almost 80% are in favour of more regulation in the construction industry with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) warning that cowboys will continue to operate unless licensing is introduced.
It is calling on the Government to introduce a licensing scheme in construction to ensure that there is a minimum level of competence and professionalism across the industry that would give consumers greater assurance when hiring a builder.
Unlike in the United States and Germany, anyone can be a builder in the UK. According to the FMB this means is that there is a significant minority of cowboy builders which give the whole construction industry a bad name.
The latest FMB research shows that almost 80% of members are so fed up with rogue builders tarnishing their reputation, they are in favour of introducing a licencing scheme. The research among consumers also shows that a third of home owners in the UK are so anxious about hiring a dodgy builder that they don’t commission any building work whatsoever.
The research also found that the average home owner would spend around £40,000 on major home improvement projects over the next five years if they could be guaranteed a positive experience with their builder.
‘It’s time to release this pent up demand for building work through a licensing scheme consumers can trust. Even more important than the economic benefits that would come from increasing quality and professionalism in the industry are the safety benefits,’ said Brian Berry, FMB chief executive.
‘The Grenfell Tower tragedy reminded us of the price paid when things go wrong in the construction industry. Grenfell raised serious questions about standards, regulation and compliance within the construction sector and although we await the results of the Hackitt Review, we want to start a wider conversation about how we can drive up quality and professionalism in construction,’ he explained.
As well as calling on the Government to introduce a licensing scheme for builders, the FMB is also calling for mandatory warranties for building projects that require building control sign-off to protect consumers further.
‘The FMB would also like to work with industry to develop a general builder qualification which would seek to recognise the highest standards of professionalism in the industry,’ Berry added.
Jason Ryan, a home owner living in West London, has spoken out about being a victim of a rogue building firm earlier this year. ‘Builders were carrying out essential improvements to my home. The whole process turned out to be an absolute nightmare. Our builder would often turn up late, or not at all, and communication was always poor,’ he said.
‘We would try to call him and often not hear back. The work they eventually carried out was sub-standard. For example, the grooves in the door frames were hacked into and were left uneven and messy. I think all builders should be required to have a licence to protect people like me from having these nightmarish experiences. It was very stressful and has put me off hiring a builder in the future unless I absolutely have to,’ he added.
The UK housing market has been typified by substandard design and building, according to Alex Depledge, chief executive of architectural design firm Resi. He believes that this is in large part because of the difficulty, and expense, associated with finding trusted, qualified professionals.
‘The sector is in desperate need of innovation beginning with the application of technology to make high quality building and home improvement easier to understand, control and most importantly, afford. It’s time we put the aspirations of home owners rather than developers first,’ he added.
