Hi James,Just to add a little to my earlier post/response - please be wary of the lowest quote you receive: some contractors are known to 'buy' work by offering a low price to begin with and then relying upon finding 'extras' to inflate the final cost. They will have an upper hand here unless there are pre-agreed rates/procedures to cater for changes/so-called discoveries etc.Equally a high price may not necessarily indicate a 'quality' contractor who may be trusted to produce a good result, and indeed there may be extras involved here too but at much greater cost!What is absolutely essential is to spell out in some detail exactly what you want so that there can be no misunderstandings, but equally important is to ensure the tenderers properly and fully inspect the premises before quoting and that they have a complete understanding of the site and its environs.What also happens far too often with domestic works is that a contractor will make a start and then delay progress whilst working on other sites, this in order to spread a thin workforce or to manage thin margins all of which may lead to an unacceptable outcome for you either in terms of the final cost, the quality of work carried out, or the timescale to completion - or indeed all three of these eventualities together.Please also be wary of any terms insisted upon by the tenderers and instead make sure you use a form of contract that is acceptable to you: remember the purpose of a contract is not to regulate the delivery of the work but more to provide remedy in the event of a dispute arising, and simply accepting tenderers terms may place you in a extremely disadvantaged positionHope this helps, and good luck with the work.
Clifford Cowell ● 2648d