Gad exactly the same issue with getting part of my kitchen work done, had about 10 fitters/builders/carpenters around each for about 2 hours discussing it.
Only 3 bothered to quote, only 1 without chasing.
He got the business then fell of a roof... but arranged another guy he knew and trusted to do the work. We met, agreed, and he's done a fantastic job and will be getting some more work in the new year.
It is, like everything else, about who you know.
I predict this doesn't end well for the OP
I doubt he needs to worry about ending up under a patio.
My neighbour got a couple of quotes in to re-tile her roof. Unfortunately she chose the most inept bunch of idiots on the planet and they were kicked off the job after two weeks of sunbathing on the scaffolding.
We later discovered his nickname is Mr Buckets, because when he's finished a job, you need them!
The replacement crew, two blokes, undid the duff work and completed the whole job to a very high standard, in a week! There are good'uns out there, just got to find them.
@littlegem-
Great, just what the building industry needs, yet another 'expose' of cowboy builders.
Grand Designs has a lot to answer for in terms of unrealistic expectations in the mind of the client, who expects everything to be built in the edit, with little understanding of how the trades work.
Perhaps you should make a documentary about how these trades really work, the difficulties of supply and demand, the complexities of project management, and about how hard it is to keep up with all the ' extras' that clients ask for with little understanding of the impact on budget and build time.
But you probably wouldn't, as good building practice wouldnt make for good tv.
As a self-employed sparky, here's my persepective on this.
Person rings me. Can I do this job? Yes, but I cannot get round to see you for another week, but I can do the job in 3 weeks time when I have 5 days spare.
I go round, quote for them, get the job, book it in, then get a call saying its been put back a week. I've already told them that I only have that one week spare, but then it is my fault for letting them down.
If it was only my work on the job, then it wouldnt be a problem, once you involve other Trades, it gets far too complicated, and can be prone to over-runs.
I've got 3 local Builders who always use the same ancillary trades for their work. It runs like clockwork with all of them.
Getting 3 independents in, and hoping for them to work together can be rather problematic.
I used to do anything, but you learn to turn down work after a while, it just isnt worth doing some work. One chap texts me. I've told him to ring, as I rarely reply to texts. He then complains that he never gets a reply to his texts. If he rang up, he'd get an instant answer, but texts get repied to when I have a moment spare, which can be a week later.
To the OP, you want a small contractor who will supply the other trades. It is down to him to arange it all then.
Great, just what the building industry needs, yet another 'expose' of cowboy builders.
Someone should do an expose on how the qualifications to be a TV show researcher, essentially boil down to being able to use Google.
