Daniel Hughes
Why a Clear Brief Matters More Than a Low Price
Most of the disputes that end up on a homeowner's doorstep do not begin with poor workmanship. They begin with a mismatch: what you thought you were buying versus what your builder thought they were pricing. A keen quote on a hazy brief is not a bargain — it is a misunderstanding waiting to happen, and it usually surfaces just as the roof is off and the weather turns.
The good news is that the fix is cheap and takes an evening. Sitting down with your builder before a single skip arrives, and agreeing the scope, the programme, the payment schedule and how you will talk to each other, is the single most useful thing you can do on a renovation or roofing project. Here is what a solid brief should cover.
Write the Scope Down in Plain English
Verbal agreements have a habit of drifting. Put the scope in writing — even a two-page email that both of you reply "agreed" to is worth more than a handshake. List the areas of work room by room, or elevation by elevation if it is a roof, and be specific about what is being replaced, repaired or left alone.
- Included: strip out, structural work, first and second fix, plastering, decoration, waste removal, making good.
- Supplied by whom: tiles, slates, timbers, insulation, sanitaryware, kitchen units, skips, scaffolding, welfare facilities.
- Excluded: building control fees, party wall awards, asbestos removal, landscaping, redecoration beyond the work area.
- Standards: British Standard fixings and materials, minimum insulation values, and any planning or building regulations approvals you are relying on.
If the work needs building regulations sign-off, say who is arranging the inspections and who pays. If it is a re-roof, confirm whether the existing felt and battens are being replaced or reused — that one line prevents a lot of awkward conversations on a wet Tuesday.
Agree the Programme and Key Dates
A programme is not a promise carved in stone, but it does tell you what "normal" looks like. Ask for a simple week-by-week outline, including a realistic start date, weather-dependent tasks, and the point at which the property will be watertight again.
- Start and completion dates, with any known lead times for tiles, windows or steelwork.
- Milestones that matter to you: scaffold up, roof watertight, first fix complete, plaster dry.
- Working hours, plus whether weekends are on the table.
- Who is responsible for access, parking, and protecting driveways and gardens.
Ask directly what could delay things and how you will be told. A builder who flags a three-week lead time on slate now is far easier to work with than one who mentions it in week four.
Nail Down the Payment Schedule
Payments should follow progress, not the calendar. Any request for a large lump sum up front, before materials land on site, deserves a polite question. A typical domestic arrangement staggers payments against completed stages, with a modest deposit to secure the start date and cover initial materials.
- Stage payments tied to defined milestones, released within an agreed number of days of completion.
- A retention of around 2.5 to 5 per cent held back until snagging is finished — normal practice and worth asking for.
- Invoices showing labour and materials separately, plus VAT where applicable.
- Confirmation of who is buying materials, and whether you are paying suppliers directly.
Be wary of cash-only arrangements with no paperwork. Insurance, guarantees and your own legal position all depend on a clear paper trail.
Set Communication Expectations
Most friction comes from silence, not from problems. Decide together how updates will work: a short message every Friday, a weekly site walk-round, or a shared notes app. Agree a single point of contact on each side — usually you and the site foreman or the builder themselves.
- How quickly queries will be answered, and via which channel.
- Who can make decisions on your behalf if you are away.
- House rules: parking, smoking, radios, use of toilets and power, and tidying up at the end of each day.
- What happens in an emergency, such as a leak or a damaged cable, and who to call out of hours.
It also helps to agree a snagging process: you walk the job together, list defects in writing, and set a reasonable date for putting them right.
Put Changes in Writing and Sign It Off
Changes are the norm on older properties. The trick is to price them before they happen. Ask for any variation — extra joists, a different tile, an added velux — to be described and costed in writing, with the effect on the programme stated, before the work proceeds. A short "variation sheet" signed by both of you keeps the final account predictable.
Finally, both parties should sign the brief, the programme and the payment schedule, and keep a copy on site and by email. It takes an hour, costs nothing, and gives you something far more valuable than a low quote: a shared understanding of what is being built, when, and for how much.
