We are looking to rip the back out of our house, extend square, and fit bifold doors across the back.
One option is to use a local builder who we know.
The plan in this case would be for him to manage the overall build, but for us to purchase materials directly, and engage and pay the labourers directly. The amount we are spending we should get trade rates for building supplies.
This way the bulk of the money does not have to pass through the builder, and also we should not have to pay 20% VAT on the labour costs.
This also gives us the flexibility to e.g. get family and friends round for a weekend of knocking down walls and filling skips with rubble instead of paying laboureres to do the fun bits.
However there are a couple of risks involved.
Firstly, if any labourer gets injured on site we might face a claim (whether or not be were responsible/liable). Secondly, the builder could go bust, go sick, get run down by a passing barmaid, anything. We will check that he has insurance, but you never know quite how good the insurance company is.
So can we insure at a reasonable rate against such risks?
The trade members here presumably carry some kind of third party liability insurance. The trade members may also carry some kind of insurance against other risks.
Has anyone else gone this route?
Obviously, we do from time to time engage plumbers and plasterers and suchlike but the overall sums of money involved are much smaller and the potential disruption a lot less.
Given that the master plan involves a lot of steel and most of the back of the house disappearing for a time we would want a strategy to cope with unforseen problems.
I assume that there are also ways of covering yourself if you employ a building firm to do the whole thing and then the builder goes bust/abroad?
Cheers
Dave R