Questions to Ask a Builder at the Site Visit
The site visit is where the contractor sees the job and you see the contractor. These are the questions that make the most of it.
Before you get a price
A site visit is the contractor's chance to see the job. It is also your best chance to see the contractor.
Most of what you learn about a builder before they start comes from one conversation, usually on your doorstep or in your loft, often in under an hour. The quotation that follows is only as good as what was understood during that visit, and so is your judgement about whether to go ahead.
Going in with a short list of questions changes the visit. You get a clearer picture of what the job involves, you hear how the contractor explains things, and you have something to hold the quotation against when it arrives.
This guide sets out the questions worth asking, grouped by what they tell you, and how to read the answers. It sits alongside our wider guide to choosing and checking a building contractor.
Preparation
Get ready before they arrive
Write down what you want done. A few lines in plain English is enough: what the problem is or what you would like built, when you first noticed it, and anything you have already tried. If you are getting more than one quote, give each contractor the same description so the prices are comparable later. Our guide on how many quotes to get covers why that matters.
Clear the way. If the contractor will need the loft hatch, a side gate, the garden or a particular room, make sure they can get to it. A visit spent moving boxes is a visit spent not looking at the job.
Gather what you already have. Old invoices, previous survey notes, planning documents and photographs of the problem at its worst (a leak during heavy rain, for example) all help. So does knowing roughly how old the relevant part of the house is.
Put your questions on paper. It is easy to forget half of them once the conversation gets going. Leave room to jot the answers down, because you will want them when the quotation lands.
About the job
Questions that show they understand the work
These questions test whether the contractor has actually assessed your job, rather than pricing a generic version of it.
What do you think is causing this?
For repairs, a good contractor will explain the likely cause in terms you can follow, and say how sure they are. A diagnosis that goes straight to the most expensive fix without explanation is worth questioning.
What exactly would you do?
Ask them to talk you through the work from start to finish. You are not checking their technique; you are checking that the scope is clear enough to appear in writing on the quotation.
What can't you see yet?
Some things only show once work starts: the condition of timbers under a covering, what is behind a wall. Ask what might change the price and how they would handle it if it did.
What materials would you use?
Ask what they would specify and why, and whether there are options at different prices. The answer should appear on the quotation, so you can compare like with like.
What access will you need?
Scaffolding, a skip, parking, use of a driveway or a neighbour's side. Ask whether these are included in the price and whether anyone else needs to agree to them.
Does this need any permissions?
Ask whether planning permission, Building Regulations approval or a party wall notice might apply, and who would arrange each. Some of these are your responsibility as the owner, so it helps to know early.
About the people
Ask who will actually do the work
The person who visits is not always the person who does the work. That is normal, particularly with larger firms, but you should know the arrangement before you agree to anything.
Who will be on site? Ask whether the work will be done by the person in front of you, by their own employees, or partly by other firms they bring in. It is common for a builder to use specialists for parts of a job, such as electrics or plastering. The main contractor normally remains responsible to you for that work, and our guide to what a main contractor is responsible for explains how.
Who is in charge day to day? On anything longer than a day or two, ask who makes decisions on site and who you should raise questions with. A name and a number are what you are after.
How do I reach you during the job? Contractors are often up a ladder or on another site and cannot always answer. Ask how they prefer to be contacted, how quickly they usually reply and who covers when they are unavailable. The answer tells you a lot about how the job will feel from your side.
How long have you been doing this kind of work? Ask about similar jobs they have done recently, and whether you could see some. The guide to checking a builder's previous work covers how to follow that up.
About the paperwork
Questions about insurance, warranties and approvals
None of these should feel awkward to ask. Established contractors are asked them all the time.
Can I see your insurance?
Ask for a copy of their public liability insurance certificate and check the business name and dates on it. Our guide to checking a builder's insurance explains what to look for.
What warranty do you give?
Ask how long their workmanship warranty lasts, when it starts, what it covers and whether it will be written into the quotation. A warranty you cannot point to in writing is hard to rely on.
Who deals with building control?
Where the work needs Building Regulations approval, ask whether they will notify building control or self-certify through a competent person scheme, and whether you will receive a certificate at the end.
About price and timing
Pin down what the quotation will cover
You will not get a final price on the doorstep, and you should be wary if you are pressed to agree one there. These questions shape what the written quotation should contain.
Price
- Will the quotation be in writing, itemised, and state whether VAT is included?
- Are scaffolding, skips and waste removal included?
- Is anything priced as an allowance that could change?
- How much deposit do you ask for, and when is the rest due?
- How do you handle extra work if something unexpected turns up?
Timing
- When can I expect the quotation?
- How far ahead are you booking work at the moment?
- Roughly how long will the job take once started?
- What happens if the weather stops work?
- Will you be on the job continuously, or split across other jobs?
Reading the answers
What good answers sound like
You are not expected to judge the technical detail. What you can judge is how the contractor handles being asked.
Good answers tend to be specific. They name materials, explain a cause, give a range with the reason for it, and say plainly when something cannot be known until the work begins. A contractor who says "I won't know until the old covering is off, but here's how I'll price it if it's bad" is giving you more useful information than one who says "it'll be fine".
Good contractors are also comfortable being checked. They expect to be asked for insurance and references and do not take it personally. If a question about paperwork is met with irritation, or with a vague promise to send it later that never arrives, note it.
A few answers are worth pausing on: pressure to decide on the day, a discount that only applies if you agree now, a request for a large payment before any work or materials, or reluctance to put the price in writing. None of these proves anything on its own, but together they are the patterns described in our guide to red flags when hiring a builder.
About living with the work
Questions about your home while the job is on
These are easy to forget because they are not about the build itself, but they shape what the weeks of work will be like for you and your neighbours.
What hours will you work? Ask what time the team usually arrives and leaves, and whether there will be weekend working. If you have neighbours close by, it helps to be able to tell them.
What do you need from me? Access to water and electricity, a toilet, somewhere to park a van, somewhere to store materials. Ask now so there are no surprises on the first morning.
How will you protect the house? Ask how they will protect floors, furniture, gardens and anything near the work, and how they will keep dust down indoors.
What happens to the waste? Ask whether they will take it away themselves or use a skip, and whether the cost is in the price. Householders have a duty to make sure their waste goes to someone authorised to take it, so it is worth knowing who that will be. GOV.UK explains the householder's waste duty of care, and you can check a carrier on the public register of waste carriers. This is general information, not legal advice.
Before the contractor leaves, repeat back what you understood: what they will do, what is likely to be included and when you will hear from them. It takes a minute, it catches misunderstandings early, and it gives you a clear reference point if the quotation says something different.
After the visit
Turn the conversation into something you can compare
Write up your notes the same day
Jot down what was said while it is fresh: scope, materials, likely price range, timing and anything they flagged as uncertain.
Follow up the gaps in writing
If you forgot to ask something, send a short message. Written answers are easier to compare and easier to refer back to.
Check what they told you
Look at the insurance certificate, contact a reference or two, and search the business name. The contractor checking checklist sets this out in order.
Hold the quotation against your notes
When it arrives, check that it reflects what was discussed. If the scope, materials or inclusions differ, ask why before you accept anything.
When we coordinate the work
How site visits run with Mortaro
When Mortaro coordinates a project, we appoint a contractor from our network, book the site visit at a time that suits you and tell you who is coming before they arrive. Every contractor in the network was checked for public liability insurance, reviews and references, the warranties they provide, trade experience and work history, and their ability to meet our standards before being introduced to anyone.
Ask your contractor anything at the visit. Questions that come up afterwards come to us, and we get the answers. Your contractor then prices the work, and we prepare it as a written quotation naming them as the main contractor. Mortaro is not the builder: your contract for the work is with that contractor. How it works and how quotations work set out each step.
Straight answers
Questions about site visits
Should I be at home for the site visit?
Yes, if you can. You will get far more from the visit if you can explain the problem, ask questions and hear the contractor's view directly. It also lets you see how they go about assessing the job.
Is it normal to pay for a site visit?
Many contractors visit and quote free of charge for domestic work, but some charge, particularly for detailed surveys or design. If there is a charge, it should be agreed before the visit, not raised afterwards.
Should I tell a contractor I am getting other quotes?
There is no harm in saying so. It is normal practice, and a good contractor will expect it. Give every contractor the same description of the job so the quotes can be compared fairly.
What if a roofer won't go up to look?
It depends on the job and access. Some assessments can be made from the ground or from inside the loft, and safety matters. Ask how they have assessed it and what they could not see. Our answer on what to ask a roofer before hiring goes further.
Start here
Tell us about the work you have in mind
We will confirm we cover your postcode, arrange a site visit with a contractor from our network and send you a written quotation. No charge, no obligation.