Should I Use a Builder Recommended by a Friend?
Yes, it's a good place to start. A friend has seen the work and dealt with the builder. Just make the same basic checks you'd make with anyone else.
The short answer
Yes, it's a good place to start. Then check them as you would anyone else.
A recommendation from someone you trust is one of the most useful things you can have when choosing a builder. Your friend has seen the finished work, dealt with the builder day to day and lived with the result, which is more than most online reviews can tell you. It isn't a substitute for the basic checks, though. Insurance, a written quote and knowing exactly who you're contracting with still matter, however warm the recommendation.
Think of it as a strong first candidate rather than a decision already made.
What you learn
What a recommendation tells you, and what it leaves out
It can tell you
- Whether they turned up when they said
- How they communicated during the job
- Whether the work finished on time and on price
- How tidy they were in someone's home
- Whether the result has lasted
It can't tell you
- Whether your job is the kind of work they do well
- Whether their insurance is in place now
- How they handle a problem, if none came up
- Whether the same people will do your job
- Whether your price will be comparable
Ask your friend
Six questions that make a recommendation useful
A few specific questions turn "they were great" into something you can act on.
What was the job?
A kitchen refit and a roof replacement need different skills. The closer their job is to yours, the more the recommendation counts.
Did it run to time and price?
If not, why not? Genuine surprises happen. What matters is whether they were explained and agreed in advance.
What happened when something went wrong?
Most jobs have a snag or two. How the builder responded tells you more than a job that went perfectly.
How easy were they to reach?
Did they reply to messages, and did they keep your friend updated while they were busy on site?
Who actually did the work?
The builder themselves, their own team, or other trades they brought in? Firms grow and change.
Was everything agreed in writing?
If your friend had a written quote, ask what it covered. It's a useful template for what to expect on yours.
Keep it on a proper footing
Treat it as a business arrangement from the start
Friendly connections can make people skip steps they'd never skip with a stranger. Ask for a written quote all the same, and check the builder's details. Our answer on checking a builder's insurance shows what to ask for, and it's a routine question a professional builder will expect.
It is still worth getting at least one other quote. That isn't disloyal: it tells you whether the recommended builder's price is in line, and it gives you something to compare the scope against. See how many quotes should I get? for a sensible number.
If you'd like more than one person's view, it's reasonable to ask the builder for a reference from another recent customer too. Our answer on asking a builder for references explains how.
Second-hand recommendations
Weighing a name passed on by someone else
Not every recommendation comes from a close friend. A neighbour mentions a name over the fence, or a local social media group fills up with suggestions within minutes of someone asking. These can be useful leads, but they vary a lot in value.
The most useful ones come from people who had similar work done recently and can describe it. A name repeated many times may simply be well known rather than well regarded, and a glowing post from an account you can't place tells you little. Where you can, ask the person what the job was and when, and whether they'd happily show you the result.
Treat these the way you'd treat reviews: as a reason to look closer, not a reason to skip the checks. Our guide on how to read builder reviews covers how to weigh them.
If a problem comes up, a shared connection can make it harder to raise. Agreeing the work, the price and the payment terms in writing at the start makes that conversation easier later, because you're both pointing at the same page rather than at each other.
Where Mortaro fits
When there's no recommendation to hand
Not everyone has a friend with a builder they'd vouch for. When we coordinate a job, we appoint a contractor from our network who has been checked before being introduced to customers: public liability insurance, reviews and references, the warranties they provide, their trade experience and work history, and their ability to meet our standards. You can read how that works on our contractor network page.
Checking reduces the risk of ending up with the wrong contractor; it doesn't remove it, and it doesn't replace your own judgement. The contractor is named in your quotation before you commit, and they carry out the work.
Straight answers
Questions about recommendations
Is a personal recommendation better than online reviews?
Often, because you can ask follow-up questions and see the work. The two work best together. Our answer on whether online reviews of builders are reliable explains what reviews can and can't tell you.
Is it rude to check a friend's builder?
No. Asking about insurance and getting a written quote are normal steps with any builder. A professional won't take offence.
What if my friend had a problem but still recommends them?
That can be a good sign. A builder who put a problem right promptly is often a safer choice than one who has never been tested.
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.