MyBuilder - FAQs for Homeowners

Does it cost anything to post a job?

No, it's completely free! MyBuilder works by charging the builder or tradesperson a small fee if they find a job through the website.

Do you have any advice on how to hire a builder?

Have a read through our Advice on hiring a builder page.

How can I tell that the builder or tradesman is qualified to carry out the work?

We will provide you with as much information as possible about each builder through their profile, so that you can decide which things are important and who you want to hire. The tradesman's profile displays their references (who we call to check!), and shows feedback and images from previous work they have completed, as well as their relevant qualifications and memberships to trade organisations.

A tradesman is claiming that he has various qualifications and insurances, how can I be sure that this is correct?

A tradesman who has any valid qualifications, memberships, insurances or other important skills will have proof of this and they should be able to make you a copy. DonÕt be afraid to ask for this.

Is my personal information safe?

Yes, completely safe. MyBuilder does not show any of your contact details on the site, and all communication takes place securely through the "My Jobs" section of the website, which allows you to choose who you respond to, and who you want to work with.

Unlike other websites that work on a 'lead generation' model, we do not sell your personal information to third parties, so you won't get any unsolicited emails or phonecalls.

How does the feedback system work?

Genuine feedback has two important elements: the past and the future. Before you decide which builder to hire, you can look at past feedback to check them out. After you hire someone and the work is finished, you add to that feedback, in either a positive or negative way. This system rewards excellent service and punishes bad work. Your feedback closes the loop and give the next customer valuable information about that builder.

The builder has a strong incentive to do their absolute best because they are held accountable for any work done for you. This means that hiring someone through MyBuilder is safer, and that working outside the site is dangerous. Do not engage anyone who suggests that you bypass the site. In the unlikely even that this would happen, contact us right away.

MyBuilder feedback is transactional, which means that only people who have actually hired that person can leave feedback on their profile. We have a protected system in order to make sure that feedback is genuine. We have two types of feedback that we display on profiles: previous client references, and work done through MyBuilder. References are manually checked by us over the phone, right here in our London office. MyBuilder job feedback can only be left when a genuine job has gone out to tender and a genuine quote has been accepted. We keep a close eye on what is happening through the site, and have a direct person-to-person relationship with builders who secure work through our site.

A builder we found through your site completed a job for us which we are very pleased with. How can we leave feedback?

Once you have indicated which builder you've hired though your Job Summary page, it is really easy to leave feedback, just click the 'leave feedback' button and post your comments!

If I post a job on the site and don't like the bids, am I obliged to choose one of them?

Of course not! Who you hire is totally up to you. We are here to help, and are getting lots of new builders registering every day, and we are constantly striving to improve our service. If you havent found a suitable quote for your job within one month - please get in touch and we'll do our best to help, and if have any suggestions, please let us know!

I want to leave feedback for a tradesman but he has not submitted a quote, how can I leave feedback?

Easy! Simply click the ÒWant to hire?Ó button next to there screen name and fill in the details.

How can I contact the tradesman?

First step is to use our "Request Quote" feature. We will send the tradesman an e-mail to let him know and he will then get in touch with you. Contact details are exchanged only when appropriate. A consumer will have access to a Trade Professional's details when a quote is submitted. Contact details will be exchanged when a quote has been accepted. We do not allow users to display any contact details publicly on our site. All communication takes place securely through the "My Jobs" section of the site.

I posted my job on the site but I didn't get any response, why?

If after a month you have not received a good response, there could be several reasons for this:

• It might be a busy time for the relevant tradesmen in your area.
• It might be that the job listing was not descriptive enough to attract much interest.
• It might be that the size and scope of the job didn't match the capacity of tradesmen in your area.

We are growing quickly and getting lots of new tradesmen registered every day, so if you haven't found anyone suitable, we hope that will change in the near future! You're always welcome to re-post your job if you wish.

I hired a builder through the site who let me down, what do I do?

We come to work every day with the goal of helping people like you find and hire great tradespeople, so everyone involved can have a great experience. However, construction and home improvement projects are complex, and people on both sides can and do make mistakes, we are human after all (and some more than others). Our primary solution is feedback: the ability to leave feedback when the job is done creates a level of accountability that wouldn't exist otherwise. If the threat of negative feedback doesn't help resolve the problem, the next step is to contact us right away. We will do everything we can to help!

I accidentally accepted a quote on the site, how do I reverse it?

This is something that we do from our end, just let us know and we can change it for you.

If you charge the tradesman a fee for securing the job I posted, don't I pay for it in the end?

Actually, you will likely pay less when you hire through MyBuilder because of two factors:

• Compared to other marketing methods such as newspaper advertisements, directories and lead generation websites, MyBuilder provides tradesmen with a cheaper way to find work. Marketing expenses and other fixed costs will always be built into a quote. However, because we offer tradesmen a more efficient way of getting new clients, they can actually lower the price of their services.
• In addition, our open tendering process helps to encourage very competitive quotes, saving an additional bundle compared to traditional ways of finding and hiring tradesmen.

Still have a question and cant find the answer here? Please click here to contact us.