The promise of a single point of contact is attractive, but it can hide a chain of subcontractors that the contractor is only loosely managing. The real test is who turns up, who signs the certificates, and who carries the liability when something needs redoing.
Ask who actually does the work
- Directly employed engineers and trades on payroll, not a rolling list of subcontractors
- In house capability across the trades you use most often
- Named site or contract manager who owns the programme
- Completion documentation issued from the contractor, not collected from third parties
Accreditation and registration
Look for scheme registration relevant to the work: Gas Safe for gas, NICEIC for electrical, BAFE and FIRAS for fire safety. Registration with a governing body means the work can be certificated and the contractor's competence has been checked against a published standard.
Insurance, employer's liability and public liability should be confirmed at appointment, not assumed. For higher value contracts, ask for recent examples of similar work and speak to the client.
The cost that is rarely in the quote
Coordination cost shows up as delay, repeat visits, resident complaints and time spent chasing. A contractor who can survey, price, schedule and complete in house removes most of that. The quote may look similar, but the total cost of getting the job done is usually lower.