Home Q&A: How to spot a rogue trader or cowboy builder

Take care when hiring for any building project. File picture

I suspect we’ve all done small jobs at home with the help of trades and even builders, cash-in-hand. In the case of limited, uncomplicated, non-structural happenings, you’ve likely got away with a side-gig from a fully insured/tax-compliant person (receipt-free) or gambled on someone who is doing work under the table year-round. However, for larger, serious projects straying into four figures, the cowboys are still out there, ready and waiting to take full advantage of the naïve, inexperienced, or distracted client. 

There are two general types of bandits riding the plains in shiny vans, happy to rustle your wallet.

The jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none

The one who has spent a disgruntled year or two working for an experienced tradesman, watching what he or she does, banking a little experience, picking up the outline of the job, but never excelling. 

This type can often be a  jack-of-all trades, master-of-none — and I mean no offence to the increasingly rare, legendary all-around handymen and women who do fantastic work. These other incompetent characters have a false sense of bravado and, if not weeded out, will use your home and your money to demo their dangerously inept skill-set. 

Quick cheatsheet:  They are often charismatic charmers, enjoy a doorstep sell, and rudely overstate what they can do for a temptingly small spend. Unlikely to have a reference or insurance of any kind.

The one with no conscience 

The one devoid of conscience. He or she might be insured, even tax-compliant, and they are probably not building or repairing to a dangerous condition. 

Their focus is on finding trusting individuals not guarded by any project manager, massaging as much of the fee out of the clients’ pockets as quickly as possible before the lack of care placed in their opus becomes evident. 

They are often slippery and hard to sue, and demand large up-front payments without fixed start or finish dates or any penalties. 

Quick cheatsheet: The contract will be lacking in finer detail if it exists at all, and they will be difficult to contact. You have been warned. Do your due diligence.