About Us

I started out as a ganger some 15 years ago, working my way up the ladder to my final position of Project Manager, before taking the decision to start my own company and form LJH Builders. Along the way I picked up a wealth of experience  as well as gaining a number of formal qualifications including:

• NVQ Level 6 Diploma in Site Management
• NVQ Level 3 Construction Site Supervision
• CIOB Level 4 Certificate in Site Management

The projects I have worked on ranged from small residential projects right up to extensive commercial schemes, the largest being a three year project worth over £250 million in value.

Having worked for many of the larger organisations such as Kier, Interserve and Multiplex I have learnt to work to the highest standards and developed a wide range of skills in the process with the ultimate aim to always ensure client satisfaction, whatever the size of the project.

The vision for LJH Builders is to deliver local projects to the same high standards as I did previously, at affordable prices and in a more user friendly way. There are many different things to consider before you go about parting with your hard earned cash and taking on building works at home, LJH Builders are there to make this process as simple and pain free as possible.

Please view our checklist which gives you some basic information to consider before appointing a builder to assist you in running a successful project.

Project Checklist

This checklist is made up of a number of points that the cowboy builders will not want to share with you, at LJH Builders we want to provide the best service every time and would ask you to consider the following points if you use us or any other company to complete your project for you.

• Never pay any money up front – No reputable contractor will ask for funds before works are carried out.
• Insurance – Check the company has insurance and that it is in date before commencing any works
• Detailed Drawings – Ensure you get detailed drawings from your architect so you can obtain accurate quotations.
• Specification – A detailed specification will also enable you to get an accurate quotation as well as conformation of getting exactly what you want and not a cheaper alternative.
• Quotations – Obtain 3 quotations from different contractors to ensure you are getting a fair price. Go through each quotation and compare them against each other, take extra time to do this to ensure they have all priced for the same amount of works. Don’t get caught out by choosing the cheapest price and then realise that they haven’t quoted for all of the works.
• Recommendations – It is always a good move to consider a company that has come recommended, it means they have done a good job previously.
• Previous Projects – Ask to see some previous works that have been carried out and where possible ask to go and visit and have a look for yourself.
• Assign a QS – A QS does come with an additional cost and although may not be suited to the smaller projects, when you are dealing with thousands of pounds being paid out every month it is highly recommended. The QS will verify what works have been carried out and if the applied amount of monies are in line with works completed. This acts as a safety net for the clients to ensure they only ever pay for works that have been actually carried out.
• Contract – This may seem a little too formal for just a simple extension? No it isn’t. You can obtain a JCT minor works contract online for around £30-40 which can be filled out by the contractor or the client. Again this is another safety net for the client and it will detail what works are to be carried out, when payments are due etc. It also reinforces that the client gets exactly what they want from the contractor.

As stated above these are points for all clients to consider prior to starting a new project whether it be a simple extension or a full on complexed refurbishment or new build. These are not mandatory but after having clients fall foul to poor contractors which are out there, the damage could have been minimized if these points had been followed.