Guides
Know the risk before you price the job
Practical, plain-English guides for UK contractors and subcontractors — checking companies, reading the warning signs, and getting paid.
How to check a builder or contractor before you sign
How to check a construction company in the UK: Companies House red flags, director history, payment behaviour and the questions that reveal risk before you price the job.
5 min read · Read guide →
What is a phoenix company — and how to spot one before it burns you
What a phoenix company is in the UK, why construction is full of them, the warning signs before you sign, and what to do if a contractor liquidates owing you money.
5 min read · Read guide →
Warning signs a contractor is going bust
The signs a construction company is in trouble — payment behaviour, Companies House flags, site signals and what subcontractors should do before a contractor goes bust.
5 min read · Read guide →
How to check a main contractor before you take the work
How to check a main contractor in the UK before you sign: will they pay, do they return retention, what the payment record and director history really tell you — and how to vet them in minutes.
6 min read · Read guide →
How to check a developer or client before you start
Will the developer pay? How to check a property developer or construction client in the UK before you start: funding, single-project companies, phoenix risk and the checks that stop you working for free.
6 min read · Read guide →
How to vet a quantity surveyor before you price the job
How to check a quantity surveyor in UK construction: fair valuations, honest measurement, variations and final accounts — the questions that reveal whether a QS will protect your margin or quietly drain it.
5 min read · Read guide →
How to check a construction project manager
How to check a construction project manager before you commit: decision-making, timeliness, coordination and the track record that tells you whether the job will run smoothly or bleed you dry.
5 min read · Read guide →
How to check an architect (or architect-PM) before you build
How to check an architect in UK construction: drawing quality, design errors, buildability and impartiality — the checks that stop a bad information set from becoming your problem on site.
5 min read · Read guide →