Make sure you know what you want.
This may sound obvious but be really prepared so you know exactly what to ask for when you brief your builder/tradesman. It’s your project and whilst a good builder will be able to advise on some of the detail you want everyone to quote for the same thing so you can get a good comparison of prices. If you can, give everyone the same written brief and hopefully you will then be able to compare like for like.
Now compare your quotes – what’s included?
This can be quite hard if your tradesman, and you should ideally ask three to quote, don’t quite quote for the same thing – hence the importance of your original brief. Be careful the cheapest might be attractive but doesn’t necessarily mean they will be the cheapest in the end OR more importantly are they cutting corners. Analyse the quotes in detail and ask questions. If you don’t think everything is covered or indeed if one builder is much more expensive for one item than another – are they quoting for the same level of work? Is everything included or will there be nasty surprises towards the end of the project…
And Finally…
If you haven’t had a personal recommendation ask to see a previous job or two or speak to a previous client – any reputable builder/tradesman will be more than happy to provide references or show their previous work.