How to Choose a Builder in Brighton

Brighton's mix of Regency stucco townhouses, Victorian terraces on Hanover's hills, and later suburban housing toward Preston Park means the right builder for one project isn't automatically right for another, even within the same postcode.

Ask about the specific area and building type

"Have you worked on stucco render, or mostly brick terraces?" is worth asking directly in Brighton, given how much of the city's most visible housing depends on Regency-style rendering rather than standard brickwork. A builder with genuine local experience will also know how Hanover's hillside streets affect access and scaffolding costs.

Before you sign anything

• Public liability insurance - ask to see the actual certificate.
• Recent, verifiable reviews - ideally with photos, from people you could plausibly contact.
• A written, itemised quote - labour, materials and provisional sums broken out separately.
• Who's doing the work - some Brighton builders subcontract specialist render work; not a problem in itself, but you should know upfront.

Compare quotes on the same brief

Give every builder the same written job description rather than explaining it slightly differently each time. If quotes come back wildly different for the same brief, ask both the cheapest and the most expensive why - one has usually missed something, or is pricing in more risk than the other.

Trust, verified

On builderfinder.uk, every builder's ID is checked by a real person on our team before their profile goes live, with real completed projects and reviews from people who've actually hired them - so you can shortlist Brighton builders before you ever pick up the phone.