How to Choose a Builder in Newcastle

Newcastle's Tyneside flats are a genuinely distinctive North East housing type, different enough from a standard house or tenement that a builder without local experience can misjudge what's actually possible for a given project.

Ask about Tyneside flat experience if relevant

If your property is a Tyneside flat, ask directly whether the builder has worked on one before - shared structure and drainage with the other flat in the building changes what's straightforward and what needs negotiation with a neighbour first.

Before you commit

• Public liability insurance - see the actual certificate.
• Recent, verifiable reviews - ideally with photos, from contactable customers.
• A written, itemised quote - labour, materials and provisional sums separated out.
• Who's doing the work - subcontracting is common and not inherently a problem, but you should know upfront.

Compare like with like

Give every builder the same written brief. A wide spread between quotes for identical work usually means one has missed something.