How to Choose a Builder in Ireland (Without Getting Burned)

So folks, let me say something that I have been saying for twenty years and I will keep saying until someone proves me wrong.

Choosing a builder is a relationship decision. Second only to choosing a life partner.

I know that sounds dramatic. But I mean it seriously. You are inviting someone into your home — your family home, the place you live, the place your children sleep — and you are asking them to tear it apart and put it back together again, over the course of six months or a year, under significant financial and emotional pressure.

That is not a transaction. That is a relationship. And like all relationships, it depends on trust, communication, and a shared understanding of what both sides are committing to.

Most homeowners in Ireland choose their builder the wrong way. They get three prices, they pick the cheapest one, and they hope for the best. I understand why — the gap between the highest and lowest tender can be €30,000 or €40,000 on a standard extension, and that is a serious number. But the cheapest tender is nearly always the most expensive tender by the time the job is done. And choosing on price alone — without understanding what is behind the price — is the single biggest mistake I see homeowners make.

Let me tell you how I think about builder selection. And then let me tell you about a few builders I have worked with over the years, because the real lessons are always in the stories.

What you are actually looking for

When I sit down with a homeowner to go through tenders, the first thing I say is: forget the totals for now. Let's talk about the builders.

Three things matter more than the price.

First — can he actually do this job? Not in general. This specific job, in this specific house, to this specific standard. References from similar projects matter. Not from friends or family — from architects and engineers who have worked with him. If a builder cannot give you three referees from recent residential projects in Dublin or across Ireland who will speak to both the quality of the work and the quality of the relationship — that tells you something.

Second — does he have the capacity right now? A good builder who is overcommitted is a problem. He will have your project on site but his attention, his best tradespeople, and his financial resources will be stretched. Ask him directly: what else have you got on while this job is running? And listen carefully to the answer.

Third — do you trust him? Not just professionally. As a person. My father Fran used to ask a simple question when we were choosing people to work with: would you trust him with the keys? Not just the keys to the job. The keys to your house. If the answer was no — for whatever reason, however hard to articulate — the answer was no. Trust your instincts on this.

The builder who went from €250,000 to a million

I want to tell you about a builder I worked with years ago. He started small — residential extensions and renovations in South Dublin, doing good work, building a reputation. Over about ten years, he grew. Took on bigger jobs. Started commercial work. Hired more people.

And then he hit trouble. The bigger jobs had bigger margins but also bigger risks. Cash flow became a problem. He started taking on jobs he was not quite ready for. And one day he looked at me across a table and said — this shite doesn't work. He had gone from €250,000 in annual turnover to over a million, and he was less financially secure than when he was doing extensions.

He was not a bad builder. He was a good builder in a difficult position. And homeowners who were on his sites during that period paid for it — in delays, in reduced attention to detail, in a builder whose head was somewhere else.

The lesson: a builder's financial position matters. A builder under pressure does not build well. He survives. Ask the right questions before you appoint him.

The Cluny job — why the spec matters

A few years ago I had a builder on a job in Cluny — a refurbishment project, decent scope, good drawings. The spec I had written called for a specific insulation product, performance rated, with a particular U-value requirement. I had written it into the letter of tender. It was clear.

Halfway through the job, I did a site visit and found a different product. Lower spec. Cheaper. The builder had substituted it — not maliciously, but because his supplier had offered him a better margin.

I raised it immediately. The product came out, the correct product went in. End of story — but only because the spec was tight enough to make the substitution unambiguous. If the spec had said 'good quality insulation' or 'as per architect's instruction', there would have been a grey area. And grey areas cost money.

The spec protects you. A tight, detailed spec — product by product, performance standard by performance standard — is the single best protection you have against substitution, against corners being cut, against a builder making decisions that benefit him rather than you.

The Phibsboro builder — what character actually looks like

I want to say something about character, because I think it is undersold in most conversations about builder selection.

I worked with a builder around Phibsboro years ago who had a drink problem. Everybody in the area knew it. Some people would not touch him.

But the structural work he did on the jobs I saw him on was fair and good. He was honest. He did not cut corners. He was on site when he said he would be. And when he had a difficult day, he had people around him who covered.

I am not recommending hiring someone with a problem. But I am saying that character is more complex than a clean record. The builder who presents beautifully in the meeting and has the slickest references is not always the one you want on your site.

Watch how a builder treats his subcontractors. Watch how he talks about his previous clients. Watch whether he asks good questions about your project or just talks about himself. These things tell you more than the number at the bottom of the tender.

No means no — why red lines matter

Finally. Once you have chosen your builder, be clear about your non-negotiables before the contract is signed.

The spec is the spec. The agreed programme is the programme. The agreed contract sum is the agreed contract sum, subject only to properly instructed and agreed variations.

No means no. If you have a red line — a finish level you are not willing to compromise on, a start date that is non-negotiable, a cost that cannot move — say it clearly and in writing before the contract is signed. Not on site, not in a heated conversation six months in.

A builder who respects a clear boundary before the contract is signed is a builder who will respect it during the build. A builder who pushes back on a clear written instruction before the contract is signed will push back during the build too.

That is the builder you do not appoint.

Anyway, that is my way of saying: choose carefully. Take your time. Check the references. Trust your gut. And get someone independent to review the tender and the contract before you sign anything.

Before you sign with any builder, I'll review the tender, the contract, and the spec for you. Most jobs that go wrong, go wrong here. → [link to tender review service]" "If I can help in any way, let me know.