Finding a joiner in the UK is pretty easy as they are a dime a dozen. However, locating one that can produce a masterpiece for your home is far more difficult. Unscrupulous companies long ago figured out that the general public would pay a small fortune to be the proud owners of a piece of bespoke furniture. Having a beautifully crafted table as a centrepiece for example is a source of great pride for the British homeowner. Sadly, this desire is taken advantage of with poor excuses for joiners creating a mess before running off with the client’s money. They give professional joiners a bad name so read carefully to find out more about what to look for in a good joinery company.
The most obvious tip is to look for a joinery company that has an established reputation. This point can’t be stressed enough. When it comes to such a specialized niche, it makes no sense to try and save money by hiring a cheap company. The results will not be to your satisfaction and you would probably be better off not hiring anyone. This means that you must avoid companies that call ‘door to door’, have no website and generally have not been heard of by anyone. High quality joiners are unlikely to be able to start work on the same day you hire them. A good joinery company have a clearly established office, an online presence (usually) and plenty of positive reviews from local people.
As this is likely to be an expensive project, you don’t want to be taking chances on the quality of the workmanship. It’s common sense to look for a guarantee off the joinery company. If they refuse to give one or only offer vague promises, go elsewhere. ‘Their word’ or a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ are not legally binding so get a piece of paper that is and get it signed. Professional companies will produce this guarantee without prompting. Guarantees vary in length but in general, you shouldn’t accept less than 10 years for any piece of joinery work. A project like the installation of new windows could have an even longer guarantee.
Although the final price may come to several hundred pounds or more, the majority of joinery companies will not charge an upfront payment. They will be more than happy with signing a contract which legally obligates you to pay if you are satisfied with the final result of the project. Therefore, there is no reason for them to seek an upfront payment of anything beyond materials they may have to purchase for the job. Companies that ask for more cannot be trusted and should be told to look elsewhere for business. It is very much a buyer’s market so remember, it is you that has the power, not the other way around.
