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Whilst Project managing a large contract for high specification refurbishments to one of the countries largest housing associations properties in prestigious London locations he met Slava. Slava was the owner of the main sub contractor Russell was using to carry out the project. Over the next 3-4 years a strong working relationship developed. They soon came to the conclusion that their different skill sets would combine well and Britova Building Solutions Ltd was born.

Slava came to the UK 15 years ago after long journey to get away from his homeland where there were few opportunities for somebody to make a successful life. Speaking no English but wanting to provide for his young family he started work as a site labourer. From this humble beginning he worked hard to create a successful contracting business. However, his lack of knowledge of the commercial and contractual side of the business meant he was always working as a sub contractor.

With Slava’s existing company and infrastructure and Russells commercial experience we were able to hit the ground running. With the backing of Slavas existing business, Russells connections and their combined 45 years experience we are 100% confident of our ability to take on most projects and if we believe we are not fully capable we won’t take on the project. We employ a core team of the basic trades and have an extensive network of tried, tested and trusted specialist Sub Contractors. To enable us to pass on the best quality and value for money to our clients we ensure that all our specialists are up to date and fully accredited within their particular fields. There’s an old saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”, with this always on our minds we make sure we have the right person for the right job and won’t cut corners to get something finished quickly or to make a few extra pounds profit.

We have many long standing relationships with Architects, Building Surveyors, Structural Engineers, interior and lighting designers. We are happy to pass their details to any client that needs their services. However, we don’t offer a Design & Build service as we always believe that this creates a conflict of interest and think the client, if required should use an independent expert. We also have long standing relationships with many suppliers allowing us to use their technical expertise for the materials and services they provide and of course providing us with the best discounts that can be passed on to our clients.

We believe on any project, no matter what the size we are not just the builder but a member of the team that will collaborate with all parties to provide the best possible product. Our experience allows us to play our part in providing innovative, value engineered solutions. We aim to exceed expectations for all our clients. If you are not completely confident to recommend us to your friends and family then we consider our role as a failure.

We have attained full membership to the Federation of Master Builders – FMB and the government Trustmark scheme. Unlike some similar organisations that claim to rate and check their members to give the client peace of mind who do nothing more than collect money. The FMB actually take the time to vet their members and continually check to make sure their standards are maintained. They also offer dispute resolution and a system of insured baked warranties that, as members we are obliged to offer our clients. Any Guarantee offered by a builder is really worth nothing in comparison. Use the link on our site to check out the FMB and especially the Build Assure warranty scheme, whether or not you decide to use Britova for your project make sure you use an FMB member.

We are a relatively small company. However, we are big enough to manage projects up to £1 million. On any project one of our Directors will personally be involved so you will always have the ability to talk to somebody that can answer your questions and ensure you get the best service from start to finish and beyond.

We carry out extensions, loft conversions, basements, alterations, refurbishments from Kitchen and Bathrooms to full house renovations. External Repairs and Decorations (XRD’s). We have experience of working on listed buildings and within conservation areas. We work in Schools, occupied premises and other non domestic premises where Health & Safety, cleanliness and consideration are paramount concerns so the continual use of the premises during works is possible with the minimal amount of risk and disruption.

We provide free estimates and are always happy to offer our advice. We will not take on a contract unless we are confident we have the skills and ability to complete it in a professional manner. We have public liability insurance cover up to £ million that covers our workmanship or in case of an accident. However, we do not carry professional Indemnity insurance to cover us for design. For example, if there is a requirement to specify a structural steel beam we would insist that you employed a suitably qualified Structural Engineer. Unfortunately there are still many cowboy builders out there who will side step the correct procedures, such as, Health & Safety, qualified design etc. We are unable to compete financially with these companies who will cut corners, we are though competitive with other responsible builders who work in the correct manner. Under the latest CDM 2015 (Construction, Design Management) regulations, no matter how small the project the regulations now make the client responsible for Health & Safety on their project. You need to consider this when making the decision to employ a builder who is much cheaper. Are you protected from the law? Is the builder taking H&S seriously, do they understand their obligations and what they need to do to protect you should the unthinkable happen.

There are many places to get good advice about your project and what you should consider when choosing your builder. If you get comparative quotes and one stands out as being very cheap, try to find out why their price is so different. Ask questions, any decent builder should be happy to answer them. If you haven’t had a schedule of works drawn up and your builder hasn’t typed out a breakdown of the works how do you know they are all pricing the same thing. If it’s not clear, then make sure to find out what is and isn’t included in their price. Most jobs will have variations as they progress but if you know what’s included to start with you will find it much easier to keep track of any changes. Set a rule with your builder to give you prices for any changes and make them aware they need your agreement before doing any “additional” works. Sometimes to allow works to progress on site the builder may need to make a decision if you are not available to agree, make sure you set a limit for these situations. We recommend that a contract is signed by both parties prior to the works starting as it will set the rules and protect both parties. The FMB have a number of free contracts, easily downloaded off their website, that cover most types of projects.

In most instances we do not take any deposits upfront, in the cases where we do it will be protected under the FMB build assure warranty scheme. Generally we will invoice for the works on either a two of four weekly basis, the amounts will be agreed beforehand and will be based on the amount of works that have been completed.