A guide for homeowners
What an FMB builder means for you.
Builders' websites are full of badges, and most homeowners have no way of telling which ones mean anything. This page explains what Federation of Master Builders membership actually involves, says plainly that it is the only accreditation this firm holds, and then gives you the checklist we would use ourselves to vet any builder — including us.
Silver Stag Construction Ltd is a Federation of Master Builders member firm.
That is the whole of our accreditation list. We are not Gas Safe registered, NICEIC approved or TrustMark registered, because we are a building contractor rather than a gas, electrical or scheme-registered installer — the registered trades who do that work on our sites hold their own certification and issue it to you directly.
What membership involves
Four things behind the logo.
Vetting before you get in
The FMB does not simply take a subscription and post out a sticker. Applicant firms are assessed before they are accepted as members — which is why the membership is worth checking rather than worth boasting about.
Independent inspection
Member firms are independently inspected, so the standard is not self-declared. That is the practical difference between a trade body and a directory listing you paid to appear in.
A written contract expected
Working to a written contract — scope, stages, payment points and terms — is part of what membership expects. It is also the single cheapest form of protection a homeowner can insist on.
Somewhere to go if it goes wrong
A trade body gives you a route beyond the builder themselves. Ask about it before you sign, not after: the answer tells you how a firm expects the job to end.
Eight questions
How to vet any builder — including this one.
None of these is rude to ask. A firm that is comfortable being checked will answer all eight without hesitating, and a firm that is not has just given you the most useful information of the whole conversation.
01Can I see the company on Companies House?
Every limited company is public — name, number, incorporation date, registered office and directors. Ours is Silver Stag Construction Ltd, no. 11600959, incorporated 2 October 2018. If a firm cannot give you a number, ask why.
02Is the trade body membership real?
Do not take the logo on the van. Search the register on the trade body's own website. Our FMB listing is linked from every page of this site for exactly that reason.
03Can I see the insurance?
Ask for the policy, not a reassurance — public liability at minimum, and employer's liability if the firm has employees. Check the dates while you are looking at it.
04Will I get a written contract?
Yes, and it should state the scope, the stages, what triggers each payment, and how variations are priced. A builder who resists this is telling you something.
05Is the quotation itemised?
A single figure at the bottom of one page is not a quotation, it is a guess you cannot argue with. An itemised quote lets you change the glazing or the roof covering and see immediately what that decision costs.
06What is the payment pattern?
Staged payments against work completed are normal. A large deposit before anything happens on site is not. Never pay for the whole job up front, however good the discount sounds.
07Can I speak to a recent client?
The most useful question is not "were you happy" but "what went wrong and how did they handle it". Every job has something. The answer to the second half is the one that matters.
08Who is actually going to be here?
Find out whether the person quoting is the person running the job, and which trades are sub-contracted. On our jobs it is James and the team, with our own regular trades for specialist work.
If you run that checklist past us and something does not stack up, we would rather you told us than quietly went elsewhere.
Company number, FMB listing, insurance, written contract, itemised quote, staged payments, references, and who is actually on site. That is the lot, and it is all available on request.