Hiring a contractor

Maintaining and repairing traditional buildings often requires the input of a number of experts skilled in traditional building methods and materials.

All trades

Builders or contractors, roofers, joiners, stonemasons and other tradespeople may be more or less experienced in caring for traditional buildings. But it pays to invest in hiring people with the correct expertise.

Older buildings are often fragile and demand careful thought and attention. The most successful repairs are usually those that most closely match the original construction.

For example, using impermeable cement mortar for repointing can cause severe damage to stone masonry. So it’s vital that your contractor understands this and knows how to make lime mortar repairs instead.

To get the best results, it may even be wise to use a local contractor familiar with local traditions, e.g. a roofer familiar with local slating techniques.

Expert knowledge is invaluable in ensuring that repairs have a long life, and that so too does the fabric of your property.

Specialist advice

Larger or more complex projects may require specialist advice from one or more building professionals.

Professionals you may need to call on from time to time include:

• architect – to design and plan alterations and/or extensions and prepare drawings to apply for permissions for work
• building surveyor – similar capabilities to an architect, but usually not trained in building design
• structural engineer – for advice where repair or refurbishment work concerns the structure of the building
• architectural technologist – can help to improve a building’s technical performance, and may even specialise in conservation
• conservator – to advise on how to repair and preserve objects and materials such as stained glass windows or decorative wall plaster
• conservation officer – your planning authority may have such an officer to provide technical advice and make suggestions about work to traditional buildings
• specialist supplier – if you need to source traditional materials such as building limes or recycled wrought ironwork

Professional institutions

The relevant professional institute, association or society can advise on how to source a suitable individual who can support your project. Not all professionals will have experience of working with traditional buildings.

Try visiting the websites of the:

• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists
• Conservation Accreditation Register of Engineers
• Institute of Conservation
• Institute of Historic Building Conservation
• Institution of Civil Engineers
• Institution of Structural Engineers
• Register of Architects Accredited in Building Conservation
• Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
• Royal Institute of British Architects
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Unless you’ve used a contractor before or have a reliable recommendation, you’ll need to invest some time in sourcing a suitable match for the work. This is well worth the effort in the long run.

Please note that neither Historic Environment Scotland nor the Engine Shed holds or compiles lists of tradespeople or professionals.

It’s vital to use a contractor with specialist expertise in the repair or refurbishment of traditional buildings – particularly if you’re not also engaging a professional to advise on the work.

Read about the benefits of hiring an expert.

Selecting a shortlist

To check that a contractor has the right background, you can ask to:

• see references from current or previous clients
• view photos of recent work, which may give clues to its quality
• speak to clients directly to confirm references
• visit a site in person to assess their competence for yourself

If you’re happy with what you see and/or hear, be sure to check that the same workforce will be used for your own project.

Once you have a shortlist of at least three contractors, you can ask each to visit your property to discuss your needs and provide you with a quote.

You may need to follow a more formal tender process for larger projects. This will certainly be the case if you’ve engaged the services of an architect or other professional.

You can use the notes you take during your regular inspections of the property to plan a work specification. Taking photos of any visible defects or problems you spot during checks will also be of help when discussing your requirements with contractors.

For larger projects, you may find it helpful to engage a professional to write the work specification instead – and also to confirm that the various phases of work have each been completed fully as the project progresses.

Changes to the work specification

Professionals and reputable contractors will know that minimal intervention is best when it comes to traditional buildings. Be wary of any contractor who you feel is encouraging you to carry out work that you suspect may be unnecessary.

You may find, however, that the work specification naturally changes as the project proceeds. This often happens with old buildings, as historic issues – e.g. outdated electrical wiring – may only come to light when a property is opened up.

Before work begins

Be sure to find out:

• how the work will be carried out
• in what order it will be completed – useful if you’re sourcing some materials or items yourself
• how unexpected additional works will be costed and scheduled in
• how the site will be run
• where materials will be stored
• what protection measures will be put in place to prevent damage to your property and its contents

It’s always worth taking photos of the building before work begins in case a dispute later arises.