"We knew there were problems with our house, but had not been confident in any of the advice we were getting. We contacted Lead Builders because of a good rating on NoCowboys, initially to investigate a small issue. However, as Garry investigated it became clear that the problems were much wider than we had supposed.
We became convinced that he was right for us when he said, fairly early, that he could advise us how to do a minimal fix for the apparent problems but that he would not do the work because he did not want his name on anything that was not a proper job. In the end, a "proper job" turned out to be a full re-clad and a new roof according to an architect's design.
As the work progressed, it was clear that Garry's analysis had been correct - every problem that he had identified turned out to be real when the skin was removed to give a good look. There were no real surprises, either; he had identified everything important that needed fixing.
Garry's approach was always meticulous, and he employs people with the same attitude. The on-site foreman, Mike, is a perfectionist who makes sure that everything is correct and done as well as it can be. We sometimes listened in on discussions between Garry and Mike about how to deal with some problem, and it was obvious that both of them thought through ideas carefully to ensure that the solution would work and was the best solution possible.
Beyond the essential work, we accepted many suggestions from Garry and Mike for improving the house while we had the opportunity (double glazing, improved insulation, a new fireplace, LED lighting). In the end, we could not afford everything that they suggested, but after being back in the house for a while we do not regret doing anything that they suggested.
Both Garry and Mike are very good at communicating with clients, and respectful of the clients and the neighbours. We found Mike extremely patient in showing us what was being done and discussing what would happen next. They also ensured that neighbours were not inconvenienced (we have a shared driveway) and arranged the work so that we were able to move back in earlier than would have been most convenient for the builders, and worked around us for several weeks.
If you want somebody who will do a cheap quick fix before you flick the house on, Lead Builders are not the right people for you. But if, like us, you intend to live with the results, then you will be very satisfied with them. Would we hire them again? Certainly: as soon as the consent comes through, Garry and Mike will be starting a re-clad on our daughter's house."
13th Jan, 2016 • Rating by: Paul • Contact: Garry Ledbury • Job date: Jan, 2016