What should I ask a dry lining company before hiring them?

Question

Accepted Answer

Hire any Birkenhead drylining contractor with confidence by asking these questions in writing before you sign anything. Group them by category so nothing slips through:

**Credentials and insurance**
1. Are your operatives CSCS-accredited? Ask to see current cards — the CSCS scheme is UK-wide, so a valid card proves site-safe training wherever the firm is based.
2. What is your public liability limit? £1 million is the Merseyside baseline; £2–5 million is better for commercial work.
3. Do you hold CHAS, Constructionline, or SafeContractor accreditation? These third-party audits catch the paperwork a kitchen-table cash operator never bothers with.
4. Can I see your employer liability certificate? £10 million is standard and legally required if they employ staff.
5. Are you VAT-registered, and is the quote VAT-inclusive? No VAT number usually means no limited company, no accounts, and no comeback if things go wrong.

**Local track record**
6. Can you share two or three Wirral or Merseyside projects of similar size — a Hamilton Square office fit-out, a Birkenhead school refurb, or a New Brighton commercial shell? Ask for the site manager's number and call them.
7. Will you let me view a finished local job before I commit?

**Project specifics**
8. Will you do an in-person survey before quoting? Anything priced from photos alone is a guess.
9. Is the quote fixed-price or an estimate, and what triggers a variation? Get the list in writing.
10. Are all materials, fixings, beads, and skim finish included — or labour only?
11. What skim finish standard do you work to, and can I see a sample board?

**Programme, logistics and waste**
12. What is the start date, working hours, and total programme? Who supplies scaffolding or a scissor lift, and is a skip for waste plasterboard included?
13. What deposit do you take, what is the staged payment schedule, and when is the final balance due?

**Quality, snagging and aftercare**
14. What workmanship guarantee do you offer (12 months minimum, longer for fire-rated), what voids it, and what happens if a tile cracks or a bead lifts six months in?
15. Will you issue a completion certificate, fire-rated compliance paperwork, and a written warranty on handover?

Any contractor who refuses to answer these in writing is telling you the answer. Walk away.

Related Questions