The following is a proposal for a Member Bill tabled during the Sixth Senedd:
Proposing Member:
Title of the proposed Bill:
Regulation of Builders (Wales) Bill
Policy Objectives of the proposed Bill:
The policy objectives of the Bill are:
- To set up a register of approved builders so people in Wales are not ripped off when carrying out building work on their properties.
- Enable members of the public to see if their builder’s qualifications for the job they wish to carry out are up to code and a regulatory standard.
- To prevent members of the public parting with their hard earned money/savings to carry out work on their homes for it to be incomplete, rejected by building control or of a sub-standard with no repercussions for the builders except the homeowner taking them to court.
Supporting information
Many residents across Wales, particularly the vulnerable and elderly, fall victim to cowboy builders and rogue traders.
Not only does it leave the victim out of pocket, but it also has a lasting mental and emotional impact on them.
Rogue traders and cowboy builders also give reliable and trustworthy traders a bad name as many people will tar them with the same brush should they have a bad experience.
Research conducted by the Federation of Master Builders revealed the UK economy is missing out on £10 billion of activity per year because of anxiety over cowboy builders.
It also found one third of home owners are putting off doing major home improvement works because they fear hiring a dodgy builder.
People should be able to hire builders without fear of being ripped off by cowboy builders and losing their hard-earned money.
We need to do all we can to protect residents from being scammed by rogue builders.
That’s why I want to see the Welsh Government create a register of approved and trusted builders to help boost consumer confidence.
Builders would have to meet certain criteria to be added to the register, such as references and qualifications.