Given the exposure on tv and in the press I am astounded by the trouble home owners get themselves into when having refurbishments or extensions carried out on their properties. Sadly it is nearly always laid at the door of the poor old builder! The number of enquiries I receive, where people expect a builder to firstly give a fixed price and secondly to execute the works from little construction information from just Planning or Building Regs drawings. They then complain when the cost of their project spirals out of control as they make changes to what they see being constructed and finally deciding on things that affect works already completed. And builders have to shoulder some of the blame, taking on works that are clearly only partly defined and then trying to interpret and incorporate the clients wants and needs in a haphazard fashion, without worrying about what the final cost will be. Is there any way out of this problem or will the programmes about “cowboy builders” have a never ending source of material as “cowboy clients” and “cowboy consultants” engage builders to construct their dreams and aspirations with little advice and often nothing in writing.