A.C.B Builders

QUALITY: low quality and shortcuts taken, which caused a lot of the work he did in my property to require redoing or completing (e. G. Non washable paint used in wet rooms; kitchen worktop not cut to align with cupboards above and below, but left sticking out; rubbish hidden under bath tub; doors left dirty with his paint; wall around bath tub only partially tiled, which caused the wall to get damaged in no time; side panel of bath tub cut without consulting with me and not secured in any other effective way, which weakened the structure and caused the panel to keep falling down; edge of RSJ only covered with piece of wallpaper that had previously been removed and a thin piece of wood, rather being properly bonded and plastered first; water stopcock left hidden in a column which would have terrible consequences in case of emergency where I needed to reach it; electrical switch box left in unreachable position; unsealed gaps left behind kitchen cupboards which let a lot of draughts in; bathroom doorframe left unfinished; no room to be able to reach and fix potentially leaking bath tub pipes due to the wall shelf he built besides the tub; plastered kitchen ceiling full of lines and visible defects, especially when artificial light is on; etc. ). VALUE: the goalpost kept being moved in order to be able to overcharge me on made-up grounds, even though in some cases I had written evidence and/or witnesses corroborating my version. I didn’t see a single invoice. SERVICE: the builder had to be constantly chased up to return and finish the work, which eventually took 10 months instead of the initially stated 4 months, and even then some things were left unfinished as detailed above. Attitude was poor and at times intimidating, like if I was disturbing him or begging for a favour, rather than being a paying customer.

Alan was recommended by a friend when I was desperate for a good builder who could come in and do a full renovation of my 3 bed newly purchased home under a very tight deadline. It was very easy arranging a quote and Alan arrived on time and was very polite and friendly. Alan quoted a really good price and completed the work within the agreed time frame, and to a very high standard. Upon starting the project, he arrived when promised, and explained everything he was doing throughout the different stages of the project, and also worked with me on changes I made along the way. He was particularly patient, hard working, and respectful. I explicitly trusted him and relied on his advice/recommendations throughout the process. I was so impressed with his time keeping and commitment - he arrived on time every morning and worked a full day, including weekends in order to move the project along. He cleaned up after him every time and left no mess. I really can’t recommend Alan enough to anyone looking to renovate their home to a high standard. If I could give 10 stars, I would! Thank you so much Alan ? ?.Moreexpand_more

Alan was very thorough and meticulous in his work, relaying our patio and fitting a drain to help us with a damp problem. He has done a great job it looks really nice and we are confident he has fixed the problem. I would have no hesitation recommending him and he was a pleasure to deal with- also very considerate as he let me know when he was about to do anything noisy as I was working in the house. I wish everyone I have to deal with was as good!

At the front of our park home we needed lawns and hedges removed and replaced with a block-paving driveway and a shingle area ; also, a new stretch of shingle alongside the property. Alan achieved all of this within four-and-a-half working days ( with the help of a digger-man and his son on a couple of these days ). This was quite remarkable and the finished standard is outstanding, so much so that at least two other local residents have asked him for quotes after admiring his work. We found Alan to be a real grafter, barely pausing for meals, but he does like his coffee ! His work skills and knowledge are exceptional and we recommend him without hesitation.

We have recently moved to a bungalow which needed complete refurbishment, Alan arranged a local plumber and a local electrician and organised all of this plus decorated the bungalow all through, he was very organised, always on time, cleaned up after himself and we are both very pleased with the work he has done and his organisation he also did lots of little extras, we would definitely recommend him.

We required some minor building work in our very old - 1750 - but new to us, property including repairs to an inglenook fireplace. Alan provided an excellent service. His work was of a very high standard and he met our requirements exactly. He arrived on time and cleaned up each day. I would recommend him without reservation.

VERY pleased with our new front wall… Many of our neighbours have informed me they now have ‘ wall envy’! Alan provided a great service; arrived when he said he would, cleared up after the work was done, and all for a great price…Brilliant job, Alan! We definitely recommend you.

Alan came to see the task and quickly identified a quick simple aesthetically pleasing solution to an unsupported brick wall in the garden. After other ridiculous suggestions from other builders we immediately gained confidence in his considerable skills. The new piers look very much in keeping with the old wall - he had sourced reasonably priced used bricks which match well. A delightful man to have in our home and he was very reasonable when we asked for minor changes. Price totally acceptable - it was hot and he managed to keep working despite this. Would highly recommend ACB Builders to anyone wanting a task completed as quoted and to a high standard. We came home to a beautifully clear area on each of the days he was with us and at the end. I will definitely ask him to complete more tasks for us. Thanks.

After standing tall for at least 50 years our garden wall unexpectedly blew down during a storm, leaving our back garden exposed to the whole World. Anxious for it to be rebuilt as soon as possible, I approached Alan for a quote which came back at a very competitive rate. After I gave the go ahead, Alan began the work within a couple of days, initially cleaning up the old bricks we had salvaged to be re-used. He completely rebuilt the wall from scratch, adding some wind holes and increasing the size of the pillars for added strength. Alan arrived promptly every day, despite some cold frosty mornings and just got on with the job. He was able to complete the task without the use of a skip or heavy machinery much to my relief, enabling minimum disruption throughout. I am very pleased with the result - the build quality is far better than before and would certainly recommend Alan for any bricklaying jobs. Hopefully the wall will remain for at least another 50 years.

Alan carried out the under bricking of a canter lever bay window to give access in our lounge. Job was carried out well and at a good price. Alan also has contacts in other trades, eg. Plastering, which he arranged for us. A good local builder.

Really great service from A. C. B Builders. We had an internal wall removed and garage converted. Arrived when he said he would and the standard of finish is superb. Alan was recommended to us by a friend, glad they did because good trades people are hard to find. Alan will be the first person I call if I need anymore work doing.

Throughout the work demolishing and rebuilding a garden wall at my home I found Alan to be helpful, efficient and reliable, and his work to be of an excellent standard. I would certainly use the services of his company again in the future and am very happy to recommend him.

Our garden wall was blown over in to the February gales. ACB builders took everything down to the footings and rebuilt the whole thing-front , back and side. The finished item is excellent. I cannot speak highly enough of Alan and his team. They were punctual and efficent and even removed all the debris. I would be happy to recommend him.

Had Alan and his team in to build a small extension. This included all the build work from the footings, brickwork, roofing to plumbing, electrics and joinery, including internal tiling and external paving. Totally trustworthy and friendly. With several years of experience and as well as up-to-date knowledge, he was able to advise and make suggestions along the way. Excellent attention to detail throughout and always left the place tidy at the end of each day. Would ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND him and will be calling him again for further work.

In late September, Alan did some excellent brickwork of my kitchen extension, some of the work being complicated. A good job, well done.

Work carried out to kitchen/living room area. Excellent time keeping. Extra work involved not expected which ACB carried out with great professionalism and quality workmanship. Would definitely use again for jobs big or small. Wealth of knowledge in all aspects of home improvement. Excellent value for money. Honest and approachable. HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you're looking for a builder that has vast knowledge, reliable and efficient.

Alan Barratt responded to my request immediately for a rebuild of our front garden wall which had been partially knocked down, he came and viewed the work and gave us a written quote within 2 working days via email, and then completed the work a week later. We were out on the day he completed the work, but on returning home we found the wall built with excellent workmanship and all equipment used had been put away and the area left clean and tidy. I have no hesitation in recommending Alan for your building work.

Alan built our kitchen extension. We were very pleased with the result and will be having him back in the summer to do a loft conversion.

We needed a tricky piece of brickwork re-engineering and were recommended, by a friend, to speak with Alan. All work was completed within the timescales and costs Alan quoted, even with some additions I asked for! If you are looking for a friendly professional service from someone who 1. Does what he says he will do and 2. Turns up on time, everytime, then Alan's your man. I have no hesitation in recommending him.

We had a house extension which included extending the hall and garage, then buiding a second story room to be used as 2 en-suites and a dressing room. The builder(s) arrived on time every day and constantly kept us informed on how the build was progressing. There were a few issues which came up during the build which we were instantly told about with suggested solutions. I would not hesitate to use ACB again for any future work.