There’s no shortage of genuine, hard-working people in construction. Yet the small minority of cowboys do outsized harm. They leave unfinished work, empty promises, and big holes in both walls and wallets. The fallout doesn’t end with one unhappy client - it erodes trust across the entire industry.

Fraud in construction takes many forms. Disappearing after a fat deposit. Charging for premium materials while fitting budget substitutes. Inflated invoices padded with ghost labour. Collusion in bidding. Fudged certificates. However it manifests, the result is the same: money wasted, schedules wrecked, quality compromised.

The financial shock can floor a household or a small firm. One bad actor can push a project from tight to impossible. It isn’t only money either. Families live for months in part-finished rooms. Site teams face reputational blowback they didn’t earn. Confidence evaporates and good contractors spend time proving they’re not like the last lot.

So what actually works to protect clients and keep projects honest?

Start with verification. Check the firm’s legal name, company number, insurance and references. Look at recent work and speak to past clients. Genuine contractors welcome scrutiny.

Put everything in writing. Use a clear scope, itemised materials, milestones, a change-control process, and agreed quality standards. Tie staged payments to visible progress and signed inspections, not promises. Keep a small retention until defects are resolved.

Watch the details during delivery. Reconcile materials ordered against what arrives and what is installed. Use dated photos for progress records. Query vague invoices. Treat sudden scope changes as exceptions that need written approval. Where budgets allow, bring in independent oversight for key stages.

If something smells off, act quickly. Document everything. Pause further payments if your contract allows. Get advice from a construction-savvy solicitor. Report fraud to Action Fraud. For larger or systemic cases, specialist investigators may be needed.

Culture matters too. Construction runs on reputation. Transparent procurement, firm payment controls, and safe whistleblowing channels make it harder for cowboys to operate. When clients, good contractors, and consultants insist on the same simple disciplines, the space for con artists shrinks fast.

We’ll cover practical checklists on the show - what to ask before you hire, how to structure a fair contract, and the tell-tale red flags on site. Michelle will share simple ways to harden your processes without grinding projects to a halt, and Gareth will press us on the realities for homeowners and smaller builders who don’t have big-firm resources.
This week on Construction Matters at 1pm on Tuesday, Gareth Wax is in the chair, joined by myself, Hamish McLay, and Michelle Carr, the Construction Alchemist. We’re lifting the lid on construction con artists - the tricks they use, the damage they cause, and how to stop them in their tracks.

Catch the episode on our YouTube channel:
Spilling the Proper-Tea: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea

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