If you're planning exterior cladding for your Long Stratton home, choosing the right contractor is the decision that determines everything else.
Exterior cladding is a protective outer skin fixed to the walls of a property. It shields the underlying structure from rain, wind and frost while giving the building a cleaner, more finished appearance. Done well, it can dramatically reduce damp penetration and make a home easier to heat. Done poorly, it traps moisture behind the boards and causes the very problems it was supposed to prevent.
Cladding is available in several materials: uPVC, timber, fibre cement and composite board are the most common on residential properties. Each has different maintenance needs, cost levels and appearances. A contractor worth hiring will talk you through the differences rather than defaulting to whatever they carry in the van.
The cladding market has a high proportion of cold-callers and travelling traders. In Long Stratton and the surrounding villages, homeowners are frequently approached by firms with no local presence and no accountability if something goes wrong. Starting with a contractor based in or near Norwich who can be traced, revisited and held to their work is a sensible baseline.
Ask anyone you're considering for the addresses of recent jobs in the area - not just a postcode, but properties you could drive past and look at. Cladding is visible. If they can't point you to finished work nearby, ask why not.
Before you sign anything or pay a deposit, go through these questions. A good contractor will answer them without hesitation. Vague or evasive answers are a warning sign.
Three quotes is the standard advice, and it's good advice - but only if you're comparing like for like. If one quote specifies 18mm fibre cement boards on a ventilated batten system and another specifies 10mm uPVC on adhesive clips, you're not comparing the same job. Ask each contractor to write down the material, the thickness, the fixing method and the membrane specification.
A typical cladding job on a semi-detached house in Norfolk runs from around £4,000 to £9,000 depending on the material chosen, the condition of the existing walls and whether scaffolding is needed. Fibre cement and composite boards cost more than uPVC but tend to look better. These figures vary, so treat any quote significantly below the range with caution rather than enthusiasm.
There are no legally required licences for cladding installation in the UK, which means anyone can offer the service. That places more weight on your own checks. Search the company name online alongside the word "complaint" or "review". Look for a physical address on their website - a PO box or no address at all is a red flag. Check whether they have a working landline, not just a mobile number.
We work from Norwich and cover Long Stratton and neighbouring villages. We're a local business with a local address, and we're happy to show you finished work in the area before you commit.
A reasonable deposit for a cladding job is typically 10-25% of the total. Be cautious of any contractor asking for 50% or more upfront before materials are ordered. Payment in cash with no receipt is a warning sign - always pay by bank transfer or card so there's a transaction record.
Ask for a written contract or at minimum a detailed written quote that both parties sign. It should state the start date, the expected duration, the materials to be used and the agreed total price. If a contractor refuses to put it in writing, walk away.
Cladding a typical semi takes two to five days depending on the size of the property and whether scaffolding is going up and coming down in the same operation. The sequence is: remove or prepare the existing wall surface, fix the batten framework, lay the breather membrane, install the cladding boards from the bottom up, then finish all edges, corners and window reveals with matching trim.
The property will be noisy and the garden or path nearest the work will be unusable for the duration. A tidy contractor will sheet the ground to catch debris and clean up at the end of each day. If your contractor turns up without any sheeting, that's a sign of how they'll leave the site at the end of the job.
If you're at the early stages of planning cladding for your home in Long Stratton, ask for a survey and written quote before you commit. A good contractor will look at the existing wall, tell you which materials suit it, and give you a clear breakdown of what the job involves before you decide anything.
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Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
