Code of Conduct in practice

The Code of Conduct sets the standard for how every builder in the network behaves. The full document sits in your dashboard. This article describes what it looks like in day-to-day practice — what we expect, and what tends to go wrong.

On site

• Arrive when you said you would. If you can't, message ahead. Customers tolerate genuine reasons; they don't tolerate silence.
• Treat the home as a home. Floors protected, dust controlled, working areas tidied at end of day, valuables left alone.
• Wear identifiable clothing or ID. Customers should know your team are your team.
• Manage your subs. If you bring in subcontractors, they're your responsibility. Same standards, same conduct.
• Keep noise and disruption proportionate. Where flats or shared buildings have rules, follow them.

In messages

• Reply within reasonable hours. Responsiveness is part of the standard, not a bonus.
• Stay on the platform. All project communication goes through Beams messaging — both for customer protection and for your own record.
• Be professional. Frustration is allowed; rudeness, profanity, or personal attacks aren't.
• Don't pressure. Customers can take time to decide on quotes, change orders, or selections. Pressure is not persuasion.

Commercially

• Quote honestly. Your quote is what you'll deliver for. Re-quotes after design lock are normal; surprise charges mid-build aren't.
• Don't ask customers to pay off-platform. All payments run through Beams.
• Be transparent about variations. Use the change-order process — don't do work first and ask for money later.
• Don't cut corners on safety or on signed-off scope. Both unwind in snagging or warranty, and both damage the network.

With Beams

• Be honest in your dealings with us. If something's wrong on a project, tell us early. We'd rather hear about a problem from you than from the customer.
• Provide documents when asked. Insurance certificates, warranties, photos for milestone evidence, invoices.
• Don't disparage other builders or Beams in customer-facing settings. If you have a complaint about the platform, raise it with us directly.

What "in practice" tends to mean

The Code looks abstract. The day-to-day version is small.

• A customer messages on a Sunday — you reply Monday morning rather than Wednesday afternoon.
• A delivery is wrong — you tell the customer and your build advisor today, not next week when they notice.
• A sub turns up without ID — you give them a Beams-branded high-vis on day one.
• A change request comes in — you log a change order before any work starts.
• Frustration with the customer — you message your build advisor first, not the customer.

These small habits are the difference between a builder who fits in our network and one who creates friction.

When the Code is broken

Most issues we see are at the edges — small lapses, sometimes one-offs, sometimes patterns. We'll usually flag and discuss before any formal action. Penalty points and suspension exist for the more serious cases. The article Penalty points and suspension covers how that works.

What this means for you

The Code isn't a list of rules to memorise. It's a set of norms — how the network behaves on a normal day. If your work and your manner already match what's described above, the Code is just the formal version of how you already operate.

Related articles

• Quick rules
• Penalty points and suspension
• Daily conduct and customer property