What to do if your relationship with your builder breaks down
Try to sort it out with your builder first. If that doesn't work, your build advisor is the next step. Your contractual rights under the Home Improvement Contract and Customer Agreement govern what happens from there.
Most projects run smoothly. Sometimes a relationship with a builder goes sideways — communication dries up, work falls behind, or you and the builder simply can't agree on something. This article walks through what to do.
Your contract sits between you and the builder
Your Home Improvement Contract (HIC) is between you and your builder. Beams isn't a party to that contract — we generated it from a standard template and we run the platform around it, but the binding agreement is yours and theirs. Your contractual rights under the HIC and the Customer Agreement govern how things get handled when there's a problem.
Both contracts are in your dashboard.
Step 1 — Talk to your builder
The first step is almost always a direct conversation with your builder. Be specific about what's not working — late responses, work that doesn't match what you agreed, a particular incident that's bothered you. A surprising number of breakdowns turn out to be misunderstandings, missed messages, or pressure on the builder's side that they hadn't shared with you. A direct conversation often clears more than expected.
Step 2 — Bring in your build advisor
If the direct conversation hasn't sorted it, your build advisor is the next step. They're an escalation role, not your first point of contact during a healthy build, but this is exactly when they're useful. They'll talk to you, talk to the builder, look at the platform record, and try to find a way through.
You can reach your build advisor through the platform or by email. Their details are in your project dashboard.
Step 3 — We'll escalate internally if we can't sort it out
If your build advisor can't bring the situation to an end, we escalate it within Beams. Our Vice President (VP) of Operations gets involved at this stage. We'll keep you informed about what's happening and how we're approaching it.
Where the situation calls for outside legal advice — for example, if a pre-legal letter has been sent, or if the financial dispute is significant — we involve outside counsel. We'll be transparent with you about that and what it means for the process.
Step 4 — Your contractual rights are the framework
Throughout, your rights under your contracts are the framework everything operates inside. The HIC sets out what your builder is responsible for, how snags and disputes are handled, and what your remedies look like. The Customer Agreement covers your relationship with us — including the formal complaints process if you need it.
We'll always describe what's happening in plain English, but the contracts are the authority. If you want to read them, they're in your dashboard.
Step 5 — When Beams steps in financially
There are two situations where we step in financially: if we got something wrong on our side, or if your builder leaves the network or goes out of business and can't complete your project. The article When Beams covers costs describes both. Workmanship issues with a builder still on the platform sit between you and the builder under your contract — we support the process but don't pay for the work itself.
Related articles
- How to tell us when something isn't right
- Filing a formal complaint
- When Beams covers costs
- The contracts behind your project