When Beams covers costs
Two situations. If our design service contained a clear error in the design intent we produced and you'd rather have the fee back than the rework, we refund the design fee. If your builder can't complete your project, the escrow plus the network of replacement builders gets the work finished.
There are two situations where Beams covers costs.
If the design intent we produced contained an error
The Beams design service produces design intent — drawings, finishes, materials lists, the brief that your builder works to. Beams isn't the principal designer on a project, and we don't take responsibility for the specific dimensions or buildable specification — confirming those before purchase sits with whoever's procuring the item (your builder, your joinery provider, or you, depending on the line item) and with the supplier preparing the order.
What we are accountable for is the quality of the design intent we deliver. If you feel there were errors in what we produced — something inconsistent, missed, or genuinely wrong with the design intent — we'd prefer to correct it. We can also refund the design fee if you'd rather not wait.
So, taking a concrete example: if a bespoke piece of joinery arrives at the wrong dimensions, that's not normally a Beams refund. Beams provided design intent; the builder, joinery provider, or you confirmed measurements before purchase. The refund route in that case sits with the supplier, the joinery contract, or the builder, depending on who confirmed the measurements.
If your builder can't complete your project
If your builder leaves the Beams network or goes out of business and can't complete your project, the protection isn't a separate Beams payout — it's the structure of the platform.
Your construction funds sit in the Beams Account. They're released to your builder milestone by milestone, only after you approve. If a milestone doesn't get done, the funds for it stay in your account. That means, in the situation where a builder can't continue, the money that was earmarked for the work that hasn't happened is still available — to fund a replacement builder from the Beams network finishing the job. We'll help you appoint that replacement and the funds in your Beams Account go to them as they complete the milestones.
Your builder's 12-month workmanship warranty under the Home Improvement Contract (HIC) is binding regardless of whether they remain on the network. So if a warranty claim arises on work that was completed before they left, it still sits with them legally. If they're unreachable or out of business, the Beams network helps coordinate a fix through a different builder.
Workmanship issues with a builder still on the platform
For workmanship issues during a project where your builder is still on the platform, the responsibility sits with the builder under your HIC. Beams supports the process — through our complaints route and the structure of the contract — but doesn't pay for the work itself.
Related articles
- What to do if your relationship with your builder breaks down
- The 12-month workmanship warranty
- The contracts behind your project