From choosing a builder to break ground — the four weeks
After you accept a quote, the next four weeks have a clear shape — sign the HIC, the 14-day cooling-off period runs, your builder uses the following two weeks to mobilise, and you fund the first milestone along the way. Here's how it sequences.
Once you've accepted a quote and paid the £1,000 build deposit, the project enters a four-week sequence between signing the Home Improvement Contract (HIC) and break ground. The structure is deliberate: a fortnight of statutory cooling-off, then a fortnight for your builder to mobilise, with the first milestone funded along the way.
1. We generate the HIC
The platform builds the HIC from the agreed scope of work, materials list, milestone schedule, and quoted price. The scope comes from your builder's quote and any notes. The materials list comes from your finalised procurement schedule. The milestones and price come straight from the quote. You'll see the HIC in your dashboard; your builder sees the same document on theirs.
2. You and your builder sign it digitally
Both signatures go onto the contract through the platform. The HIC is binding from the moment both sides have signed.
3. The 14-day cooling-off period runs (weeks 1–2)
UK consumer law gives you 14 days from signing to change your mind for any reason. This sits in the first two weeks after signing.
If you'd like work to start sooner, you can make an express written request to commence services during the cooling-off period. You're still entitled to cancel within the 14 days, but if you do, you're liable for the cost of the work your builder has already reasonably done. The article Cooling-off — your 14-day right to change your mind covers the detail.
4. You fund the first construction milestone (around the start of week 3)
The cooling-off period ends and your builder's two-week mobilisation window begins. Around that point, you fund the first construction milestone into your Beams Account. The £1,000 deposit you've already paid comes off the figure due. The funds sit in your Beams Account until you approve the milestone — the article How construction payments work covers the rest of the payment flow.
5. Your builder confirms site readiness (around seven days before break ground)
A week out from break ground, your builder confirms site readiness on the platform — Construction Phase Plan in place, Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) shared, access confirmed, materials sequenced. This is the last of the gates before they can start.
6. Break ground
When the HIC is signed, the cooling-off period has cleared (or been expressly compressed by your written request), the first milestone is funded, and the site is ready, your builder breaks ground. The first milestone payment — typically 20% of the construction fee — is released once you approve it after work starts.
If something changes before break ground
If you decide not to proceed before the HIC is signed, your build deposit is refunded — the article Cancelling a project before HIC covers it. If you've signed the HIC and you're still inside the 14 days, you can cancel under the cooling-off provision. After the 14 days, the terms of the contract govern.
What this means for you
The four-week sequence is the standard. It's designed so cooling-off, mobilisation, and funding all line up cleanly with the break-ground date. Your planner will walk you through it as you sign — and if anything needs to flex, they'll tell you what the knock-on is.
Related articles
- What is the refundable build deposit?
- The contracts behind your project
- Cooling-off — your 14-day right to change your mind
- How construction payments work