http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/ Legal and financial information for local builders and SMEs in the UK construction industry. en Copyright 2008 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:11:41 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Buying the right type of liability insurance is an absolute must for small builders. Premiums have been high for years with cowboy companies tarnishing everyone with a bad reputation. But well-run firms are starting to be rewarded with lower quotes and competition is intense among insurers to win your business. Our guide will help you find the best product on the market.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/top-5-liability-insurance-poli.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/top-5-liability-insurance-poli.html Insurance finance insurance Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:11:41 +0000 A small builder without a van is like Ant without Dec – they just don’t work on their own. Having the right insurance for your vehicle is vital to stay on the right side of the law and make sure you don’t lose work if anything happens to your van. Here Builders Box talks you through the basics of commercial vehicle insurance and picks out our top five policy recommendations.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/van-insurance-expert-guide.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/van-insurance-expert-guide.html Insurance accidents insurance no-claims bonus policies vans Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:51:21 +0000 Running your own small building business is tough enough at the best of times. But imagine what would happen if you had an accident and were unable to work for weeks on end? Your company could be in serious trouble as the bills continue to mount up but you aren’t physically able to go out and graft.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/accident-insurance-expert-guid.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/accident-insurance-expert-guid.html Insurance AXA B&CE Etradesmaninsurance Norwich Union Trade Direct Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:33:04 +0000 The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill finally comes into force on 6 April 2008 after years of legal wrangling. Will it affect builders? You bet. Our Q&A tells you how the law works – and what the penalties are.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/corporate-manslaughter-a-qa-for-builders.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2008/02/corporate-manslaughter-a-qa-for-builders.html Health and Safety corporate manslaughter safety Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:25:52 +0000 Builders couldn't survive without migrant workers as an army of foreign trades people helps plug the skills gaps in the continuing construction boom. But you can get into trouble for employing workers who aren't legally entitled to work here. Here's our guide to keeping on the right side of the law.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/11/employing-migrant-workers-a-le-1.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/11/employing-migrant-workers-a-le-1.html Legal legal migrant workers Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:40:41 +0000 Many builders try to become property developers on the side, but why are some successful and others fail? BuildersBox, in association with lenders Close Property Finance, starts the first in a series of Q&As covering the key points builders should know before taking the plunge into property development.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-what-buil.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-what-buil.html Property Development development finance property property developer Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:38:21 +0000 Any builder who wants to become a property developers will need to know how to approach banks and lenders. Our latest Q&A, in association with Close Property Finance, will tell you what investors in property look for, and how to get more favourable lending terms.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-how-to-ap.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-how-to-ap.html Property Development development finance property property developer Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:47:49 +0000 If you’re a builder working on your first property development, there's plenty that can go wrong. Our Q&A, in association with Close Property Finance, tells you how to avoid problems on property developments, and how to troubleshoot them if they arise. ]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-common-pi.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-development-common-pi.html Property Development development finance property property developer Sat, 20 Oct 2007 21:59:56 +0000 All property developers will need to know how to price and market a development once it’s nearing completion. Our latest Q&A, in association with Close Property Finance, offers top tips for pricing and marketing, plus advice on maximising the value of your development. ]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-developers-how-to-pri.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/property-developers-how-to-pri.html Property Development development finance property property developer Sat, 20 Oct 2007 21:53:14 +0000 The new Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations came into force in April 2007. They aim to improve health & safety management on building sites. All builders, no matter how big or small, have to abide by the new regulations. The regulations are complicated, but our handy guide will answer your questions and help you avoid the pitfalls of the new CDM regulations. ]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/construction-design-and-manage.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/10/construction-design-and-manage.html Legal CDM legal regulations Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:05:07 +0000 Energy ratings are the latest Government gimmick to make people cut down the amount of fuel they use in their homes. So how do they affect the builders who build those homes? Our Q&A should answer all your questions.]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/09/energy-ratings-a-qa-for-builde-1.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/09/energy-ratings-a-qa-for-builde-1.html Environment Energy Efficiency environment HIPs home information packs Part L Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:06:39 +0000 Part L of the Building Regulations is one of the Government's tools for making new and existing buildings more energy efficient and helping to cut down on carbon emissions. Part L is complicated and can mean a lot of form-filling, but all builders will need to comply. Our handy guide will answer your questions and help you avoid the pitfalls of dealing with the demands of Part L. ]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/09/part-l-a-qa-for-builders.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/09/part-l-a-qa-for-builders.html Building Regulations Building Regulations Energy Efficiency Part L Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:08:29 +0000 No-one likes paying tax. But complying with the Construction Industry Scheme is the only way you as a small builder can avoid a visit from HM Revenue & Customs and a hefty fine. Construction has its own tax regime governing how payments to subcontractors for building work are handled by companies. ]]> http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-construction-industry-sche-1.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-construction-industry-sche-1.html Tax CIS tax Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:40:32 +0000 Builders must make returns to the Revenue every month detailing what payments and deductions have been made to all subcontractors. HMRC will also want a declaration confirming that you have checked everyone’s employment status and carried out the verification process properly. http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-cis-how-do-i-submit-return.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-cis-how-do-i-submit-return.html Tax CIS tax Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:27:07 +0000 Before subcontractors are verified, builders have to check they are genuinely self employed and are not actually employees who should be payed under PAYE. There are lots of technical arguments around this issue but workers are usually self-employed if they are in business on their own and are responsible for the firm’s success or failure. http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-cis-how-do-i-verify-subcon.html http://www.buildersbox.co.uk/blogs/builders-legal-and-financial/2007/08/new-cis-how-do-i-verify-subcon.html Tax CIS tax Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:54:21 +0000