Herts Build is a referral service for homeowners in Barnet and Hertfordshire. Someone tells us what they want doing, we work out who is right for it, and we make one introduction. We are not a directory, we do not sell lead packs, and we do not put your quote up against four others by default.
We are adding specialists across the patch. If you run a building, carpentry or loft conversion business here and you want work that arrives already qualified, this page explains how it works.
What You Get
- One introduction per job. The homeowner is given your name, and you are given theirs. The same enquiry is not sold to four other firms an hour later.
- Enquiries that have been spoken to first. We call or text before passing anything on — is the job real, is there a rough budget, what is the timescale, is it in your patch. Tyre-kickers do not reach you.
- Work matched to your trade and your area. A fitted wardrobe job in N11 does not go to a loft specialist in Tring.
- Local context with the lead. We know these streets. The enquiry comes with the property type and the likely planning position, not just a name and a postcode.
What It Costs
Nothing up front, nothing monthly, and nothing per lead. We take an agreed commission on work you actually win, invoiced when the job is confirmed. The rate is agreed with you in advance and it differs between smaller carpentry jobs and full builds — we would rather set that in a five-minute conversation than publish a number that fits nobody.
You set your own prices. We have no involvement in what you quote, and the homeowner pays us nothing, which we state plainly on the about page. If a job does not go ahead, you owe nothing.
What We Ask
- You are an established local business working in Barnet, Hertfordshire or the border towns — not a national franchise and not someone travelling in from two counties away.
- Public liability insurance, and the relevant competent-person registration for any regulated work you carry out (Gas Safe, NICEIC or equivalent). We do not hold those credentials and we never imply that we do.
- You contact the homeowner quickly. Same day if you can. Speed is the single biggest reason a referral converts or dies.
- You tell us what happened. Quoted, won, lost, or never got hold of them. We follow up with the customer anyway, so it is better that the two accounts match.
- References or recent work we can look at. We are introducing you to people who trust us, so we need to be able to stand behind it.
Where We Need Cover Most
Our search visibility currently runs well ahead of the area we can properly service, so these are the towns where enquiries arrive that we would like to place better:
- Harpenden and St Albans (AL1–AL5) — our single busiest area for extension and loft enquiries. Large detached and interwar stock, higher specifications.
- Welwyn Garden City (AL7/AL8) — steady demand, and worth having someone who already understands the garden-city design rules.
- Watford, Rickmansworth and the WD postcodes — consistent enquiry volume, thin coverage.
- Berkhamsted, Tring and the west of the county — growing, currently unserved.
- Letchworth, Royston and the north — lower volume but almost no competition for it.
Barnet, Borehamwood and the immediate border towns are already covered for most trades, though we are always interested in specialists in bespoke kitchens, staircases and structural work.
How to Start
Email [email protected] with your trade, the postcodes you cover, roughly how much capacity you have, and a link to recent work or a couple of references. We reply within one working day, and the first conversation is a phone call rather than a form.
If it is a fit, we agree the commission, add you to the list, and you start receiving enquiries that match your trade and patch. There is no contract locking you in and no minimum commitment — if it is not working for either of us, we stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I pay for leads?
No. There is no signup fee, no monthly fee and no charge per enquiry. We take an agreed commission only on work you actually win, invoiced once the job is confirmed. If a job does not go ahead, you owe nothing.
How many other builders get the same enquiry?
None. We make one introduction per job. That is the whole point of the service from the homeowner's side too — they are not handing their number to five strangers, and you are not bidding against four firms who all got the same email.
What areas do you most need cover in?
Harpenden and St Albans first, then Welwyn Garden City, the Watford and Rickmansworth WD postcodes, and the west of the county around Berkhamsted and Tring. Barnet and Borehamwood are largely covered, though we are always interested in strong carpentry and structural specialists.
What do you need from me to get started?
Your trade, the postcodes you cover, a sense of your current capacity, proof of public liability insurance, and either recent work we can look at or a couple of references. Regulated trades need the relevant registration — Gas Safe, NICEIC or equivalent.
Am I tied into a contract?
No. There is no minimum term and no exclusivity. You can turn down any enquiry that does not suit you, and either side can stop at any point.