Richardson & Starling Reviews 

My basement’s humidity problem required replacement of old vents, new ones to be added and Visqueen and concrete to seal the solum. After a short delay in starting the work proceeded smoothly and efficiently, being completed in 5 days (I was quoted “a week”). Billy and David were punctual, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful tradesmen who explained as they went along and cleaned up afterwards leaving the property tidy. I am confident that they did the job to a high standard and would recommend their work.

We had some work done recently which included plastering the walls once the damp proofing was complete and replacing the skirting boards- this was included in the price and in the work schedule. The plaster work was terrible- the finish was rough and the skirting boards had been replaced but leaving gaps between them and the wall in some places, We corrected the work ourselves and covered the cost of this. We had to chase R&S up for the invoice in order to make the payment and receive the guarantee. We informed them of the poor plaster work at that point, but when we received the invoice the next day there was a mention that the plaster work was not covered in the guarantee. After several emails back and forth, we were told 'this type of plaster work' isn't guaranteed.

The email also implied we only raised these concerns when it came to paying and we were asked 'I am taking it this is due to Richardson and starling now wanting payment? I am not really sure what you want out of this', implying we were asking for a reduction in fees.

We weren't. At no point did we ask for any reimbursement. We wanted to know why the plaster work wasn't covered by the guarantee when it is mentioned in the job plan and quote.

There was no acknowledgement from R&S that the work was of poor quality and no apology. They eventually agreed to cover the plaster work in the guarantee as a matter of goodwill, but really failed to see the point we raised.

They need to work on their communication style and also be aware that some of their tradesmen are delivering work of very poor quality

Great friendly, professional service. Craig was very knowledgeable and provided lots of good information and advice.

I was worried about dampness in my house so I had Richardson & Starling do a survey for me just to ease my mind and Marc McNally done a great job by advising me that if I aired the house and kept the ventilation flowing through it.it should clear the moister and keep the dampness away.
I have used R&S before and the workmen did a fantastic job as I had to get my dampness fixed.

For 3 weeks I've tried to get a rot report that the previous owners had done because a massive issue was found that I believe should call into the qualifications and quality of the surveyor.

It turns out there's two rot reports, after 3 weeks I have the second and wanted the first to see if such an issue was mentioned.

The original surveyor who missed the issue has ignored me twice. Once saying he'd send the report (he didn't) and three weeks later when talking now having the second report and wanting the first, just said 'I will look into it' and has ignored me again.

This led to a call from someone apparently a manager, every interaction with the company has caused greater confusion than the next.

4 people dealt with and even the call yesterday I'm told, I have no right to report since I'm not a customer (although would argue guarantee passes down and I should be able to see report and how a qualified surveyor misses something so badly)

I'm told an admin charge would get me the report while also being told I can't have the report.

I said that the 3 rival companies have given me quotes and all are horrified and very sorry assuring me that any surveyor would've discovered this issue the manager said 'Well they probably just want your business' quite a shocking thing to say, the company email ends with '@rot' and they failed to find the rot.

I've been assured that the two reports are the same (just stuff added) but would you trust the company that won't forward a pdf and makes it sound like they're pulling top secret nuclear codes for you?

Every call over time has just made it weirder and weirder. Yesterday a lady told me she didn't have access to system as the office was training so couldn't get report. Two hours later someone phoned and said 'I'm looking at both reports, there's no difference'.

Multiple people spoken to, multiple different answers and the most unhelpful was the original surveyor who missed the issue. All I wanted to do was get to the how and why the issue was missed, the hiding of the first report and hour spent on phone just makes the whole situation a lot more odd. I was hoping for clarity from this company and all I got was 4 different answers with the whole experience feeling very very unprofessional.

Paid for a survey to be done prior to purchasing a house. They missed significant issues with the rough casting (which is likely causing damp) which means I will now be liable to pay for rather than the sellers. Complete waste of time / money engaging Richardson and Starling. When trying to raise a complaint I have just been ignored.

I've been emailing & calling for the past week with some questions re a survey report that was done by R&S/ next steps and no one seems interested. They tell me they'll call me back and have for the most part ignored my emails, and given me contradictory information... I'm looking to spend over 20k with them (woodworm, damp) and it's like they're not interested. I am so confused! Will look at alternative companies as communication with them so far doesn't fill me with much hope! I honestly never leave reviews especially bad ones but I just feel very disappointed, had high hopes reading online reviews but it's been a real disappointment so far so will avoid.

R&S dealt with a dry rot problem for me, including exposing brickwork, carrying out remedial works then repairing back to original state. Kris and other staff (didn't get their names) were pleasant and punctual and did a great job so would highly recommend.

We asked Richardson & Starling to check out a rising damp problem and would like to make special mention of Kris Haig, the plasterer, who was very pleasant, knowledgeable about the job he had to do and took great care of our property

We purchased a property which had remedial/preventative work carried out by Richardson and Starling in the past and we found a recurrence of damp in the area previously treated as well as woodworm and rot issues.
Unfortunately, we have had a very disappointing experience with this company so far. The company have attended to undertake some of the remediations for the defective work previously carried out (under a guarantee), but unfortunately this has been to a poor standard (as confirmed by another damp specialist company) meaning the work will have to be rectified AGAIN.
Our biggest concern is the Richardson and Starling workers who carried out the recent repairs also nailed through an electric cable, which we only learned when the cable sparked, causing the breaker to trip and us losing power to the sockets in the house.
This was only resolvable by arranging for an emergency electrician to attend. We are concerned the company’s work was defective the first time as well as being unsafe and of poor quality the second time around.

From the survey by Marc McNally to the final sign-off after completion, R&S were very professional and easy to deal with throughout. Communications with both the office and with Marc were especially clear, whether by phone or email. The survey was detailed and clear - I like the fact that there is a charge for the survey and it was worth the cost. The work was scheduled quickly, and completed in pretty much the time-frame indicated by Marc. The workmen were all good. They arrived promptly at 8am every day, and worked all day, every day until it was done. No chasing required. How refreshing! The house was extremely well-protected against the mess of plaster removal and repair, with plastic flooring protection from the front door all the way to the room concerned, and even down the hall to the bathroom. House was left very clean at the end. Fully satisfied and happy to recommend without reservation.

Billy & David made quick work of striping the walls back for the damp inspection. They were efficient, friendly & tidy. They updated me with progress & were happy to answer questions & discuss possible solutions. They gave me confidence that I had made the right decision to go with the company.

Workmen were, pleasant, efficient, quick and tidy. They explained what the job entailed. Showed me what I asked to see in the process. Everything was left tidy and vacuumed for the plasterer to come in and complete the job.

We had a damp issue in an area covered by R&S warrantee. Approached R&S & were told we had to submit a mass of paperwork & pay a fee to even get a surveyor to inspect. Attitude of contact centre staff was unhelpful & aggressive.
Strongly suspect the 30 year warrantee is not worth the paper its printed on

We had a leak in our ensuite and we were worried about water damage. Marc came out and was very professional and through. He let us know the extent of the moisture and gave us a range of options to help us sort it.

He gave us a lot of peace of mind and we where very happy with the service.

Excellent service. Nothing was too much trouble..Paul Mike and Evan were brilliant they were very tidy and totally cleared up afterwards. They were very quick and efficient this made it all quite stress free. The next day Craig and Brandon came to do the plasterwork , they too were brilliant and kept the mess to a minimum and totally cleaned up before they left. I would not hesitate to recommend them in future they really are a company that cares about there customer. Thank you again guys

The small damp job to cupboard wall turned into a stressful number of days . The communication between the office their repair team and then myself unclear . I was only informed on the day the team turned up that it was booked in for various days . An area the repair team felt unsure about also caused a delay this turned out to not needing any work but this had tobe confirmed by a visit of the surveyor.

Outstanding professionalism and highest quality standards from the start.
This team can self manage efficiently and effectively.
The plumber arrived and immediately contacted team members to self organise and report to management. Evidencing decisions and indentifying supplies required.
No time wasted!
The highest standards of workmanship across every tradesman whilst also mentoring apprenticeships.
The manners of gentleman and they cleaned up after too, I couldn't believe it!

I am so happy after 14yrs of hell! Please recognise and REWARD these men and thank them profusely on my behalf.

These men are assets, when you discover this level of excellence you shout it from the rooftops!Can't praise them enough n I am a hard woman to please!

Brian, John, Lewis, Hayden of Ayr Branch are the names on card. Thank you so much 🥹 ,to you guys and rest of team.

Called R&S and arranged for a survey as were suspected we may have had a leak.
Marc McNally call in and carried out a thorough inspection along with test probes, followed up with a full detailed report. Nothing found fortunately but overall service was excellent. Very professional.

Excellent work by Paul in treating rising damp. Very professional and explained what he was doing.