Extremely Disappointed with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) I first came across the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) at the Homebuilding and Renovation Show, where I was impressed by their claims that member builders were vetted and that the FMB would mediate and resolve any disputes regarding workmanship. Reassured by this, I visited their website and selected a builder who had been a member for over 20 years, though there were no customer reviews listed. After reviewing his past work and receiving positive references, I proceeded with confidence and signed the FMB contract, trusting that any issues would be fairly handled. Unfortunately, my experience did not reflect the promises made. Early into the project, I noticed red flags—my builder lacked the necessary knowledge and often attempted to cut corners. However, since he had already started work across multiple areas of the property, I felt trapped and reluctant to raise concerns for fear he might abandon the job. He repeatedly assured me that everything would be resolved and approved by Building Control. The following year, I met with Nicola DeSuza, an FMB director, and shared my concerns. She acknowledged that the work had not been carried out to the required standard and advised me to escalate the matter. It was at this point I learned that not all FMB builders are proactively vetted—reviews are only conducted if requested by the customer or the builder. When my Building Control Inspector changed, I took the opportunity to have the work reassessed. The findings were alarming, and I contacted Nicola again, who kindly escalated the issue on my behalf. I was then assigned a case handler, Amanda Owen, who was sympathetic to my situation—especially as I was also dealing with redundancy and high stress at the time. Despite listing the issues the builder refused to rectify, the FMB’s response was limited to email correspondence. They appointed an assessor who reviewed photographs and concluded the work met acceptable standards. However, they refused to conduct an on-site inspection, stating it was not a service they provided—even though Building Control had failed the work. I had simply hoped for an in-person review to validate my concerns. I also requested the FMB’s help in obtaining the roof warranty, which the builder had promised multiple times. As of October 2025—nine months after the roof was completed—I am still waiting. (Attached is a photo of the roof, which the FMB deemed acceptable.) Eventually, the FMB advised me to seek an independent professional assessment (e.g., from a RICS surveyor) and consider legal action if necessary. When I pointed out that the builder had signed a contract to complete the work by June 2025 and we were far from completion, I was told that enforcing the contract was not their responsibility—making the contract feel meaningless. In conclusion, I’ve come to the unfortunate realisation that the FMB does not offer the level of protection or accountability it promotes. Their priority appears to be collecting membership fees rather than ensuring customer satisfaction or builder accountability. I’ve been left with a poorly executed project and little support. My advice: proceed with caution and consider alternative platforms where customer reviews are transparent and builders are held to higher standards.