Last updated: 2 September 2026
Construction handles large sums, often quickly, and that makes it attractive to people wanting to move money quietly. This is our position on that, and what it means in practice when you deal with us.
1. Where we stand
We do not accept business that we believe involves the proceeds of crime. If we cannot satisfy ourselves about who is paying or where the money has come from, we will decline the work or stop it. That is not a difficult decision for us, and we would rather say so plainly than leave it unsaid.
We comply with the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Bribery Act 2010 and the Criminal Finances Act 2017. We hold a written internal procedure setting out the checks we carry out, who is responsible for them, and how our people report a concern.
2. What we may ask you for
For most everyday work we ask for nothing beyond your name, address and how to reach you. On larger jobs, or where a payment arrives by an unusual route, we may need to verify identity before we start.
| If you are | We may ask for |
|---|---|
| An individual | Photographic identification such as a passport or driving licence, and evidence of address such as a utility bill or bank statement less than three months old |
| A business | Confirmation of the company at Companies House, and the identity and authority of the person instructing us |
| Paying for someone else | Who you are, and your connection to the customer and the property |
We ask for these because the law expects us to know who we are dealing with, not because of anything about you. We keep the documents securely and only for as long as we need them, as set out in our Privacy Notice.
3. Payments we accept
| We accept | We do not accept |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer from an account in your name | Cash above £1,000 for any single job |
| Card payment, processed securely by Stripe | Payment split across several accounts or cards to stay under a limit |
| Payment by a named third party, where you tell us who they are and why | Payment from a source we cannot identify |
| Payment by a company for its own property | Cryptocurrency |
4. Bribery and tax
We do not offer, give, request or accept bribes, including facilitation payments, and we expect the same of everyone acting for us.
We will not help anyone evade tax. That means we decline requests to invoice a different name for tax reasons, to describe work inaccurately, or to structure a job to avoid VAT or the Construction Industry Scheme. If you ask, we will say no and explain why.
5. If something concerns you
If anything about how we handle a payment concerns you, please raise it. You can speak to any member of our team, or contact us directly.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| enquiries@british-builders.co.uk | |
| Phone | 0330 912 7443 |
| Post | 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ |
Where the law requires us to report a suspicion to the National Crime Agency we must do so, and we are not permitted to tell the customer that we have. That is a legal restriction on us, not a matter of choice.