Alan Boyle, builder, south London

An unusually meticulous and thorough builder specializing in bathrooms, Alan Boyle charges a fair price for high-quality work. He takes a hands-on, flexible and good-natured approach to dealing with pinickity and indecisive home-owners, while keeping up a steady stream of banter with his carpenter Mark. As one of nature's perfectionists, Alan does much of the tricky work himself, carefully poring over the instructions before installing a frameless shower or minimalist wash basin. In big demand in south London, this West Wickham-based builder is often booked up almost a year in advance. 8/10