Welcome to Find a Tradesman.

There are many companies who offer a Find a Tradesman service on the web, some are good, most are OK and a few are downright cowboys! However thoroughly a website claims to have vetted their local tradesmen it is still really important to check references. Do not rely on others to take responsibility for the trades' people you employ.

There are many organisations to choose from that operate Find a Tradesman services. Our organisation Vetted Tradesmen has over 6,700 registered businesses across the UK. ALL FULLY APPROVED AND VETTED.

You don't have to use our Find a Tradesman service if you prefer to try other companies simply type "approved tradesmen" into Google and see what it brings up. The important thing is to get a shortlist of 3-5 local tradesmen from the best source you can find.

Once you have your shortlist of 3 local tradesmen you need to pick which one is best for you.

Don't forget, the company you choose is going to be working on your your home which is your most valued possession, take your time and get it right (unless it's an emergency job in which case why are you reading this you should be panicking).

The only way to do this is to invite all the companies on your shortlist to quote for the work individually.
As we mentioned in step one it's important to do your own checks on all the local tradesmen that quote for the work, regardless where you got their details from.

1) Check references from the last six months - don't just look at the pictures of their previous work, contact any references provided. All the people whose work you are being shown will be aware people may call for a reference and are usually happy to chat with potential customers.

2) If any of the companies claim to be registered with a Trade Association (e.g.Vetted Tradesmen, NIC-EIC, CORGI) make sure you check that the membership is still current. You can usually do this via the Trade Associations website or on the phone.

3) If any of the companies mention any qualifications ask if they have their certificates with them. Most tradesmen take everything they need to win work to a quote situation and this should include details of their qualifications etc.

Those are some basic checks but there are also other things to look out for. Things that a piece of paper simply cannot tell you. The following points have caused something of a quandary when I have published articles like this in the past. We get a lot of people saying these points are groundless. However my colleagues and I fully believe they are very important indicators into how professionally a business is ran.

1) Are they punctual?
If they are late did they call in advance to warn of their tardiness?

2) How do they conduct themselves?
Are they like a local hooligan, loud and obnoxious or a professional, well mannered tradesman?

3) How long did they spend looking at the job?
The longer someone spends looking at a job the more accurate their quote is likely to be.

If you compare all quoting companies to the same criteria you can be sure that you will find the right tradesman for the job.
Don't focus on getting a cheap price, as a general rule the middle priced quote is the one I would pick and is usually the most cost effective.

Follow your gut instinct, if you get a bad 'vibe' from a someone don't employ them, remember it's your decision so make it to your own time and if you have any problems please contact us.

Once you have made your decision on which tradesman to employ you need to make sure that all the details of the job are recorded on paper.
You need to create a contract between you and the tradesman that covers the following:

1) All details of works to be completed (if any works are added mid-build make sure you record them as well).
2) A full breakdown of costs including materials, labour costs and any taxes incurred.
3) The date of quote, start date for works and rough timescale for completion.
4) If planning permission is required the contract should state who is responsible for this.
5) Payment details - most tradesmen are happy for you to pay a deposit (10%-30%) with additional payments being made when certain stages of the works are complete. Be sure to leave at least 10% of the balance until works are completed, this will ensure any snags at the end of the job are completed quickly and efficiently. Also try to pay at least £101 of the total cost by credit card as your credit card company then offer a lot of protection from rogue traders. BUT MOST OF ALL DO NOT PAY IN FULL, IN ADVANCE.

You can download a free home improvement contract here.

Well that's pretty much it for the Find a Tradesman Guide . Once you have found and employed your tradesmen it's important to maintain a healthy client-tradesman relationship. To read our Working With Tradesmen Guide click here.