10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Local Tradesperson

A dripping tap, a fence panel down after a gale, a boiler that has chosen the coldest week of the year to give up: sooner or later every household needs a tradesperson. Most of the people who turn up will do a decent job at a fair price. A few will not, and from the outside the two are almost impossible to tell apart.

That is where a handful of questions earns its keep. Ask them before you agree anything, not after, and you will usually know within ten minutes which sort of trader you are dealing with.

The Five-Minute Check Before You Ring

Start with the name. Not "Dave the builder", but the registered business name, plus a trading address you can find on a map. Then check that the same details appear in more than one place: the firm's own website, a review platform, and ideally a scheme such as TrustMark or your local trading standards "Buy With Confidence" list. If the name on the quote differs from the name on the van, ask why.

Be wary of anyone who knocks on the door offering a discount because they have "just finished a job nearby" and have materials left over. It is a well-worn doorstep selling tactic. If you need work done, go looking for the trader rather than letting one find you.

Paperwork and Price: Questions 1 to 5

1. Are you insured, and can I see the certificate? Two policies matter. Public liability covers damage to your property or injury to someone on your land. Employer's liability covers anyone working on the job who is employed by the firm, and most UK employers are legally required to hold it. A genuine business will email a copy of the certificate without fuss. If the answer is vague, stop there.

2. Are you registered for this kind of work? Gas work must be done by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register, and you can check the card yourself rather than trusting a logo on a van. Electrical work and some other trades have their own competent person schemes and trade bodies. Ask which one they belong to, then look it up. If you are unsure which registration applies, your local trading standards team can point you in the right direction.

3. Is this a fixed quote or an estimate? A quote is a price the trader commits to; an estimate is a best guess that can rise. Neither is unreasonable, but you need to know which you have been given. Ask what is excluded: scaffolding, skip hire, waste removal, VAT, making good afterwards and the cost of parts are all common omissions.

4. What happens if you find something unexpected? Older homes hide surprises behind plasterboard. Agree in advance that no extra work starts until you have approved it in writing, with a price attached. A good trader will welcome this; it protects both of you.

5. Who is supplying the materials? If the trader is buying, ask for makes and models where it matters, and whether the cost sits inside the price or is invoiced on top. If you are buying, confirm who collects them and what happens to any leftovers.

People and References: Questions 6 and 7

6. Can I speak to two recent customers? Not testimonials on a website — actual contact details, from jobs done in the past year, ideally within a few miles. Ask those customers three things: did the trader turn up when they said, did the final bill match the quote, and would they use them again.

7. Who will actually be doing the work? Plenty of firms use subcontractors, and that is fine as long as you know about it. Ask who will be on site each day, who supervises, and whether the person quoting is the person doing the job. On a larger project, ask who your single point of contact will be.

A reputable trader will not mind these questions. The one who gets defensive about insurance or references has just answered the most important question for you.

Timelines, Payment and Aftercare: Questions 8 to 10

8. When can you start, and how long will it take? Get both in writing, as a date and a duration. "A few weeks" is not a schedule. Ask what could delay things — material lead times, weather, other jobs — and how you will be told if the date slips. For disruptive work, agree working hours and how the site will be left each evening.

9. What is the payment schedule? Be cautious with large up-front payments. A sensible arrangement ties payments to completed stages, with a final amount held back until you are satisfied. Deposits are normal for materials on bigger jobs, but keep them modest and pay by bank transfer or card rather than cash, so there is a record. If you are asked for the full amount before work begins, walk away.

10. What is the guarantee, and how do I raise a problem? Ask how long the workmanship is guaranteed, what the guarantee covers, and who to contact if something goes wrong. Then keep the quote, contract, invoices, guarantee and any messages about changes together in one folder.

Red Flags Worth Walking Away From

• No written quote, no contract and no traceable business address.
• Pressure to decide today, or a discount that expires this afternoon.
• Cash only, or a request for full payment before work starts.
• Reluctance to show insurance or registration details.
• Being told that approval or certificates are unnecessary, with no explanation.
• A mobile number that changes, or a website with no history behind it.

Getting It in Writing

A verbal agreement over the garden gate is not something you want to rely on. Once you have chosen your trader, ask for the scope of work, price, start date, payment stages and guarantee in a single written document — and read it before you sign. Keep a dated note of anything agreed on site, even if it is just a text message confirming an extra cost.

If a dispute does arise, raise it quickly and in writing, and keep copies of everything. For consumer rights advice in the UK, Citizens Advice is a sensible first call. For anything legal or contractual, speak to a qualified professional rather than trusting a forum thread.

None of this takes long. Twenty minutes of checking before the first spanner comes out is the cheapest insurance you will buy all year.

Photo: WildPixar / Pixabay