I'm a tradesperson. I've been in and out of people's homes for over a decade. I've seen brilliant work and I've seen absolute disasters — jobs where the previous "tradesperson" left the homeowner with a bigger problem than they started with and a lighter wallet. Here's the honest truth about how to hire well.
The Three Things That Actually Matter
Forget the fancy website. Forget the branded van. These three things tell you whether someone is worth hiring:
1. Can they show you recent similar work? Not photos from five years ago. Recent work, similar to your job. If a plumber can't show you a bathroom they fitted last month, that's a flag. If they can show you three, you're in good hands.
2. Do they have insurance? Public liability insurance, minimum £2 million. Ask for the certificate. Any professional will have it instantly on their phone. If they hesitate, walk away. If they damage your property without insurance, you're paying for the fix.
3. Will they give you a written quote? Not a text message. Not a verbal number over the phone. A proper written quote detailing what's included, what's not, payment terms, and timeline. If they won't write it down, they're keeping their options open to charge you more later.
Red Flags That Scream "Run"
They want a large deposit before starting. A small deposit (10-20%) to secure a date is normal. Asking for 50% upfront before any materials are bought or any work is done? That's how people disappear with your money. Pay in stages tied to completed milestones.
They can start tomorrow. Good tradespeople are busy. If someone can start immediately, ask yourself why their diary is empty. There are exceptions — you might be lucky with timing — but chronic availability is often a sign of chronic problems.
They trash-talk other trades. A professional doesn't need to tell you how bad everyone else is. They show you how good they are.
They don't ask questions about the job. A good tradesperson asks detailed questions because they want to quote accurately and avoid surprises. If someone gives you a price in 30 seconds without looking at the job properly, that price will change.
Where to Find Good Trades
Word of mouth is still the best. Ask neighbours, ask friends, ask on local Facebook groups. People love recommending tradespeople who did a good job — and they love warning about ones who didn't.
Beyond that, look for tradespeople with genuine Google reviews (not just on aggregator sites where reviews can be manipulated). Check their Google Business Profile for recent reviews with detail — "John fitted our bathroom in 5 days, very tidy, reasonable price" is worth more than a hundred anonymous five-star ratings.
Get Three Quotes — But Compare Them Properly
Everyone says "get three quotes." But nobody tells you how to compare them when one includes materials and one doesn't, one includes VAT and one doesn't, and one mentions a warranty and the others don't. That's why we built our Compare Quotes tool — enter your quotes side by side and it scores them on completeness, flags red flags, and benchmarks against regional averages.
Lock It In Writing
Once you've chosen your tradesperson, get a written agreement before work starts. Not a handshake. A proper document covering: scope of work, what's excluded, price, payment schedule, timeline, materials specification, warranty, and cancellation terms. We built a Contractor Agreement generator that creates this in 60 seconds. Use it.
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