Water is coming through the ceiling. Or the boiler has finally given up, or the bathroom floor squelches underfoot. So you ring around, and three people offer to come and look. One can start tomorrow. One wants a deposit by bank transfer tonight. The third texts in capitals and won't put a price in writing. Somewhere in that mix is a good tradesperson who will do a solid job at a fair price. The trick is to slow down just enough to check the things that are painful to fix later.

1. Check the registration that actually applies to the trade

Not every trade is licensed, and that catches people out. Some work legally requires registration: gas work, most electrical work, asbestos removal, and certain plumbing and heating jobs are the usual examples. Where a scheme exists, don't take a logo on a van or a screenshot on a phone as proof. Ask which scheme they're registered with and under what name or number, then check it yourself on the scheme's own website.

If they trade as a limited company, you can look up the company on the relevant companies register. It takes two minutes and tells you whether the business name on the quote matches a real, active company. Also ask the plain question: who will actually be doing the work? If the answer is "my lads" or "a subbie", you want to know that before the van arrives, not after.

2. Ask for two insurance documents, not one

Public liability insurance covers damage to your property or injury to someone on your premises. Employer's liability insurance matters if they employ anyone at all, including casual labour. Ask for a certificate for each and read the details: the business name, the policy dates, the level of cover.

"We're fully insured" is a sentence, not evidence. If they use subcontractors, ask whether those subcontractors carry their own cover or are included under the main policy. A genuine tradesperson will have these documents on their phone and will send them without a fuss.

3. Read reviews like a sceptic, then ring two references

Star ratings tell you very little on their own. Look at the pattern. Twenty short five-star reviews posted in the same week are worth less than six detailed ones spread over two years, especially if they mention how a problem was handled, whether the mess was cleared up, and whether the final bill matched the agreed price.

Repetition is the signal. If two separate reviewers mention the same complaint — arriving late, adding charges, leaving snagging unfinished — believe it. Then ask for two or three recent customers you can actually call, ideally people who had similar work done. When you get through, ask four things:

  • Did they turn up when they said they would?
  • Was the final cost what you agreed at the start?
  • Did they sort out problems without a fight?
  • Would you have them back in your house on their own?

4. Get a written quote, and know why it isn't an estimate

A quote is a fixed price for a described scope of work. An estimate is an educated guess. Both have their place, but if you're paying a deposit, you want a quote, in writing, before any money changes hands. A proper one will include:

  • The full description of the work, room by room or item by item
  • Materials, and who is supplying them
  • Whether VAT is included and whether the price is fixed or subject to survey
  • A start date, a duration, and what could delay it
  • A payment schedule with stages, not a single lump sum
  • How extra work or hidden problems will be priced and approved
  • Who removes waste, and who pays for any permits or parking suspensions
  • What happens after completion — snagging, and any guarantee on labour
If a quote runs to one line and one figure, it isn't a quote. It's a starting position.

5. Deposits: pay for materials, not for promises

Reasonable deposits exist. Special-order materials, a bespoke kitchen unit, a booking fee to hold a slot during a busy period — all normal. The trouble starts when a large sum is requested before any work has begun, or when it's requested urgently.

Keep it small and tied to something concrete. Pay by card or bank transfer so there's a record; cash leaves no trail and is difficult to recover. Never pay the whole job up front. Agree stage payments against visible milestones — first fix, second fix, completion — and hold back a modest retention until snagging is finished and signed off. That agreement should be in writing before work starts.

One more check: the name on the account you're paying should match the business name on the quote. If it doesn't, ask why, and don't pay until you have an answer you're satisfied with.

6. Nail down the boring details in advance

Most disputes are not about craftsmanship. They're about access, mess and changes. Who holds the keys? Where can the van park? What are the working hours, and does anyone need quiet at certain times? Where's the skip going, and does it need a permit? Who moves the furniture, and who protects the stairs?

For changes mid-job, insist on a written variation before the work continues: what the extra is, what it costs, and whether you approve. A text message is fine, as long as both of you keep it. Verbal agreements on a building site have a way of being remembered differently by Friday.

7. Warning signs that should stop you

  • Pressure to pay today because a discount expires — it won't
  • No written address or business name, only a mobile number and a first name
  • Reluctance to share insurance or registration details
  • Cash only, no receipt
  • A single-figure quote with no description of the work
  • Refusal to explain who handles building regulations approval or certification
  • Irritation when you ask reasonable questions

If a job involves structural work, gas, electrics or a large sum, it's worth a short conversation with a solicitor or your local authority's building control team before you sign anything. That's not suspicion; it's just cheaper than a dispute.

Before you hand over any money

Ten checks, in the order that saves the most trouble: confirm the registration that applies and verify it independently; see both insurance certificates; read reviews for patterns, not stars; ring two references; get a written quote, not an estimate; confirm whether the price includes VAT; agree a payment schedule tied to stages; keep the deposit small and traceable; put variations in writing before work continues; and hold back a retention until snagging is done.

Do that, and the awkward conversation happens now, when it costs you nothing. Skip it, and the awkward conversation happens in three weeks, with a half-finished bathroom and a tradesperson who has stopped answering their phone. Most local trades are decent people who want repeat custom and a clean reputation. The checklist isn't there to catch them out. It's there to make sure you've hired one of them.

Photo: Adrian Sulyok / Pexels