How to select a good tradesmen.
Most tradespeople are honest, reliable, and hard working. They build to an industry standard with safety in mind at all times, won’t stop until the job is done and will make sure you are satisfied with what you paid them to do.
But if you are unfortunate enough to hire what is known as a “rogue trader” or the commonly known “cowboy builder” this can leave with you with a leaky tap, a unsafe wall or much worse. (We have all watched Cowboy Builders on television!)
That is why here at ClickaTrades not only do we deal with the best builder’s Britain has to offer. We make sure that you have access to all of the information you need before hiring any service men or women.
So, what should you look for when hiring a tradesperson here on ClickaTrades?
Qualifications/Certifications
Whilst not all services require a recognised certification, services such as plumbing or electrical are jobs that come with great consequence if not completed correctly, so before hiring any builder in this industry always ask to see their qualifications and certifications first.
If you request these and the builder is unwilling to show them to you. Avoid these tradesmen. Having an unqualified electrician working in your house is not something anyone should ever consider. Here at clickatrades we have a requirement for anyone in these industries to upload their certifications to their profile area.
Portfolio
Look for a builder with a good portfolio of work. A good builder takes pride in his work, you may just see a wall, he sees a wall of art! Their portfolio will be full of completed jobs, before and after images. And high-quality craftsmanship.
Feedback
Take time to view the feedback the builder has been received, the previous experiences of clients working with this builder is vital in making your decision. Does he have any 1 star’s? Did he keep within budget, what do they say about his quality of work, you can get a great deal of detail about the way a builder works by viewing their client reviews.
Quote
The price is good but is it too good to be true? As the old saying goes “you get what you pay for”
It is possible if there is a new builder eager for work, he could quote low to win the job. But this could mean if the price is low then the quality is low. Be wary of anyone who is quoting much lower than anyone else.
It is not uncommon for a builder to give a low quote and then bump up the price with added extras and additional tasks.
If there is a builder who has more feedback, a better portfolio but has given you a higher quote. Your best option would be to go with the safer more experienced builder.
Time, they have been trading
You have found a builder who seems like they could be the one to hire, they are fully qualified to do the job, they have a good portfolio of completed work and their quote is reasonable.
But how long have they been trading? It’s an old builder trick to take payment for large jobs up front, run up debt with supply firms and then declare bankruptcy, leaving you with a job half finished, out of pocket and nowhere to go.
So ask the builder if they are a limited company, and if so request their company number and do a check to see how long they have been trading.