Finding a good tradesperson

Finding a good trades people shouldn't be a lottery. At Rated People we believe that a personal recommendation is what counts the most.

When dealing with various trades people, take a little time to get to know more about your tradesperson and the services they offer.

• how long have you been in business?
• do you have insurance which covers damage to property?
• is your work guaranteed?

If your tradesperson is a member of a trade scheme then note down details including any reference numbers.

Follow up with a phone call to the scheme provider to check that the details are up to date.

Make sure you write up and sign an agreement with your tradesperson regarding what they will do for you, what they won’t do, how long they will take, when they will start and the agreed price. One word of caution when choosing a tradesperson through means other than the Rated Tradespeople service; don’t get caught out! Be wary of adverts that come through your door or directory listings that only have a telephone number. At all costs avoid the fast-talking tradesperson who approaches you and ‘just happens to be in your area’. Don't be pressurised into letting them do any work at all.

Getting the best value

As with all things in this world, the best price is not always the best value.

Be sure to weigh up the benefits of working with one tradesperson over another if they offer more experience or proof that they can do the job you want with the quality of workmanship you require.

Start by getting multiple quotations.

Take care to include enough detail in your written job requirement so that each tradesperson starts with a good first understanding of your needs, or else their quotations may not be comparable.

Once a tradesperson has agreed to quote then be sure to arrange a visit and always ask for a fixed price. Make sure that you understand what is included and whether or not the price includes VAT. Choose the quote that offers you the best value for money, taking into account any ratings they have earned for quality, value and reliability. Don’t just work on ‘gut feel’ – ask your tradesperson for details of other clients they’ve done this work for and follow up those references to ensure you are happy you’ve chosen the right people to work with.

Paying for the work

Stick to these basic guidelines and you should avoid the common pitfalls when it comes to payments.

Never pay the whole amount in advance and avoid paying large deposits up front.

On longer jobs, agree a schedule of payments and make sure that your payment at each stage reflects the progress made.

Always keep back a proportion of the total payment until the job is fully completed but be fair about completion -pay promptly when the work is finished to your satisfaction.

For a range of reasons your agreement may need to be revised - your tradesman may uncover unexpected problems or you may decide to alter your requirements.

Agree any changes to the agreement in advance rather than waiting until the work has progressed or has been completed. Again we'd suggest that you keep signed copies of any updates.

Ask for a signed invoice for every payment you make. And keep all invoices and receipts. Do not pay the individual builder, always the company.

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