We understand that any home improvement project can be stressful. We recommend you follow these steps when employing tradespeople to work in or around your home in order to find the business that best suits your needs, potentially saving you time and money.
Initial Checks
Initial Checks
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Check our website
You can check a tradesperson is registered with us by using the TrustMark online trades directory. This will also allow you to confirm they are listed for all the trades you are asking them to carry out.
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Get quotes
We recommend getting at least 3 quotes for comparison. Don’t just choose the cheapest, also consider the quality of their work and ensure you are confident in their ability to communicate with you.
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Vet potential firms online
As well as the TrustMark Online Directory you can check search engines, such as Google, to research the businesses you are considering. You can also check Companies House information, the company’s website, any accreditations they may claim to have, their trading history and any County Court Judgements that may have been awarded against them.
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Seek references
If possible, try to speak to previous customers to get their feedback. You may even be able to view some work already carried out.
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Personal recommendations
If you know someone who is pleased with work they have had done it is worth finding out which contractor they employed. You may even be able to view the job and find out about any problems they had.
Once you've selected a tradesperson
Once you've selected a tradesperson
Keep evidence to hand
Always agree everything in writing - even the smallest changes. In the event there are issues later in the process, it will be useful to have this evidence and it will offer you protection if anything goes wrong. You can also
take photographs to record the difference between the project before and and after completion.
Use Escrow
You can use the TrustMark Escrow payment protection service to ensure money is only released in a series of agreed stages. The tradesperson will get 100% of the payment if the customer receives everything they were promised at the outset - giving assurance and peace-of-mind to both parties.
Important information
On 13 June 2014 the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 SI 2013 No. 3134 came into force.
These regulations now apply to contracts concluded on or after 13 June 2014. On this date, the Distance Selling Regulations 2000 and the Off Premises (Doorstep) Regulations 2008 were revoked. Read the full document here.
