Hiring a trade
Guides on hiring a trade for UK homeowners — what to expect, what it should cost, and how to pay for the work safely.
Guides in this section
Are Builder Reviews Reliable?
How much weight to give online reviews when choosing a trade, what patterns to look for, and why speaking to a previous customer tells you more.
Deposit vs Staged Payments: What's the Difference?
A deposit is paid before work starts; staged payments are released as work is completed. How each works, and why the structure matters more than the total.
How Many Quotes Should You Get?
Three quotes is the usual advice, but only if they're quoting the same thing. Here's how to make quotes comparable and what to look at besides the price.
How to Check a Builder Is Legitimate
Practical checks before you hire — company details, insurance, accreditation, previous work and payment set-up — and which actually tell you something.
How to Complain About a Builder
A step-by-step route for complaining about building work — what to put in writing, who to escalate to, and what to expect at each stage of the process.
How to Hire a Bathroom Fitter
The risks in bathroom fitting are hidden — waterproofing, floor build-up and electrical zones. Here's what to check before work starts and what to ask.
How to Hire a Builder
General builders run the largest and most expensive domestic projects. What to check, how to structure the payments, and where these jobs go wrong.
How to Hire a Carpenter
Bespoke joinery is made to measure and rarely returnable, so the survey and the drawings matter. Here's what to agree before anything is manufactured.
How to Hire a Damp Proofing Company
Damp is the most misdiagnosed problem in home improvement. Here's why you should get an independent survey before hiring anyone who sells the treatment.
How to Hire a Driveway Contractor
Driveways attract doorstep selling, and the sub-base you can't see is where corners get cut. Here's what to check, including drainage rules.
How to Hire a Fencing Contractor
Before quoting a fence, establish whose boundary it is. What to check on ownership, height limits, how posts are fixed, and what a quote should cover.
How to Hire a Flooring Fitter
Most flooring failures come from the subfloor and moisture. Here's what to check on preparation, acclimatisation and expansion gaps before fitting.
How to Hire a Heating Engineer
Gas work legally requires Gas Safe registration. Here's what else to check — sizing, the Benchmark certificate, warranty registration and building control.
How to Hire a Kitchen Fitter
Kitchen fitting involves several trades, long material lead times and large deposits. Here's how to establish who is responsible for what before you commit.
How to Hire a Landscaper
Landscaping mixes hard construction with planting, and drainage and levels decide whether it works. Here's what to establish before work starts.
How to Hire a Loft Conversion Specialist
Head height decides whether a loft conversion is possible at all. What else to check — stairs, fire escape, floor loading, and whether it counts as a bedroom.
How to Hire a Painter and Decorator
Preparation is most of the job and the first thing cut on a cheap quote. What to specify — coats, materials, prep and making good — before you agree.
How to Hire a Plasterer
Plastering quality is judged in raking light, preparation is where corners get cut, and drying times affect everything after. Here's what to ask.
How to Hire a Plumber
General plumbing is unregulated, emergency call-outs are where overcharging happens, and some work needs specific qualifications. Here's what to check.
How to Hire a Roofer
Roofing carries more deposit fraud and doorstep selling than any other trade, and you can't see the work. Here's how to hire safely and what to check.
How to Hire a Solar Panel Installer
Solar attracts aggressive selling and inflated savings claims. What MCS certification means, how to judge the numbers, and what to check before signing.
How to Hire a Tiler
Tiling failures come from what's underneath. Here's what to ask about substrate, wastage, setting out and movement joints before work starts.
How to Hire a Window and Door Installer
Replacement windows are regulated and heavily sold. Here's what FENSA and CERTASS certification means, how to handle pressure selling, and what to check.
How to Hire an Electrician
Electrical work is regulated, and the certificate matters as much as the work. Here's what registration means, what to insist on, and what to check.
How to Hire an Extension Builder
Extensions bring planning, building control, party wall and structural work into play. How to hire for one, and how to structure the payments.
My Builder Has Gone Bust Mid-Job
If your builder becomes insolvent partway through, what happens to money you've paid, what your options are, what to do first, and how to limit the loss.
My Builder Has Stopped Turning Up
A builder who started and then stopped leaves you with part-finished work and money already paid. Here's how to find out what's happening and what to do next.
My Builder Took My Deposit and Disappeared
Practical steps if a builder has taken your deposit and stopped responding — how to contact them, what your recovery options are, and what to expect.
My Builder Wants 50% Upfront. Is That Normal?
A builder asking for half the money before starting is not normal on most domestic jobs. Here's what's behind it, what to ask, and what to offer instead.
My Builder Wants More Money Partway Through
Mid-job requests for extra money are sometimes legitimate and sometimes a warning sign. Here's how to tell the difference and what to do before you pay.
My Builder Won't Fix the Snagging List
What to do when a builder stops responding once the snagging list is issued — why the final payment matters, how to escalate, and what records to keep.
My Building Work Is Running Late
Most projects overrun. Here's when a delay becomes a problem, what "reasonable time" means, and what you can do without making the situation worse.
Questions to Ask a Builder Before You Hire Them
The questions worth asking before you commit — covering scope, price, payments, insurance, timescale, and what happens if things go wrong on site.
Red Flags When Hiring a Tradesperson
The warning signs worth taking seriously when hiring a trade — from pressure selling and cash-only requests to vague quotes and mismatched company details.
Should I Hire a Builder Recommended by a Friend?
A personal recommendation is a good start but not a substitute for checking. What to still verify, and why informal arrangements cause problems later.
The Work Is Defective. What Are My Rights?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, work must be done with reasonable care and skill. Here's what that means in practice and what you can ask for if it isn't.
What Deposit Should You Pay a Builder?
Most builders ask for a deposit, and that's normal. Here's what's reasonable, what isn't, and how to pay the rest so you keep control of your money.
What Do Builder Accreditation Schemes Actually Mean?
TrustMark, Gas Safe, NICEIC, NFRC, MCS and others — what each one covers, which are legally required, and what accreditation does not protect you from.
What Insurance Should a Builder Have?
Public liability, employers' liability and other cover explained — what's legally required, what protects you, and how to verify a policy is genuine.
What Should a Building Contract Include?
What to get in writing before work starts — scope, price, payment stages, dates, variations and dispute routes — and why an email counts as a contract.
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