Welcome! Is this the first item you clicked on?
Ok, we get it. But please read through the other elements. If you have an unclear scope, no defined milestones, a poor/missing contracts you are going to have a problematical project, and if it goes wrong you will have weak-to-no evidence to prove what was agreed vs what you were left with.
All those other sections are to help you protect yourself and have work done successfully on your home.
Even the best tradespeople make assumptions based on their expertise and if you are assuming something else – that’s when it gets tricky.
Disclaimer
We can share how to complete checks, but we cannot help you find a tradesperson. You will need to make a decision on your own. CAST’s target is to enable you to learn about the issues that can arise so you can make informed decisions. CAST is not responsible for your decision.
Menu
- Where to Find Them (or Not)
- Checks
- Other Things to Consider Before Appointment
Where to find them (or not)
Word of Mouth
This is still the best route. You can ask questions, see the work quality and get a general feel for what a project will feel like with that tradesperson.
Good for
- Mid to large projects where significant risk, and finances, are involved.
- Be prepared to wait. Be patient. Don’t rush it and risk it.
- Being able to discuss the customers’ experiences, what they felt went well, what they were not happy with.
Where to find them
- Drive around the area and see who is working on which houses.
- If a work is in progress, you can see how they work, connect with the customer and see the work in progress and the finished work.
- Ask neighbours, friends, family and pub acquaintances who is good, who is recommended – and who to avoid.
Beware!
- If the tradesperson refuses to connect you with previous customers, you need to ask yourself why.
- Good trades can take longer than you had hoped. Balance out the reputation with your time to see how long you can wait. .
Checks
Our survey shows that the significant majority of respondents appointed someone that was recommended, by family, neighbours, friends, architects, only to discover they had hired a rogue.
This shows that despite recommendations, you must complete checks on your tradesperson
Top Tips
Tradespeople can decide they don’t want to work on your project and they don’t need to give a reason – the same way you can decide not to proceed with someone. Accept this with good grace and move on.
Social Media
Good for
- Everyday small jobs and repairs that need doing relatively quickly.
- Finding a Sole Trader who is the one person you have contact with throughout the work
Where to find them
- Join your local FB groups.
- Search those groups for the skill you need, ie: electrician.
- Other people will have asked the same question, look for those posts.
- If they are about 18 months to 2 years old, message the person who made the post, introduce yourself, reference the post and your need and ask them if they found anyone and if so, would they recommend them.
- Do this on a few posts as you may not get a response.
Beware!
- Lots of people recommend their friends and family.
- Reviews can be faked.
- Unless people name-and-shame, it’s impossible to tell the good from the bad.
- Good ones tend to be booked well in advance from word of mouth references so don’t generally need to use Facebook.
Checks
- When you get a name, search for them on Facebook and online generally.
- Take a look at their profile. Do you see anything that makes you want to not proceed? How do they engage with other people?
- If you contact someone, check if they will be doing the work or putting a sub contractor in (for small works, the latter is not ideal as it creates complication on a simple job)
- You will still need to complete the below checks to ensure you make an informed decision.
Top Tips
- Check if they will be doing the work or putting a sub contractor in (for small works, the latter is not ideal as it creates complication on a simple job)
Online
This covers individual companies through to website offering to connect you to traders that they state are checked and therefore trustworthy.
Good For
Finding tradespeople in your area and learning what they can do.
Beware
- Reviews can be faked. Always take any review with a pinch of salt.
Top Tips
- CAST feels that sites offering trusted, checked traders are high risk and require caution and the full range of checks. We have numerous accounts of victims finding their rogue on these platforms.
Checks
Why are checks important?
It is impossible to tell the good from the rogues on face value.
The numbers of inexperienced and unqualified tradespeople are growing. With the exception of electricians and gas-safe engineers, all other trades have no legislation so anyone can set themselves up in business.
Rogues know the regular advice of not going with the cheapest etc. So we need to look at areas they cannot hide nor change to find out if we are dealing with a rogue or one of the good guys.
Protect your money as you would your children
Our 2024 Survey shows
- £48,574 mean average loss of money per project to rogues (excluding make-good costs)
- £374 being the lowest
- £304,000 the highest.
The costs you pay to get the work done are likely to double if the work is sub-standard and needs to be removed and replaced.
You are handing over your hard earned money to maintain or improve your home.
The bigger your budget, the more checks you need to protect yourself.
Top Tips
This might help: try the ‘Two Pints and a Puppy” test. Ask yourself two questions:
1. Would I want to have two beers with this person?
2. Would I trust them to look after my puppy over a weekend
Checks You Need to Carry Out
These are in-depth checks that need to be done before you appoint someone. CAST recommends completing other online checks before getting to this stage.
Remember: the more you are spending, the more you need to carry out these checks.
List of Checks
- Companies House
- CCJs ( County Court Judgements
- VAT Registration
- Trade Qualifications & Certifications
- Insurance
- DEPOSIT OPTIONS
- Previous Customers
How to do These Checks
Companies House
What is Companies House
All Limited (Ltd) companies are listed in Companies House.
People who have closed their Ltd companies are still listed on companies house as it retains past information. This way you can still see if a Tradesperson has a history of opening and closing businesses every year – and you can walk away.
Check a Limited company
You can search for a company for free, check the company accounts, financial and personal information.
Check by Director Name (or if not Limited)
Where you are planning to spend a lot of money it is worth checking even if the tradesperson is not currently trading as a Ltd company.
By searching by name (and cross referencing their birth months and year) you can see if they have a history of opening & shutting businesses each year, but have decided to not set up a Limited company for their current business.
You will need to have an estimate of, or know, their birth year as a minimum to help you start digging.
Check their Finances
When you have identified the company you are looking for, navigate to Company Accounts to see the filed Financial Statements. Review turnover, profit, liabilities and debt levels to assess the financial health of the company.
If your eyes glaze over with numbers or finance, find someone who finds it fun, or who has experience with business finances and ask them to take a look.
Note: You will not be able to access a tradesperson’s personal finances. See Top Tip for this section.
Financial Documents include three main documents:
- Balance Sheet
- Provides an overview of the company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity.
- Profit and Loss (P&L) Account
- Shows the company’s revenues (total income before any outgoings), expenses, and profits over a specific period. A recent change in the law means that small companies now must include this statement with their accounts. However, rollout date has not been published yet so this requirement could change yet again.
- Cash Flow Statement
- Details the inflows and outflows of cash within the company. Typically, this is only available for larger organisations.
To understand and interpret the above, this is a really great beginner’s guide explanation of what to look for.
- Auditor’s Reports
- An auditor’s report is a formal document issued by an independent auditor providing their opinion on whether a company’s financial statements are fairly presented and comply with accounting standards. They are useful for providing transparency, building trust, and aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions.
- This will help you understand more.
Top Tips
You cannot complete a credit check on anyone without their permission. But you can put it in your contract that the tradesperson agrees that you can conduct a credit check and subject to it being satisfactory the contract will stand, or have a clause specifying the parameters of what a poor credit rating looks like and how that will end the contract. It is only fair that you offer permission to the tradesperson so they can carry out a credit check on you in return.
If a Ltd company shows no filed documents and you are unable to assess your preferred company’s financial health, use the contract clause above for credit checks AND you can start to search for their names and estimated birth month and year, as mentioned above. This will help you ascertain if they are just new, or listed as new for a reason (ie: a rogue’s phoenix company).
Companies House terminology
Compulsorily Struck Off
This can happen to a company for:
- Not submitting accounts on time
- Not submitting an annual confirmation statement
- Ceasing trading
- Having no Directors appointed
Voluntarily Struck Off
This is sought by the company if/when the company meets this criteria:
- It is solvent and has no outstanding debts
- It has not traded or sold stock in the last three months
- It has not changed its name in the last three months
- It is not threatened with liquidation
- It has no agreements with creditors
- It is not subject to any legal proceeding
Top Tips
If you are in dispute with your builder and/or this has escalated to a closure of contract and trading standards and/or legal proceedings, victims can prevent the company being struck off either Compulsorily by Companies House or Voluntarily by the Rogue.
It is useful if you are owed monies as a company cannot be closed or directors disappear if monies are owing.
Resources
Gov.uk: Object to a Strike Off
CCJs (County Court Judgements)
What it is / How do you get a CCJ
A County Court Judgement is a court order than can be issued against you if you don’t repay a debt or comply with a court order.
For our purposes, you could seek a CCJ against a tradesperson if you are asking for your money back, asking for payment if any agreed repayments have not been kept up with and there have been no attempts to contact you, or evasive tactics displayed, to discuss and make up missed payments.
Check for CCJs
You can search for CCJs in two ways:
- Against a person and
- Against a company.
There is a charge for each search
Depending on the scale of your project it is worth buying the more expensive option and carrying out both searches.
CCJ Results
You will get a report stating:
- The details searched for
- A colour coded summary of how many CCJs are Unsatisfied (ie: still unpaid) and Satisfied (ie: paid)
Each CCJ found will show:
- The Case Number
- The Amount owed
- The name, address, registered address of the person who has been given the CCJ
- The court name, contact number and date of judgement.
- You will also get a list of the registers that have been searched but returned no results.
You will not get any details of who is owed as this is protected information and not relevant to the search.
Top Tips
CCJs affect your credit rating, show up on a credit report and typically could (but may not) affect a tradesperson’s ability to get credit. It depends if a deeper credit check is carried out.
CCJs also have a six year period to be paid off. It remains ‘Unsatisfied’ until full payment is completed. If it takes six years to pay off the debt, the CCJ will be marked as ‘Satisfied’, if it is not paid off it will permanently be marked ‘Unsatisfied’.
Resources
Gov.uk: Search Register of Judgements Scroll down to the bottom.
VAT
If a company or individual is VAT Registered it is a statutory requirement for a valid VAT number to be displayed on
- Invoices
- Letterheads
- Websites
It is illegal to charge VAT if you are not VAT registered. If they present an invoice with VAT added, you do not have to pay the VAT.
If the annual turnover exceeds £90k then a company or sole trader must be registered. They can voluntarily register with a lower turnover.
How do I check a VAT number is valid?
- A UK VAT number is 9 digits long.
- Check it is genuine:
- Online
- By phone: 0300 200 3700.
- Check the name registered is the same as the person / company you are checking on. A VAT number can be copied and used fraudulently.
- If the VAT number comes up as invalid or not recognised, this is not a genuine VAT number.
If anyone is charging VAT and is not registered to do so, or is fraudulently using another company’s VAT number you can report them here.
Top Tips
Check if your tradesperson is thinking of – or is going through – VAT registration before or during your project.
A trader cannot include VAT on your invoices they get their VAT registration number but they can increase prices to account for the VAT that will be need to pay to HMRC.
If they provide and invoice with VAT but have not yet completed their registration you can withhold the VAT until they have completed registration and can produce (and you have checked) a valid VAT number.
Resources
A useful Blog article explaining VAT details in an accessible, digestible way.
Trade Qualifications / Certifications
The only skilled trades that are legally required to belong to a trade association are gas fitters and electricians.
Always ask to see their membership cards/document and look out for:
- Does the photograph match the person stood in front of you?
- Does the certificate has the correct date on it?
Take a note of their details and check their credentials (see Resources below)
Do not allow anyone other than the person undertaking the works to sign off on their works.
Top Tips
Always take and review the card where offered, some builders will retain in their hand the certificate and flash it at you. This is a risk and suggests there may be a problem with their membership ie: expiry dates.
Resources
Insurance
Check they have Insurance
Your builder ideally needs both of the insurances below.
Get a copy of certificates from them and check that they are valid.
Public Liability Insurance (PLI)
- You can claim on a tradesperson’s public liability insurance (PLI) if you are a victim of an incident caused by the tradesperson.
- Roughly how much should they have?
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
- You can claim on a tradesman’s professional indemnity insurance (PII) if they have made a mistake or been negligent in their work
- Get copies of their Personal Indemnity Insurance (PII) certificates to be sure you are protected
- £0 – £100,000 budget requires £250,000 PII
- £100,000 – £500,00 budget requires £500,000 to £1 Million PII
- £500,000 and over requires £2 million to £5 million PII
Work on looking for their having PII cover to the value of 3 to 4 times your budget.
Deposit Options
DO NOT PAY CASH OR DIRECT BANK TRANSFERS
- This is the best way to say goodbye to your money forever.
- These payments are untraceable.
- These payments are not covered by Consumer Laws.
Most Frequently heard tradesperson pushbacks:
- Trust works both ways.
- Why should I fund your project?
- You need to commit to the project, so I know you are not a timewaster
- You need to give me a deposit so if I buy materials and you cancel, I’m not left out of pocket.
If they insist on a bank transfer or cash – WALK AWAY.
One of the common reasons for wanting a BACS deposit up front is that the tradesperson will be funding another job with your deposit and looking to pick up another job, and get their deposit, in order to fund your project. If the tradesperson mismanages their business, over stretches, is consciously mis-managing funds then you may be left without a deposit and without a project.
Option 1: Credit Cards
The only way you should provide a deposit is with a credit card.
If they want a deposit, they need to take a credit card.
Credit Cards are covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
This means that the card company is liable for the total works even if you only put £100 on your credit card and then do a BACS transfer for the remainder (See top tips for added security).
The goods / services need to cost between £100 to £30,000.
You are covered if:
- The goods or services are poor quality
- The services were not carried out with reasonable care and skill
- The items were never delivered
- The purchase was cancelled or disrupted
To claim, there is a 120 day limit BUT if the card payment is for a deposit, make sure you label it as such, and your 120 day claim period starts from the day the event would have happened.
It is illegal for the tradesperson to charge you the credit card fee which will only be a few %.
Paypal is and alternative to cash. It is NOT an alternative to a credit card. It is through a third party so not covered by Section 75.
Option 2: Use a solicitor to hold the funds
An alternative is to put the money in the trust of a solicitor and he can then release all payments when approved.
This will have an associated fee but will mean you get your money back if you have hired a rogue.
Top Tips
ONLY agree a deposit as part of a schedule of payments. The schedule of payments needs to reflect the Milestones in your scope and contract.
- Example: A milestone is to finish all the roof / soffits / guttering / downpipes to a the satisfaction of building regulations. Once that is complete then the staged payment can kick in.
If you use a credit card for a deposit and decide to use it for the minimum and the rest in BACS:
- DO ensure all references are copied across so there is a clear paper trail that both payments are for the same job.
- DO ensure the tradesperson’s bank details match their company details. A business bank account can cost the tradesperson fees however that is the cost of doing business. It also gives a more professional impression, helps build the business’s credit rating (which you will be checking at Companies House) and in turn can help them get loans/trade accounts. Think very carefully before putting money into someone else’s private bank account.
Resources
Protection when buying – using a credit card
Financial Ombudsman: Section 75
Gov.uk: Laws on charging customers for credit card fees
Previous Customers
Discussions with previous customers are good practice.
Ask for customers that had a similar size / value project to yours.
And if they refuse?
If the tradesperson refuses or objects, consider why this might be the case. CAST would consider this a red flag.
If they agree AND provide the contacts:
- Get your questions ready
- Beware of overloading your hosts but do make sure you get a solid understanding of how the tradesperson was.
Example questions:
- Could you confirm the scope of works?
- How did you find the contractor?
- Would you use them again?
- Who did you have most contact with?
- Did they keep the site safe and tidy?
- How did they handle payment schedules and deposits?
- How were changes in the scope and payments handled.
- How did they handle milestones and contracts?
- Did the project end on time and budget?
If applicable:
- Who carried out the building control aspects of your project
Were you made aware of when the site visits took place and any issues that arose? - Did you receive all completion certificates (electric, gas, building) in a timely manner?
Other Things to Consider
Trust your Gut
Gut feeling is good, but not good enough.
Our survey showed an overwhelming majority of respondents went with someone they felt they could build a relationship with. Rogues can be very charming and convincing.
Be cautious.
First impressions
- Your first meeting is an important moment to set the scene on how your relationship might continue.
- You and the tradesperson will be measuring each other up. This is natural and normal.
- Before meeting a tradesperson consider:
- Who will be the primary point of contact for the tradesperson across the project
- Will you and your partner have different responsibilities, or will you share them?
- How will you make decisions?
- Who will be documenting and following up in writing the key conversations?
- Who will be actioning the payments?
This is clearly written from the perspective of a couple; as a single person you will be responsible for it all though may wish to partner with a family member, good friend or your appointed designer if that works for you.
Thing to look out for:
Beware:
When a question is asked, who gets the answer?
If the person asking the question will be the primary point of contact but the answer is never addressed to them you can politely work this into the conversation, ie: I’m going to be on site most days so I was wondering <ask another question> and observe the reaction and response.
If they don’t answer the person asking the question, are they the right person to hire?
If you are clear on what you want, and this is rejected, what is the reaction?
If you are set on the boiler going in a specific location but the tradesperson is set on locating it elsewhere, ask them why.
If it is their preference that is fine, but this may not be the right tradesperson for your project – and you may not be the right customer for them.
Is the answer ‘Yes, we can do that’ to anything you raise even if it’s outside their area of expertise?
This may be genuine, so dig deeper.
- Do they provide the service themselves or sub contract?
- How many projects of that type have they done?
- What was the most recent?
- Can you see examples of each?
Can you meet previous customers and see their work?
If they refuse you will need to consider why.
Top Tips
Remember, for verbal conversations:
- 7% of meaning is to be found in the words that are spoken.
- 38% of the meaning is to be found in the way that the words are said.
- 55% of meaning is to be found in facial expressions.
This a job interview. You be handing over a large amount of money over a short period of time and probably paying it off for many years.
Proper background checks can help filter out rogue tradespeople.
.Clear, dated milestones and strong contract management are key to maintaining a good working relationship.
Remember, not all tradespeople are rogues—cautious trust is essential to move forward after a bad experience
Building Control and Other Third Parties
CAST has received multiple reports of rogues taking fees for contacting building control and when the customer checks much later on, building control have no record of their project.
We have also heard of rogues posing as private building control agents, which is now illegal, to raise more money and to stop interference from the proper authorities delivering their role to protect you and your home.
It is better to contact and appoint your own specialist third parties to ensure
- That work gets done
- That you pay the appropriate amount
- That you can be sure they are involved.
Specialist third parties include but are not limited to:
- Building Control
- Specialist surveyors (ie: drainage fields for sceptic tanks/sewage treatment plants)
- Quantity Surveyors
- Structural Engineers
Leave a Reply