How to find a trustworthy builder?

phil24_7

Really? Didn't Age UK just get highlighted for selling expensive insurance due to massive kickbacks? I wouldn't be trusting anything they are advertising!

ManuelG

phil24_7 wrote: »

Really? Didn't Age UK just get highlighted for selling expensive insurance due to massive kickbacks? I wouldn't be trusting anything they are advertising!

It's in conjunction with the local council's trading standards.

People I've used they've sent round have been very professional, very fair. And, of course, there's no obligation to use them if you don't want to.

Edit for a link.

EssexExile

We had an extension built 13 years ago, we saw one being done locally, asked the people if they were happy, they were so we used the same firm. This week I wanted a bit of advice, phoned the boss of the company & he was here the same day.
When you eventually get someone who is good, hang on to their details.

PenguinOfDeath

Can you not find a local 'handy man' who does bits of all this work? I've found a few though a local handbook that gets pushed through the door, they have an online presence too.

hollydays

Going from a recent experience of my son, who learnt the hard way , but relatively small plastering job which he ended up not losing out financially but having a heck of a lot of mess to clean up...they didn't put any dust sheets down and left the newly bleached floor covered in plaster , plus the period tiled hall floor.

Get their full address and name and phone number Google Google Google again.google anything else that comes up in google.
Scrutinise any trade reviews ( my son looked at them closer AFTERWARDS
Several of them were by Facebook friends.)
Google his name and " director" to see if that reveals anything.
Finally, when the person is doing the job, make sure you are present and talk him through the job exactly, and don't leave him on his own.
Personal experience is, only try to go by recommendations.The thought of letting someone untried do work on my house does not appeal
Good plasterers are worth waiting for.

Furts

PenguinOfDeath wrote: »

Can you not find a local 'handy man' who does bits of all this work? I've found a few though a local handbook that gets pushed through the door, they have an online presence too.

Be very, very, careful about following this route. Remember a handyman is frequently a "jack of all trades" with limited specialisms, and possible no great expertise in any trade. Hence carefully establish capabilities and comfort zones.

To give a pragmatic example - I use a two+ man handyman crew who advertise locally in the freeby magazine. They are geared up with a good van, a yard, storage and materials. This automatically puts them a notch above the norm.

However I know their limitations and these are many. Equally, the two men are well aware of this. Hence we function well -they always ask my requirements, how a job should be done, I supply the materials and so on. They are polite and ever helpful, and also use me as a tutor or knowledge base. The end result is I get an acceptable job... on most occasions. I dread to think what happens on other jobs - I have seen a few but remain tight lipped on these!

If a consumer cannot operate on this basis then treat all handyman services with caution.

G_M

Don't rely on checkatrade. It's a commercial site, profit driven. Both for the site, and the trades people. I'm sure there are good tradesmen on there, but also bad.

Try which trusted traders

Or Trading Standards traders

Or the relevant trade's professional body.

Doozergirl

The OP mentions 'builder' but a builder won't be interested in that sort of thing.

OP, it's been suggested that you know, but you need separate trades. The building trade is really busy right now and no decent builder is going to be interested in a bit of plastering, a bit of electrics and a bit of tiling.

You need one of each. Harder work, but it should be cheaper for you and individuals will be easier to find.

Where in the Midlands are you? If I can recommend someone near you, I will.

PenguinOfDeath

Furts wrote: »

Be very, very, careful about following this route. Remember a handyman is frequently a "jack of all trades" with limited specialisms, and possible no great expertise in any trade. Hence carefully establish capabilities and comfort zones.

Absolutely

robatwork

Exactly what G_M said.

Which? or your local council may run a trading standards approved website.

https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/

Neither of these would be better than a local personal recommendation, but I have used both when I couldn't get a recommendation and been happy on every occasion.

Forget checkatrade, trustatrader and anywhere where the trader pays for leads.