Domestic builders and tradespeople regulation

Mile2go

Hi,

Many of you reading this will have had great experiences with honest, hardworking tradespeople so will not feel the need for what I am trying to achieve...

Many of you reading this will have been completely ripped off by cowboy builders who have ruined your home, left it in an unsafe condition and disappeared with your money never to be seen or heard from again. I am unfortunately one of these!!!

I have started a petition on the government website to introduce compulsory regulation for all domestic builders and tradespeople in an attempt to put an end to the cowboy builder culture.

If you feel the same please sign and share

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/247923

Thanks!

tacpot12

For anyone who might want to sign this petition, here is the link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/247923

I've signed as I agree that this is a long overdue change. In some states in the USA, you have to be licensed to carry out work over $500 per job. This sort of scheme might be a way forward, as it would allow scope at the bottom of the market for small business to operate without the cost of licensing.

Mile2go

Tacpot12 thanks for your support and for posting the link!

Doozergirl

I've signed.


I think a lot of consumers do nothing to help themselves and many perpetuate the entire problem by thinking it's okay to pay in cash to save money, but I have no issue with regulation. Regulation involves education, though, and investment in skills and respect for trades is presently next to nothing.

Regulation will drive prices up. Having one's cake and eating will come at a (correct) price.

Mile2go

I think you're right, it will cause prices to rise if instated, but I think I'd rather pay extra and know I was getting appropriately qualified people in for the job and that if anything were to go wrong there would be more support available than there is now.

Thanks for the support!

BananaRepublic

I had my bathroom trashed by cowboys from CheckATrade, the latter investigated and concluded that the work was fine. Trading Standards decided that the work was not of a sufficient quality.

However, I am not convinced about regulation. Electrics are regulated by part P. A qualified sparks did my second bathroom job. The light switch fell off the ceiling. It was screwed into plaster board. The cover came off the razor socket. One of the screws was not connected to to the mounting box. I had to repair both faults myself. My neighbour is an electrician. He has seen bodge jobs by Part P qualified workers. What Part P does is ensure that only trades can do the work, hence jobs for the boys.

Mile2go

I think the entire system needs an overhaul when things like this happen all too often. It seems like the organisations that some tradespeople are registered with offer very little in the way of accountability so bodge jobs happen and customers are left having to put up and shut up.

This petition also calls for an independent ombudsman to be set up for these cases to be investigated properly.

The checkatrade and trustatrader websites are fraudulent at best in my opinion as they only seem to publish the positive reviews and you have to really push for anything negative to be put online.

Mistral001

A waste ot time.

The UK is one of the least regulated countries in the world. Various types of businesses which most people think should have registration such as estate agencies, employment agents, counselling services and teaching adults have no compulsory registration. There are many many more examples. In fact unless you are a doctor or a lawyer or provide financial services there is pretty much zero registration. Is there any chance of introducing registration for handymen and tile layers?

Robin9

Mistral001 wrote: »

A waste ot time.

The UK is one of the least regulated countries in the world. Various types of businesses which most people think should have registration such as estate agencies, employment agents, counselling services and teaching adults have no compulsory registration. There are many many more examples. In fact unless you are a doctor or a lawyer or provide financial services there is pretty much zero registration. Is there any chance of introducing registration for handymen and tile layers?

I agree - who OP would do the registering and monitoring? Not Trading Standards, not the industries ........... who ?

teneighty

Mistral001 wrote: »

A waste ot time.

The UK is one of the least regulated countries in the world. Various types of businesses which most people think should have registration such as estate agencies, employment agents, counselling services and teaching adults have no compulsory registration. There are many many more examples. In fact unless you are a doctor or a lawyer or provide financial services there is pretty much zero registration. Is there any chance of introducing registration for handymen and tile layers?

There is heavy regulation for all electrical, gas, solid fuel in domestic installations and yet there still appear to be plenty of cowboys undertaking such work. Both those who are apparently qualified and regulated and those who are not qualified and registered but do it anyway.

It would seem more regulation is not the answer. Maybe better education for customers to help identify good trades people and avoid the common pitfalls.

How often is the common denominator on these stories "I found a builder online with great reviews" or "I only got the one quote and they could start immediately"? People are too easily swayed by a good sales pitch and slick presentation.....the basic tools of all good con artists. The problem only seems to be getting worse because of the current heavy reliance on the internet and social media which makes the con artists' job so much easier.

Personally I would like to see the activity of "cowboy" builders being treated for what it really is, fraud. Rather than the police and public bodies insisting it is a civil matter. Maybe a few more criminal prosecutions would deter them.

snowcat75

Doozergirl wrote: »

I've signed.


I think a lot of consumers do nothing to help themselves and many perpetuate the entire problem by thinking it's okay to pay in cash to save money, but I have no issue with regulation. Regulation involves education, though, and investment in skills and respect for trades is presently next to nothing.

Regulation will drive prices up. Having one's cake and eating will come at a (correct) price.

I would disagree, Iv been involved in two industry's that iv seen heavy regulation come into, Far greater than what the building industry is proposed to do.


Compliance costs initially but once a workable system is implemented costs are very little, Iv seen in both instances where regs have been bought in no real change in costs over a few years, for example it costs me know more to keep delivery notes of materials than not, ditto with waste transfer tickets the list is endless, there are 100nds of things I now do weekly because of annual audits that are no more expensive than a box file and a printer.

Personally I think the job in building trade Really should have got its act in order years ago, I stopped over a decade ago doing structural steel work for them, as I couldn't stand the messiness of the trade, everything from glaring disregard for any safety to the bodging to the expecting to pay in cash.


I know not all builders are to be tared with the same brush, and the general public is an impossible task master to please... But the just by the very fact I probably no 20 or 30 builders I would only maybe recommend 2..... tells me the trade is not doing its best to sort out the reputation.