Finding a Bathroom Fitter

redundantmortgage

I know recommendations are the best way to find tradesmen in general but unfortunately I don't know anyone locally who could recommend anyone.

I'm avoiding chains like Wickes and B&Q or anywhere with fancy showrooms and salesmen because I know I'd be paying towards the cost of all that as well as my bathroom.

Finding someone local is proving to be challenging, I keep finding red flags in those I'm finding (e.g. no landline, nothing on companies house, only started trading a few months ago, horror reviews etc.)

I did however find someone who looked reputable from my research, has landline, been trading many years, good reviews going back years. The only real criticism in the reviews was that he was expensive, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to get a quote. 

He said I'd have to provide the sink, bath, tiles etc. myself and his quote for simply fitting it comes to £12.2k. That sounds like a complete rip off to me so I'm back to square one.

Any tips on how to find someone?

and any red flags I may not have thought of?

Doozergirl

It seems like you want a fully traceable history, akin to that of Wickes etc with online reviews etc but a low price to go with it.  

Admittedly, £12,200 for labour only seems like someone either really doesn't want to work with you, or they can't type! 

It's 2023.   I haven't had a landline since 2011.  Now, I do know how to make it appear that we do have one, because  l have some marketing knowledge, but even we don't have much in the way of reviews.  

I have a landline numbers for precisely *no one* that works for us; their online presence is minimal at best - slightly rubbish photos on their facebook account, mainly; and only one has a limited company and that's their accountant's job.  These people work with their hands, not a computer, and they also go mainly by word of mouth.  Many of your red flags are not really red flags in this marketplace and I fear that in a place where construction workers are hard to come by and one-man bathroom fitting operations even more rare, I fear you may be looking for a unicorn...

It is companies that have Companies House records, long review histories, landline numbers etc because it's a job in itself making all of those things happen and that job is an overhead that customers pay for.  

You will find what you are looking for in premises on a trading estate somewhere, not in a one man band.  You do find those more regularly via asking for recommendations and that is why people still say it's the first thing to do.

CliveOfIndia

redundantmortgage said:

I know recommendations are the best way to find tradesmen in general but unfortunately I don't know anyone locally who could recommend anyone.

Do you have a local community Facebook page?  That's often a good place to ask for recommendations, since you should hopefully get replies from local people who have used a particular tradesman, even if you don't know them personally.  Certainly my local Facebook group is littered with requests (and replies) for recommendations for tradesmen of all disciplines.

( For "Tradesman", read "Tradesman/Tradeswoman/Tradesperson )

badger09

I usually start my research with Checkatrade and TrustATrader which usually give me enough leads to follow.
Or if you know someone who has had a decent job done recently, their contractor will possibly be able to recommend the trade you need. For example, we call a general builder we have used ‘the village mafia’ as, if he can’t do something, he’ll definitely know someone who can!

redundantmortgage

My trouble is I have no idea who to trust and as a result I don't trust anyone.

I'm happy to pay a little extra if I can be confident they'll do a decent job but what that person has quoted me is just ridiculous. I've also lost any confidence I did have in him because it seems he's sensed I'm clueless and has tried to rip me off as a result.

I don't know about community Facebook page, I've never used Facebook before. I've used Checkatrade and TrustATrader but I'm aware people pay to get listed on them and reviews sometimes come across too positive to be realistic. 

comeandgo

You say you don’t know anyone local well this could be a way to meet your neighbours.  You could introduce yourself and ask them if they could recommend anyone then you do due diligence on that company.  You really do have a totally unrealistic approach though if no land line, not at companies house etc.  I know yellow pages are a thing of the past but if you do a Google search of bathroom fitters for your area you should get names and then you verify them and their business.  

diystarter7

Hi OP

Not sure if you live around london/se england but its been like that for over three years here ever sincethe eu thing when many workers from the eu went back home

We have a quote like yorus about 4 years ago at close to 9k for labour from someone like you found

I'm guessing they are doing two full days of quote work and giving out very high prices and always get a job as people are getting desperate.

I rang a bathroom fitter a month ago, someone that did my bil's bathrom and he said about 14k - I said would this change if the fittings were high end - he said "it's labout only, Mr ..."  -  I had to hold steady and pretend not to be shocked. - the thing is he did the rerub on a shower room at in-laws home and thinks we hav the same money we dont and must have assumed as we drive a gls we have loads of money so try it on 

I have family in the midlands and one of them has a trusted builder at good prices -  they could not beleive the brices as its about 2/4k to get a bothroom doen there labout charges and some can get it a lot cheaper inc fittings on btl's

Good luck

diystarter7

redundantmortgage said:

My trouble is I have no idea who to trust and as a result I don't trust anyone.

I'm happy to pay a little extra if I can be confident they'll do a decent job but what that person has quoted me is just ridiculous. I've also lost any confidence I did have in him because it seems he's sensed I'm clueless and has tried to rip me off as a result.

I don't know about community Facebook page, I've never used Facebook before. I've used Checkatrade and TrustATrader but I'm aware people pay to get listed on them and reviews sometimes come across too positive to be realistic. 

Hi

Trust is built up over time and can be lost i a nano second, so dont trust them until they have done a couple of good jobs for you and stuck to agreements

Never pay up front.

Doozergirl

diystarter7 said:

redundantmortgage said:

My trouble is I have no idea who to trust and as a result I don't trust anyone.

I'm happy to pay a little extra if I can be confident they'll do a decent job but what that person has quoted me is just ridiculous. I've also lost any confidence I did have in him because it seems he's sensed I'm clueless and has tried to rip me off as a result.

I don't know about community Facebook page, I've never used Facebook before. I've used Checkatrade and TrustATrader but I'm aware people pay to get listed on them and reviews sometimes come across too positive to be realistic. 

Hi

Trust is built up over time and can be lost i a nano second, so dont trust them until they have done a couple of good jobs for you and stuck to agreements

Never pay up front.

Trust goes two ways.   Never paying upfront means that the trader has to trust you first to pay the invoice when it is sent.   

All we have to go on with customers is our gut, and most of us are not wet behind the ears.   There are cowboy clients out there, and so there has to be mutual respect.   

If we don't think that we are trusted by someone when we're extending them a credit line, we will not work with them.  My own reasoning is that people believe that most people are like them.  If someone thinks I'm not trustworthy it's because they're not.  

All most people want to do is good work and get paid for it.  There are too many lovely clients out there to  consider working with one where there's a question mark.  

diystarter7

Doozergirl said:

diystarter7 said:

redundantmortgage said:

My trouble is I have no idea who to trust and as a result I don't trust anyone.

I'm happy to pay a little extra if I can be confident they'll do a decent job but what that person has quoted me is just ridiculous. I've also lost any confidence I did have in him because it seems he's sensed I'm clueless and has tried to rip me off as a result.

I don't know about community Facebook page, I've never used Facebook before. I've used Checkatrade and TrustATrader but I'm aware people pay to get listed on them and reviews sometimes come across too positive to be realistic. 

Hi

Trust is built up over time and can be lost i a nano second, so dont trust them until they have done a couple of good jobs for you and stuck to agreements

Never pay up front.

Trust goes two ways.   Never paying upfront means that the trader has to trust you first to pay the invoice when it is sent.   

All we have to go on with customers is our gut, and most of us are not wet behind the ears.   There are cowboy clients out there, and so there has to be mutual respect.   

If we don't think that we are trusted by someone when we're extending them a credit line, we will not work with them.  My own reasoning is that people believe that most people are like them.  If someone thinks I'm not trustworthy it's because they're not.  

All most people want to do is good work and get paid for it.  There are too many lovely clients out there to  consider working with one where there's a question mark.  

I'm standing by what I have said. Dont pay a builder up front.
Even for materials, be aware they will turn up after materials arrive.
Get start finish times and how long project will take.

A builder can more often than not tell if a customer will pay.
A customer that is at their home that invites a builder and one with possible fake feedback etc, etc, does not
really know where they live etc and could be living many miles from the customers home ad may have folded several
companies before as well
Based on the above, I am of the firm conculsion that a customer is often more at risk of a builder not doing what they said they would do or not come back once their are problems as per agreement or paid up front than the builder being at risk from non payment.

Thnaks

Doozergirl

You said don't trust them until after they had done a couple of jobs!  

There is a large difference between doing due diligence before employing someone and having a set of agreed terms vs just not trusting them. 

'Thnaks'