How to check a tradesperson before hiring them

Checking a tradesperson takes about ten minutes and mostly involves free public registers. The point is not to catch anyone out — it is to confirm that the person doing regulated work is entitled to do it, and that you have somewhere to turn if the work is defective.

Check the registration that applies to the job

• Gas work — search the Gas Safe Register by name, business or registration number. Every engineer carries an ID card with a licence number and the work types they are qualified for.
• Electrical work — most domestic electrical work in England and Wales falls under Part P of the Building Regulations and should be notified or certified. Competent-person schemes such as NICEIC, NAPIT and ELECSA all have public search tools.
• Replacement windows and doors — FENSA and CERTASS both maintain searchable registers of installers.
• Oil and solid fuel — OFTEC and HETAS maintain their own registers.

Check the business exists

If they trade as a limited company, search the free Companies House register for the company name and number. You can see when it was incorporated, whether accounts are up to date and who the directors are. A sole trader will not appear — that is normal and not a red flag in itself.

Check the insurance

Ask for a copy of the public liability certificate. Look at three things: the name on it matches the business you are hiring, the policy is in date, and the level of cover is sensible for your job. Two million pounds is a common level for domestic work.

Check the work, not just the words

• Ask for photos of two or three recent jobs similar to yours.
• Read reviews for jobs of a comparable size — a run of five-star reviews for small repairs tells you little about a loft conversion.
• Look at how they respond to criticism. A measured reply to a poor review is often more reassuring than no poor reviews at all.

What we check on Find A Trade Local

Tradespeople complete a trade-specific knowledge check before they can appear as verified, declare their insurance and any trade body membership, and build a review history from real jobs posted on the site. We are an introduction service — the checks are a starting point, not a substitute for your own. Full detail is on our trust and verification page.