Finding The Best Tradesmen Online
It’s always beneficial to have a reliable tradesman on hand, whether it’s just to fix a small electrical problem or if you’re planning a whole new refurbishment.
But with the increasing number of review websites – based on feedback from previous jobs – how do you know which one you can trust?
Here are the main websites to keep an eye out for:
With MyBuilder, all you need to do is post the details of the job and then wait for responses to arrive. You can then create a shortlist, where they will then send you a quote and make your decision based on that quote, their profile and previous reviews.
All tradesmen’s references are checked once they join but that’s all. Each and every review is verified as true and bad reviews are never removed.
In regards to complaints, MyBuilder recommends you work directly with the tradesmen to sort out problems. If this doesn’t work, they’ll refer you to your contract (if one was agreed), the tradesmen’s Trade Association or independent mediation.
This website lets you search for tradesmen based on your location and job details. You can then make contact with the tradesmen or post the job and wait for them to make contact with you.
If you choose to post the job, Plentific’s concierge handles the process, which includes securing quotes and helping you find the right tradesmen for your job.
Each of them has a Plentific profile that details information about their business and previous customer reviews. You can access these to further compare your options (for free).
Tradesmen that register with Plentific are checked for ID, proof of address, VAT number, Company House registration and public liability insurance.
If a dispute emerges, Plentific will intervene and act as a mediator between you and the tradesmen; they’ll usually suggest both parties agree on a fair solution.
Should anything go wrong when using a verified Plentific tradesman (i.e. through their website), you’ll be covered by their guarantee. Unless a settlement is reached, they will enlist another professional to complete the work and pay them to fix the problem (to the value of the original job or £1,000, whichever is less).
With CheckaTrade you get full control. After completing your search for a tradesman you can email them directly or request a call back. You can choose the best one based on customer reviews.
CheckaTrade checks their ID, qualifications, credit, references and public liability insurance beforehand. They also attempt to spot check around 30-40% of the feedback they receive each month.
Their complaints process requires tradesmen to issue a response within 7 days before it’s automatically published on the website.
Like MyBuilder, you just simply need to post the details of the job and wait for tradesmen to respond; they’ll pay the website for the chance to provide you with the initial quote.
Then you’ll be given a shortlist where you can narrow down your choices and choose based on their quotes and past customer reviews.
RatedPeople checks a tradesman’s ID, accounts, credit, qualifications and public liability insurance. Just remember that they renounce any responsibility of what the tradesman says, so they advise authenticating their credentials before selecting them.
If a complaint arises, RatedPeople usually suspends the tradesman whilst they conduct an investigation (usually lasting 5-10 days) and remove them from their website altogether if necessary.
It’s always a good idea to do as many background checks as possible before enlisting making a final decision. Tradesmen with a lot of reviews can give you a better idea of their quality of work and the level of service they offer.
Just keep in mind that these websites are usually funded by the tradesmen they feature. We suggest extracting as much information as you can out of your tradesman, including a detailed breakdown of their quote and what else they can offer.
Are there any other review sites we’ve missed? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
