How to find a good tradesperson

Finding a good tradesperson can sometimes feel like searching for hen’s teeth.

Everyone has a story to tell about a bad experience with a horrendous tradesperson – there are even numerous TV shows about it! – but there are also a lot of absolutely wonderful ones out there too (including “our” wonderful landscapers, electricians etc, who we are proud to work with on a daily basis). So how do you go about choosing one of the good guys?! Here are some points to keep in mind when you first meet with someone to get a quote.

This checklist of things to ask and consider can help you to feel comfortable that you’re making a good choice before you go ahead and work with someone.

Are they excited by your project?

Okay, they don’t need to go over the top (and probably nobody is going to be quite as excited about it as you are!) but if they seem bored or lackadaisical on a first meeting, then that’s not a great sign. Do they seem to be on board with what you’re trying to do, and does their back catalogue of work match with your plans? If they’re not enthusiastic about what you’re planning on doing or if they haven’t worked on similar projects / similar styles in the past, then it might be best to give them a miss.

Do they seem genuine?

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to be given a whole load of bull**** when you have tradespeople round for a quote. Are you good at picking up on this? If not, ask a friend who is more construction savvy to come with you to the first meeting. And always check up and get references / visit past projects before you commit.

Available start date

Most decent builders or landscapers will have a waiting list. Though it’s tempting to choose someone because they have immediate availability (we all want to crack on with our projects as soon as we can!) be wary if someone is free immediately without a good reason (for example, a project has been delayed and they are squeezing you in.)

Reputable contractors are in demand for good reason, and will have a matching waiting list. If a contractor has no waiting list at all, there is usually a reason why. (Either they’re not in demand due to poor quality of work, or they’re trying to fit in too many clients at one time, which can lead to jobs being rushed and communication being bad.)

Badmouthing the competition

This happens all the time. Contractors taking issue with other contractors work always rings alarm bells for me. Anyone who is quick to put blame on someone else will continue to do so throughout the project, and you can easily find yourself in a situation where something has gone wrong and everyone is sure it is someone else’s fault. Far preferable to have a contractor who is…

Enthusiastic about collaborating

Teamwork is key to any successful project, as you will always have a range of different contractors working (for example, landscape architects, electricians, planting teams and so on.)

You don't want to be stuck in the role as mediator if your builder/landscaper can’t work with others.

Are they good communicators?

Do they return your calls? Do they respond to emails? If they don’t do this at the point when they are trying to pitch for your work, you can be sure they won’t do it later on! Communication is absolutely essential, and you need to know that you can get hold of the people you’re working with easily.

Are they reliable?

Did they show up when they said they would? If they had to make any changes, did they let you know in advance?

If they have cancelled on you three times or just not shown up then alarm bells should start ringing…

Trust your instincts

If something seems off, it probably is. If something seems too good to be true it probably is (the lowest quote promised for the highest amount of the best quality work, for example!)

Do you get on with them?

You need to be able to work well together, probably for a fairly long time. Having a laugh is fine, but they need to be professional too.

Are they polite and respectful?

We’ve witnessed some interesting things over the years on construction sites– swearing, spitting, bad behaviour, we’ve even seen some portaloos being pushed over. Not only do you need to get on with them, but think about your neighbours too. A sure-fire route to neighbourly arguments is disrespectful tradespeople who don’t take any of the local residents into consideration. You need to know that once your project has finished, you will still be on good terms with those who live next door to you.

Are they tidy?

Ask to visit one of their current building sites, or even better, walk by unannounced. We are very fussy about a tidy building site. The last thing you want to see are overflowing skips, crisp packets everywhere and a mountain of cigarette butts that have been flicked out onto the road.

Admittedly, it’s not the end of the world; if they tick all of the other boxes then you can just mention you want to keep the site clean and a nice and collaborative contractor will respect that.

Do they come recommended?

Recommendations are a great place to start. From friends, or from your designer. You can also check out their Google or Facebook reviews. But, do remember that recommendations aren’t everything. Plenty of online review sites are easily falsified, and everyone has different views of what they expect from a contractor, so what might be great for one client (sitting down at the kitchen table and having a chat every day, for example) might not work for another! Workloads also vary, so contractors may give more time to different clients depending on which other projects they have on, and of course for any large contractors, different people will be sent out by the same company to different projects. So, you may not have the same team that your friend had and loved. That’s not to say ignore recommendations, but always take them into account alongside everything else – especially your own opinions.

Do they use subcontractors?

This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it’s good to be clear up front how the work will be done. Is it all carried out by an in-house team or are parts subcontracted? And if so, to who? Understanding the process at the beginning can help avoid any nasty surprises down the line.

Do they have an online presence?

Can you find them on Facebook, Google or Instagram? Do they have a website? Not all will, many ‘one-man bands’ may not even advertise at all so it’s more relevant for bigger companies. But you do want to check that they are legitimate. It’s reassuring if they have an engaged online community, or just plenty of real time photos of projects being worked on, as it’s hard to fake that.

Finally, once you have settled on your chosen contractor, there are a few more steps you might want to take…

Check them out at Companies House

This might seem like pretty in-depth stalker levels here (!) but if they are a limited company you can see if they have had other companies, declared bankruptcy etc. Of course, there can always be legitimate reasons for this, so no judgement here, but it can help you to see if there is a pattern of anything dodgy occurring.

A quick check on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company is an easy way to double check that the person you’re talking with seems to be legitimate.

We have heard stories of people who have fallen victim to “disappearing” contractors.