Finding tradespeople online
Finding a new tradesmen can be a time-consuming process. Perhaps you need a builder for a loft conversion, or you want an electrician to carry out rewiring. Whatever the magnitude of the project, it’s important to find a tradesperson that’s reliable, who can get the job done on time and in budget.
Thankfully, the internet is teeming with great sites that can help you locate a tradesperson for your job, in your local area. Here are some of our favourite websites for finding a builder, electrician, plumber and more.
Websites for finding a tradesman
Looking for a tradesman online might sound daunting but RatedPeople.com makes it simple. This fantastic site has 1000s of registered tradespeople across the UK. It’s the country’s largest online trade recommendation service and its ambassadors include Location, Location, Location’s Phil Spencer and Toby Buckland from Gardener’s World – so you can be sure it has the professionals’ seal of approval. The process is simple too: you can post an advert for free, detailing your job requirements, and up to three registered tradespeople will contact you with a quote.
Another great website is MyBuilder.com. Thousands of tradespeople are registered on this site, and each of them is vetted and approved by its staff. Like RatedPeople.com, you can post a free ad and interested members will contact you with a quote. All tradesmen are reviewed by past employers who found them through the website, so ratings are likely to be accurate.
Find-a-Builder.com is an excellent website too. Here, you can also choose to post a job advert; registered tradespeople will then contact the website if they’re interested and you’ll be sent a list to choose from. But there’s a different route too: instead of detailing your project in an ad, you can simply pick your required job from a menu and you’ll then be presented with a list of relevant tradespeople in your area. This option might be more useful for people with a busy schedule, who want to find a builder for a simple job quickly.
If you’re looking for a general builder rather than a specialist, your local Gumtree site could be very useful. However, it’s important to remember that anyone can post an ad on Gumtree and you should check a tradesperson’s credentials before letting them start work in your home. Asking to speak to a few former clients for feedback may also be a good idea. Alternatively, to eliminate the risk entirely, you can search for builders via trade organisations, like the National Federation of Builders and the Federation of Master Builders.
Online advice for employing tradespeople
If you don’t have much experience employing a tradesperson, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into before you begin. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau, for instance, has some great tips for employing a builder: their recommendations include being clear about what you want, getting references and checking qualifications. Remember to turn on your location filter though, as the advice may be different depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. For more advice, HonestBuilder.com may also be helpful.
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