How to Find a Good Tradesperson in Sunderland

Most people only hire a plumber, electrician or builder a handful of times, and usually when something has gone wrong or a big project is finally happening. That makes it easy to rush. A few checks before anyone starts work can save a great deal of money and stress, whether you live in a Victorian terrace in Ashbrooke, a new-build in Doxford Park or a semi in Washington. This guide sets out what to check, what to ask for in writing and where to turn if things go wrong. It does not recommend any particular firm; for that, see our guides to plumbers, electricians and builders, or browse the trades hub.

Check the right register

Different trades have different registers, and some are a legal requirement rather than a nice extra.

Gas Safe Register

Anyone working on gas appliances, including boilers, gas fires, cookers and hobs, must by law be on the Gas Safe Register. You can search the register online by business name, postcode or registration number. On the day, ask to see the engineer's ID card and check the back, which lists the kinds of gas work they are qualified to do.

Best for: Never let anyone work on a gas appliance unless they are Gas Safe registered for that type of work.

NICEIC and NAPIT

Most electrical work in homes, such as new circuits, consumer unit changes and work in bathrooms, must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. The simplest route is an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, who can self-certify the work and notify the council's building control for you. Both schemes have online searches, and the Electrical Competent Person register covers all approved schemes.

Best for: After notifiable electrical work you should receive a certificate from the electrician and a compliance certificate from their scheme.

FMB, TrustMark and Checkatrade

For builders there is no single legal register. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) vets members before they join and has a find-a-builder search. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme for trades working in and around the home, and its registered businesses agree to its code of practice and complaints process. Review sites such as Checkatrade check some details and collect customer reviews; read the reviews carefully, look at dates and project types, and treat any site as one source among several.

Best for: A logo on a van or website is a claim. Check it on the scheme's own website.

Buy With Confidence

Buy With Confidence is an approved-trader scheme run by local authority Trading Standards services, which vet businesses before listing them. Not every area takes part, so search the scheme's website for traders who cover Sunderland and the surrounding area, and use it alongside the trade registers above.

Get three written quotes

For anything beyond a small repair, ask at least three businesses to visit and give a written, itemised quote (a fixed price), rather than an estimate, which can change. Use the visit to ask:

• Do you have public liability insurance, and can I see the certificate?
• Can I speak to, or see work for, two or three recent customers?
• What guarantee do you give, and is it insurance-backed if the business stops trading?
• What is the payment schedule, and what is included: materials, waste removal, making good and certificates?
• Who will actually do the work, and will any of it be subcontracted?

Be wary of anyone who knocks on the door offering to fix something they have "noticed", insists on cash, or pressures you to decide on the spot.

Deposits and payment

A reasonable deposit to cover materials ordered specially is normal on larger jobs. Paying the whole cost up front is not. Agree stage payments linked to completed pieces of work, and hold back a final payment until snagging is finished and any certificates are in your hands. Paying part of the cost by credit card can help: for items or services costing between £100 and £30,000, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make the card provider jointly responsible if something goes wrong.

Put it in writing

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time if no deadline was agreed, and for a reasonable price if none was fixed. Anything the trader said about the work that you relied on can also become part of the contract. A short written contract setting out the work, price, start and finish dates and payment stages makes those rights much easier to enforce.

If you sign a contract in your own home, or away from the trader's business premises, you normally have a 14-day cooling-off period during which you can cancel. The trader should give you written information about this. If you want work to start within the 14 days, you can ask for that in writing, but you may have to pay for any work already done if you then cancel.

Planning, building control and neighbours

Extensions, loft conversions and structural changes usually need Building Regulations approval, and some need planning permission, particularly in conservation areas or on listed buildings. Work on or near a shared wall may need notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Skips and scaffolding on the road or pavement need a licence from the council. Ask your tradesperson who is arranging each of these before work starts.

If something goes wrong

Raise the problem with the trader in writing first, describe what is wrong and give a reasonable deadline to put it right. If that does not work, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, which can advise on your rights and passes reports to Trading Standards. Citizens Advice Sunderland can also help in person. If the trader belongs to a scheme such as TrustMark or the FMB, use that scheme's complaints process, and if you paid by credit card, ask your card provider about a Section 75 claim.

Have a tip for hiring tradespeople in Sunderland? Get in touch.