Finding Good Trades People Online

If you're looking to find a good tradesman, you can do a lot worse than harnessing the collective people power of the internet. Many people realise the struggles involved in securing a reliable and skilled tradesman, so often they will recommend one they have personal experience with online. Not only that, but there are now a variety of websites online dedicated solely to providing information on good tradesmen. The trick is to know where to look and what to look for.

Using Word of Mouth Online

Some of the most helpful areas of the internet are forums - message boards where individuals can share ideas and thoughts on a variety of things. When it comes to finding a good tradesman, many people will pass on numbers, addresses and recommendations of people whom they've previously dealt with and found to be reliable as a tradesman. In order to find some of the best forums that discuss 'getting someone in' to do a job, simply type into a search engine such as Google, any variation on the following keywords - finding a good tradesman, where can I get a good tradesman, finding a good 'tradie', help me find a good tradesman. All of these will lead you to forums with plenty of advice and help to ensure you find the right person for the job.

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Using Official Tradesman Sites

Many companies have recognised that there are a variety of rogue traders out there and have set up websites to help people find the most reliable 'tradie' for their own personal circumstances. Some of the sites below are the best place to start when you're trying to locate someone to carry out a job for you.

• Recommended Tradesman
• Rated People
• The Good Tradesman
• Quotatis
• Trust a Trader
• Tradestamp
• UK Trade Street

By using any of the sites mentioned above, you'll have the security of knowing that you're choosing a tradesman who has already been recommended by a few other people and who also has the backing of the website. This should give you peace of mind, but you should still stick to asking as many questions as you can before agreeing to a contract. Most of these sites will let you search by location as well as the type of work you need, so are invaluable sources of information of who is considered a reputable tradesman in your local area.

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Official Governing Bodies Online

If you're still feeling concerned at employing a tradesman, you could visit one of the many online official sites for the governing bodies of trades people. They will be able to provide you with information on local tradesmen that they consider reputable and will be happy to give you contact numbers for a variety of different trades people to contact in your area. Also, you can then use them further when you have decided on a few different contractors and ask for their advice and information on those you're considering. Below are some of the main governing body websites that you can use to help find a good contractor online.

• TrustMark
• SNIPEF
• IPHE
• FMB
• NHBC

Always search around online whenever you're looking to hire someone. You will find it to be an extremely resourceful place and you can almost guarantee that you'll find out more there than you will by relying on local adverts or listening to what the tradesman himself tells you.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Spot a Scammer lets you describe what a trader has said or done and find out whether it sounds like a scam. Try it now →