Choosing a tradesman when quotes are the same

It is a common dilemma for homeowners: you have received two or more quotes for a job, and the prices are almost identical. In this situation, many people turn to online reviews to make their final decision. While customer reviews can offer some insight into a previous customer's experience, they are not a reliable indicator of a business's current professional standing. Reviews describe a moment in the past, can sometimes be bought or faked, and they certainly cannot tell you if the tradesman's public liability insurance is valid today. To make a truly informed choice, you need to look beyond past praise and examine the present-day facts about the business.

What should you check beyond the price?

When the price is no longer a deciding factor, the focus must shift to risk and professionalism. An independent check of a business provides a snapshot of its current operational status. This is about confirming the essential paperwork that protects you as a customer. Our verification standard is built around four key questions that help you distinguish between two otherwise similar businesses.

• Is the business who it claims to be? We complete identity and company registration checks to confirm that the business is a legitimate entity, whether a sole trader or a limited company. This establishes accountability and confirms you are dealing with a real, traceable business.
• Is there adequate insurance in place right now? A tradesman must have current public liability insurance. We check the policy paperwork to confirm it is active and meets the required level of cover. This is crucial protection for you and your property should an accident occur during the job.
• Do they hold the qualifications required for the work? For certain trades, specific qualifications or trade body registrations are mandatory (such as Gas Safe for boiler work). We check that these professional qualifications are current, ensuring the person is legally permitted to carry out the work.
• When was this information last checked by a third party? A check is only as good as its date. Our system shows you the exact date each check was completed. This is the core of our ongoing monitoring, ensuring the information remains as current as possible, unlike a static certificate printed months or years ago.

How do you read a tradesman's approval record?

An Approved Tradesman record is designed for clarity. Each check we perform is listed with a corresponding date of completion. A green tick signifies that the check was completed and the paperwork was current on that date. It is important to understand what a missing item means. If a check is not ticked, it simply means it has not yet been part of our process for that business; it does not indicate a failure. For instance, a painter may not have gas qualifications listed. A short record is not a warning sign, but an out-of-date record is. Always check the dates to ensure they are recent. You can learn more about the difference between a basic listing and an Approved Tradesman on our listing vs Approved page.

Why should you scan the code on a van or certificate?

A sticker on a van or a printed certificate in a folder can look reassuring, but on its own, it proves very little. These items can be faked, or more commonly, they are simply out of date. A business's circumstances can change quickly; insurance can lapse, or a director might change. That is why every Approved Tradesman has a unique QR code. Scanning this code with your phone or using the search function on our website takes you directly to their live profile page. This page is the single source of truth, reflecting the most recent information we have. If a membership is no longer active or paperwork has expired since our last check, the profile will state it plainly.

What if a record seems incorrect?

We are committed to maintaining accurate and trustworthy records. Our process is based on the paperwork we receive and check. However, if you see something on a business's record that you believe is incorrect or outdated, we encourage you to let us know. There is a function for reporting concerns on every profile. When a concern is raised, we do not take anyone's word for it; our process is to re-check the original paperwork and update the profile accordingly. This community feedback helps ensure the integrity of the information we provide. For more details on our processes, please visit our FAQs page.