Question 1

Why is my business listed on Approved Tradesman?

Accepted Answer

Approved Tradesman is a directory designed to help people find trade businesses and make more informed choices. Some business listings are created using publicly available business information and other reliable sources. A listing does not mean that a business has applied, joined, paid us, or been verified. It also does not mean that we recommend the business. If you own or represent the business, you can claim the listing and update its details, ask us to correct inaccurate information, or contact us to ask us to review a listing or personal information you believe should not appear. Only businesses that have completed our verification process are shown as verified.

Question 2

What is the difference between being listed and being verified?

Accepted Answer

Being listed means your business appears in the directory with its basic details. It is free, needs no paperwork and is never hidden behind a fee. Being verified is separate and optional: an independent team checks your paperwork, publishes a Verification Record and keeps monitoring it. That part needs a membership.

Question 3

Do I need any paperwork to be listed?

Accepted Answer

None at all. A listing shows your name, trade, area and contact details. Nothing is checked and nothing is claimed on your behalf — the record simply says what has and has not been verified so far.

Question 4

My business is already on the site. How do I take control of it?

Accepted Answer

Search for it, open the record and confirm you own the business. We check what we can automatically — the official register and your email domain — and ask for one simple confirmation only if we have to. Once ownership is confirmed the listing is yours to edit.

Question 5

My business is not on the site. How do I add it?

Accepted Answer

Add it yourself in a few minutes. You enter your business name and address, tell us what you do, and the listing goes live. There is no cost and no paperwork at that stage.

Question 6

Do I need a password to sign in?

Accepted Answer

No. Approved Tradesman is passwordless. Enter your email address and we send you a one-time sign-in code — nothing to remember, nothing to reset, and no password that can be stolen or reused.

Question 7

What happens after I confirm I own the business?

Accepted Answer

Your Business Hub opens. You can edit your details, choose your trades and download free artwork carrying your profile link. Getting verified is the next step whenever you are ready — it is never forced on you.

Question 8

Can someone do the set-up for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our team can build your profile and take you through verification for a one-off set-up fee. You still confirm you own the business, and the checks are carried out exactly as they would be otherwise.

Question 9

Do I need every check completed before my Verification Record can be published?

Accepted Answer

No. Start with the paperwork you already have. Your record is published showing what has been verified so far, and it grows stronger each time something new is checked. There is no pass mark and nothing to fail.

Question 10

What should I send first?

Accepted Answer

Most businesses begin with identity and business registration, because those are quick. Insurance, qualifications and trade registrations can follow whenever you are ready.

Question 11

Does a short record look bad to customers?

Accepted Answer

A record shows what has and has not been checked. Customers see the facts and decide what is enough for their job — nothing is spun either way. A short record is not a warning; an out-of-date one is.

Question 12

How current is a record?

Accepted Answer

Every record shows when each check was last confirmed, and the requirements behind it are monitored over time rather than checked once.

Question 13

What does each status mean?

Accepted Answer

Verified means the checks in your plan are currently satisfied. In review means paperwork is with our team. Action needed means something has lapsed or is missing.

Question 14

Can I lose my verified status?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if something lapses. If insurance expires or a registration is withdrawn, that check stops being shown as current until fresh paperwork is verified. The record stays live throughout, so customers always see the true position.

Question 15

What happens if I never finish my checks?

Accepted Answer

Nothing is lost. Your free listing stays exactly as it is, your Business Hub stays open, and you can pick the checks back up whenever you like.

Question 16

How is my business monitored?

Accepted Answer

We track the expiry dates of everything we have checked and re-check the sources behind them. You get a reminder before anything runs out, and your record updates as soon as the position changes.

Question 17

Does Approved Tradesman credit-check tradespeople?

Accepted Answer

No. We don't routinely assess a tradesperson's personal creditworthiness as part of Approved status. Our verification focuses on identity, business legitimacy, relevant insurance, qualifications, registrations, experience and other information relevant to the service being offered.

Question 18

Does that mean you ignore financial problems with a business?

Accepted Answer

No. Personal creditworthiness and the legal status of a business are different things. Where appropriate, official business information can be checked to confirm that a business exists and its recorded status.

Question 19

Could somebody with a CCJ become Approved?

Accepted Answer

Potentially, yes. A CCJ does not automatically determine whether someone is competent, appropriately qualified or capable of providing a good service. Approved Tradesman focuses on the paperwork and checks relevant to the business and the work being offered.

Question 20

Do you carry out DBS checks?

Accepted Answer

Not as a blanket requirement. A DBS check relates to criminal-record information and is appropriate for certain roles and circumstances; it isn't a universal measure of trade competence.

Question 21

So what does “Approved” actually mean?

Accepted Answer

It means the business has completed the Approved Tradesman verification requirements applicable to its profile. Customers can view the Live Verification Record to see what has actually been checked.

Question 22

Are all Approved Tradesmen checked in exactly the same way?

Accepted Answer

No — because not all trades require the same qualifications, registrations or documentation. A gas engineer, electrician, roofer and landscape gardener shouldn't necessarily be assessed against an identical checklist.

Question 23

What do you check on a policy?

Accepted Answer

That the policy exists, who and what it covers, the level of cover and the expiry date.

Question 24

What happens when insurance expires?

Accepted Answer

That check is shown as lapsed until renewed paperwork is supplied and checked. The record stays live so nothing is hidden from customers.

Question 25

Do I have to have insurance to be listed?

Accepted Answer

No. A listing needs no paperwork at all. Insurance is one of the checks that can be completed as part of verification, and it is one of the first things customers look for.

Question 26

What does the QR code show?

Accepted Answer

It opens the live Verification Record, so a customer always sees today's position rather than a printed snapshot.

Question 27

Can a certificate be faked?

Accepted Answer

A printed certificate proves nothing on its own. Scan the code or search the business name here to confirm the record.

Question 28

What if I scan a code and the record says it is not active?

Accepted Answer

It means the membership behind that record has not been renewed, so the checks are no longer being kept up to date. The page says so plainly. Printed artwork can outlive a membership — the record is always the truth.

Question 29

Do I get artwork for my van, website and quotes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Free artwork carrying your profile link is available as soon as you confirm you own the business. Artwork carrying your own QR code — the certificate, van decals, stickers and wall displays — comes once you are verified and a member.

Question 30

Why is my listing free?

Accepted Answer

Because customers should be able to find every genuine trade business, not only the ones paying us. A free listing shows your basic details and is never hidden behind a fee.

Question 31

What does membership pay for?

Accepted Answer

Independent checking of the paperwork you send us, publication of your Verification Record, your certificate and QR code, and ongoing monitoring so the record stays current.

Question 32

Why can't I just pay to become approved?

Accepted Answer

Approval is earned, never bought. Membership pays for the checking; the outcome depends entirely on what your paperwork shows. Paying more, or paying sooner, changes nothing.

Question 33

Does adding more checks later cost extra?

Accepted Answer

No. Membership covers the checks you send us, however long you take to build your record.

Question 34

What happens when my membership ends?

Accepted Answer

Checking and monitoring stop, so your record is no longer shown as current and it says so on the page. Your free listing stays exactly as it is, your Business Hub stays open, and you can restart at any time.

Question 35

Can customers still find my business without membership?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your free listing remains searchable. What membership adds is the verified detail customers can check for themselves.

Question 36

Do paying businesses rank higher?

Accepted Answer

No. Results are ordered by objective factors such as what has been checked and where the business trades.

Question 37

Why can't I add photographs, logos, or a link to my reviews?

Accepted Answer

Approved Tradesman only publishes facts that paperwork or an official source can confirm. Photographs, logos, testimonials and review links are subjective — they can make a business look more trustworthy without proving its insurance, qualifications or business standing. Your own website and social profiles are the right place for that. Our record shows what has been independently checked, so anyone reading it can see the facts and decide for themselves.

Question 38

Something on a record looks wrong. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

Report it and we re-check the paperwork behind it. Reports are assessed against what can be shown, not opinion.

Question 39

Someone has claimed my business. What now?

Accepted Answer

Tell us straight away. We suspend the claim while we check who genuinely controls the business, using the official register and other independent sources.

Frequently asked questions

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Frequently asked questions

Building your recordStart with the paperwork you already have. Every item you add later strengthens your public record. · 8 questions

Verification statusA status reflects what is verified today, including anything that has lapsed. · 14 questions

InsuranceWe check the policy exists, who it covers and when it expires — then track that expiry. · 3 questions

Using verification recordsRecords and QR codes always resolve to the live status, not a printed snapshot. · 4 questions

MembershipMembership funds verification and monitoring. It never influences a decision or ranking. · 7 questions

ObjectivityWe only publish facts that can be checked. Marketing content, photographs and review links are kept off the record. · 1 questions

Reporting an issueTell us if something looks wrong. Reports are checked against paperwork, not opinion. · 2 questions

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