Our Contractor Network
Every contractor is checked before we introduce them to anyone. Here is exactly what that means, and how standards are kept up afterwards.
The short version
Every contractor in our network applied to join it, and was checked before they got in. That's the whole point.
If a network let anyone in, it would be a directory, and a directory is precisely what a homeowner can already use for free.
What you are paying nothing extra for is that somebody has already done the checking you would otherwise have to do yourself, on a business you have never heard of, using information they chose to show you.
Below is exactly what we verify. It is a specific list rather than a reassuring adjective, and there are things on it we deliberately don't claim.
What we check
Verified before any contractor reaches you
Public liability insurance
Appropriate cover, evidenced to us. If a contractor cannot produce it, they are not introduced to a customer.
Reviews and references
Sufficient in volume and quality: not a single testimonial and a smart website. We want a trading history somebody else has commented on.
Trade experience
Relevant, demonstrable experience in the type of work being quoted. A capable roofer is not automatically the right appointment for a structural job.
Prior work history
A track record of completed work, looked at before anyone is introduced to you, so the contractor at your door has a history somebody else can speak to.
Workmanship warranty
Every contractor agrees to a minimum twelve months. Larger works such as full replacements typically carry considerably longer. Terms are set by the contractor and confirmed in your quotation.
Ability to meet our standards
Response times, attendance and professional conduct. These are ongoing, not a one-off hurdle at sign-up.
Being straight with you
Where our checks stop
Our checks concentrate on what tells you most about how a contractor works: their insurance, their reviews and references, the warranties they give, their trade experience and whether they meet our standards. They are not a financial or background check, and we don't describe our contractors as 'fully accredited', because that phrase means very little unless somebody names the scheme.
Vetting reduces risk. It does not eliminate it. Any company telling you their checks make a bad outcome impossible is overselling, and you should treat that as information about them.
What checking does is remove the obviously unsuitable and raise the average considerably above what you would reach cold-calling three numbers from a search result.
Ongoing
Standards carry on after a contractor joins
Getting into the network is the easy part. Staying in it depends on how a contractor actually behaves once real customers and real deadlines are involved.
We expect a response the same day on a new opportunity, a quotation back within about forty-eight hours on smaller works, and attendance at every site visit that has been accepted. A contractor who misses their first booked appointment without good reason is removed.
Contractors who fail to put defective work right do not stay in the network. That has happened. It is the sanction we have, and we use it.
Straight answers
Questions about the network
Do you employ these contractors?
No. Every contractor is an independent company. They carry out the work, hold their own insurance and provide the workmanship warranty. Your construction contract is with them, not with us.
Will I know who is coming?
Yes. Your appointed main contractor is named in your quotation, before you commit to anything. Most services never tell you who is coming until money has changed hands.
Can I choose the contractor?
We appoint based on the type of work, the area and the contractor's track record with us. If you have a concern about the appointment, tell us and we will talk it through.
What if I'm not happy with the contractor?
Tell us. We escalate on your behalf and push for attendance and resolution. The contractual remedy for defective work sits with the contractor, but chasing it is our job, not yours.
How many contractors are in the network?
We don't publish a number. Contractors join and leave, and availability varies by area and job type. What matters to you is whether we can put a suitable, checked contractor in front of you, so tell us your postcode and we will confirm.
Start here
Tell us about the work you have in mind
We will confirm we cover your postcode, arrange a site visit with a contractor from our network and send you a written quotation. No charge, no obligation.