Hiring tradespersons can be quite a challenge, whether you are new to it or an experienced veteran. It can be daunting to know where to start, especially if you are in a big city with a ton of options to decide between. In this post, I hope to help you build a framework for decision making that will help you choose a reliable tradesperson in your local area, that will not only get the job done right the first time, but will also give you a positive experience.

5 tips on how to choose a reliable tradesperson

  1. Referrals from family and friends 

The best and most reliable way to find a good tradesperson is to ask family and friends for recommendations. This is because your loved ones will only pass on information that they genuinely found helpful. They won’t pass on contact information of someone that left a negative impression on them.

2. Do a little research yourself 

This may seem obvious, but it pays to have even a slight idea of what businesses are out there, advertising. Having an idea of how the trade goes in your local area, for example if you are looking to find a plasterer in Townsville , spend some time looking at what businesses are advertising online and also even in the local paper and community notice boards. Understanding the plastering process means that when you speak to a plasterer for a quote, you’ll have a rough idea of the questions to ask and the things to confirm such as licensing and insurance, especially applicable to larger jobs like ceiling repairs. Your research will also give you an idea of how much is a fair price to be charged for the job that you are looking to get done. This way you are less likely to get ripped off.

3. Check Qualifications

Licensing and qualifications are especially important if you are hiring a tradesperson to do electrical and plumbing work. This is to protect yourself and the contractor from any adverse outcomes. It is within your rights to ask for licensing numbers and qualifications that you can double check are adequate and up to date.

4. Get a few trades people to give you quotes

The best type of quote is an onsite quote. This means that the plasterer will come to your house and inspect the work that needs to be done to give you an accurate quote for the work that needs to be completed. This quote will be more accurate than an estimate over the phone. If you are able and if time permits to get a few plasterers to give you a quote, you will not only get a better idea of pricing, you will also get to meet these tradespeople, and get a sense of their work ethic, communication and scope of works.

5. Reviews!!

A very important step in choosing a good tradesperson is to look at their reviews. Investigate what previous clients of theirs have to say about the work and their experience with the tradesperson you are looking to hire. Google reviews, facebook reviews, yelp, they are all good places to do some digging and verifying.

Wherever possible, avoid paying for the job upfront. This will protect you from being left high and dry with an unfinished project. Most tradespeople will not take advantage of clients, but you may find the odd one that does. By paying a deposit in the beginning followed by completed payment upon completion of the job, you will protect yourself and ensure that the work gets completed to a standard that you are happy with.