Are you planning a home improvement project, such as a renovation, extension or modification of your house? Or maybe you’re having a pool installed, or a pergola, or some decking. Or perhaps you’re looking to hire a tradie for something more mundane, like a plumbing issue.
Regardless of the reason, embarking on a Google search for “plumbers near me” or flipping through the Yellow Pages in search of a sparky to fix faulty wiring or circuitry is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding a suitable tradie to take on your next home improvement project. Thankfully, there are a few key additional steps you can take to make sure you hire the right tradesperson for the job. And we’ll be sharing some of them with you today.
Read on to unearth all the key steps you should take whenever you’re looking to hire a tradie for a home improvement project.
Are They Fully Qualified and Licensed?
You should always try to find out if your shortlisted tradies are fully qualified and licensed. This means they have the correct qualifications, tickets, and licensing to undertake work at your property.
Different trades will have various qualification requirements they need to undergo before they can work. For instance, an electrician or a plumber must obtain specific certificates and tickets for different types of work. When you’re calling around, be sure to ask about the tradie’s qualifications, which they should have no issue disclosing to you.
Each state or territory in Australia also has different authorities that license different trades, so be sure to learn about your area’s licensing requirements and regulations before hiring any tradies. And remember – licenses exist to protect customers from dodgy tradies or scammers. Any legitimate tradesperson should be able to provide their licensing credentials upon request for your peace of mind. You might be a bit anxious about asking, but it’s worth finding out before you spend thousands on a home improvement job. It’s simply not worth the risk.
Look at Their Google Reviews
Never underestimate the power of client testimonials. You can learn a lot about what kind of service you should expect by simply reading over past experiences as outlined by customers or clients those tradespeople have worked with over the course of their career.
So when shortlisting companies or sole traders to perform the works at your property, you should always be sure to look at the Google reviews on their company’s Google Maps listing. A company without a Google Maps listing is a major red flag, as this is not onerous to set up for a legitimate business.
Ideally, you’ll want to choose a company or tradesperson with a four or five-star review average. Anything less than this means many customers have had issues with the company. Scan the reviews, too – you want to look for glowing reviews and recommendations. Once again, other people’s experience is an excellent yardstick for picking the best tradies for the job.
Do They Require a Deposit?
Although your first instinct may be to go with the cheapest option (especially if you’re budgeting for a growing family), there could actually be concerns that a tradie who charges too little actually isn’t experienced enough to recognise the value of their services. Contrastingly, a tradesperson who knows how to navigate conversations about payment and is confident in the quality of their services, will be more likely to ask for what they’re rightfully owed and will also be sure to ask for it in the right way. What is the right way? With a written contract and an upfront deposit of no more than 10%.
Depending on the work required, a tradie might request a deposit paid upfront for some more extensive jobs, such as major plumbing works, including trenches and drainage, or carpenter jobs, such as decking, pergolas or framing. Major electrical works such as re-wiring or switchboard installation will sometimes require a down payment.
And under NSW law, the deposit may be between 5-10% of the total job cost – usually to cover material purchases and other overheads that your tradie may need to prepare for your work. Simply put, a clear-cut contract that outlines a deposit is a business practice that you should expect from all your tradespeople.
Excellent Customer Service
Another thing to look for is excellent customer service, which you can begin to gauge when you begin calling up tradies. If you leave a voicemail, do they respond in a reasonable timeframe? If you request them to come out for a quote, can they attend promptly, and do they arrive on time? Are their phone manners polite? If they have reception or administration staff, are they friendly and efficient? Is the process of booking a job easy and seamless?
You need to ask yourself all of these questions when dealing with trades, and if they don’t tick these boxes, then you should take your business elsewhere. Poor customer service is a significant warning sign of a loose operation, and you don’t want to risk your hard-earned cash on a dodgy outfit.
Will They Issue Safety and Compliance Certificates?
If you’re getting major electrical or plumbing work completed at your home, this question is worth asking. These certificates are legal documents that state that the job complies with relevant state or territory building codes, industry legislation, and Australian government-approved safety requirements.
Any legitimate tradie should be able to issue these certificates once they’ve finished the job, so as part of your research, you should enquire if they can do this. And if not, pick a company that can.
In Summary
This helpful article has shared what to look for when hiring a tradie. You must make an informed decision and pick a company or sole trader that is licensed, qualified, has excellent customer service and can issue the relevant compliance or safety certificates for works undertaken. Don’t rush into a decision, as it’s not worth rushing significant home improvement work.