How to Check a Contractor's References and Track Record

Every contractor seeking work will provide a list of references — previous clients who are willing to speak in their favour. This is the starting point, not the endpoint, of reference checking.

• **How to use a supplied reference**:
• •Phone rather than email: a phone call allows you to ask follow-up questions and to judge the nature of the response (hesitation, qualification, genuine enthusiasm)
• •Prepare your questions in advance:
• 1. What was the project (type, size, scope)?
• 2. Was the project completed on time? If not, why not and by how much?
• 3. Was the project completed within budget? If there were variations, were they fair and well-communicated?
• 4. How was the site kept during the works?
• 5. How well did the contractor communicate — regular updates, prompt responses to queries?
• 6. Were there snagging issues after completion? How were they handled?
• 7. Would you use this contractor again?
• 8. Is there anything you wish you had known before appointing them?

**The limitation of supplied references**: A contractor will only supply the references of clients who were happy. Unhappy clients are not on the list. Supplied references tell you that the contractor is capable of doing a good job — not that they consistently do. The independent checks below provide the balance.

• **Site visits to completed work**:
• The most valuable check is a visit to a completed project — a physical inspection of work the contractor has done. Ask to visit a completed project of similar type and scale to yours. Check:
• •Quality of finish (plastering, joinery, tiling, pointing)
• •Accuracy of geometry (are walls plumb, tiles square, doors hanging correctly)
• •Evidence of quality materials
• •Whether the client seems genuinely satisfied or is presenting the project charitably

A contractor who will not allow site visits to completed work is not a contractor you should appoint.

**Companies House check**: Every limited company registered in the UK is required to file accounts and confirmation statements with Companies House. Checking a contractor's Companies House record is free and takes 5 minutes: search at beta.companieshouse.gov.uk.

• What to check:
• •Registration status: is the company still active? A company dissolved (Companies House status 'Dissolved') means the company has been wound up — it cannot legally trade
• •Date of incorporation: a company incorporated 3 months ago with no accounts filed is a new entity. The principal may be an experienced contractor trading under a new name — or may not be. Ask why the company is new if the principal claims 20 years' experience
• •Filed accounts: the most recent micro-entity accounts or full accounts show the financial health of the business. Key indicators: Are retained earnings positive? Is the equity positive? Has the company had a large loss in recent years? A company with net liabilities (liabilities exceeding assets) is potentially insolvent — which is a significant risk to your deposit and to the project
• •Directors and their history: click on each director's name to see other companies they are (or were) directors of. If a director has been involved in multiple previous dissolved or struck-off companies, this is a red flag — it may indicate a history of trading under a company, accumulating debts, and dissolving before paying them

• **Review platforms**:
• •Checkatrade: ratings from verified customers — a Checkatrade score below 9.0/10 on more than 20 reviews is below the platform average and worth noting. Read the 1–3 star reviews specifically — they reveal how the contractor handles disputes, snagging, and communication failures, not just their best work
• •Google Reviews: unverified but harder to game than platform-specific reviews; negative reviews often contain more detail about specific issues
• •Trustpilot, Bark, Houzz: useful secondary sources
• •Read negative reviews carefully: a single negative review in 50 may simply be an outlier; multiple negative reviews citing the same issue (poor communication, uncompleted snagging, overcharging for variations) are a pattern

• **FMB and trade body membership**:
• •Federation of Master Builders (FMB): members must pass a vetting assessment, adhere to a code of conduct, and carry adequate insurance. FMB membership is not a guarantee of quality but it does indicate a minimum standard of professionalism
• •TrustMark: government-endorsed quality scheme; similar vetting process
• •Checkatrade approved contractor status: requires background checks and insurance verification — but does not assess workmanship quality directly
• •NICEIC (electricians) and Gas Safe (gas engineers): these are mandatory safety certifications, not quality endorsements. Verify that the contractor's electricians and gas engineers hold the appropriate certifications for the work they will be doing

• **Verify at source**:
• A critical and often skipped step: the contractor may show you a Checkatrade badge, an FMB logo, or a Gas Safe card — but verify the actual registration directly on the relevant body's website:
• •NICEIC: electrician check at niceic.com/find-a-contractor
• •Gas Safe Register: gassaferegister.co.uk/check-a-register
• •FMB: findamember.fmb.org.uk
• •TrustMark: tmregister.trustmark.org.uk

Do not rely on the contractor's own marketing materials — logos can be copied. The official register is the authoritative source.

Beyond the reference and credential checks, certain behaviours during the quotation and pre-appointment stage should raise concern:

**1. No written quotation**: Any contractor who will not provide a written quotation (even a brief scope and price breakdown) and insists on a verbal agreement only is not a contractor you should appoint. A written quotation protects both parties. Its absence creates the conditions for scope disputes and overcharging.

**2. Requires a very large upfront deposit**: A request for more than 20–25% of the contract value as an upfront deposit is a red flag. The industry standard is: a small mobilisation deposit (5–15%) with progress payments tied to completion milestones. A contractor who needs a large deposit before starting work may be using your deposit to fund another project — or worse, to repay debts. If a deposit is required, pay by credit card (which provides Section 75 consumer credit protection for amounts over £100 up to £30,000) or by bank transfer only to the company account listed on Companies House, not to a personal account.

**3. Extreme underpricing**: A quotation that is 40–60% below the others you have received for the same scope is a signal that: the contractor has not understood or priced the scope correctly; they will recover the margin through variations during the works; or they plan to use substandard materials or undertake the work at a pace and quality below what you expect. A very low price is not a bargain — it is almost always a problem in a different form.

**4. Pressure to start immediately**: A reputable contractor with a full orderbook does not need to pressure a client to sign immediately. Pressure to commit 'today' or risk losing the price or the slot is a sales tactic that is inconsistent with the operating style of a well-run business.

**5. No contract**: All residential construction work should be done under a written contract. For works over approximately £5,000, a formal contract (JCT Minor Works, RIBA domestic contract, or equivalent) is appropriate. A contractor who refuses to sign a contract or who dismisses your request as unnecessary formality is not operating to a professional standard.

**6. Cannot provide insurance certificates**: Public liability insurance (minimum £2m, preferably £5m) is the minimum. Employers' liability insurance (£5m minimum) is legally required if the contractor has employees. Request the actual insurance certificate (not just a claim that insurance is held) and check the expiry date and the scope of cover.