Need to find a tradesman - what can you trust?!

[HouseIsOnFire]

Just as it says in the title really, urgently need a roofer and have asked everyone I know, all they can tell me are roofers to avoid!

I've been burnt by several of the recommendation sites and the local council doesn't have the trading standards/approved traders.

Would you trust which? approved traders? City and guilds?

Are any of the review sites on the side of the consumer???

If you are in Sussex I recommend Clarke Roofing they are excellent. I run a community of construction professionals and can tell you waiting lists are very long, even more so if you need scaffolding as they are booked up months in advance.

Good luck I would def recommend looking on the websites listed.

Yes this is what happened in the last house, but then upped sticks and moved 300 miles away. They all liked me but not enough for that sort of commute 🤣🤣

Feel pretty cursed so far in this house, Ive had:

• Complete cowboys from long established "award winning" window company that took 7 months and 13 visits to replace 7 windows
• Highly recommended on neighbourhood app local bathroom firm left me with a loo that flushed and caused water to come out of the shower
• Pointer who repointed not with mortar and now the wall leaks - recommended as a close friend of cousin
• Roofer recommended by neighbour - now neighbour has issues with their new roof and the fix on mine was temporary at best
• New boiler fitted going via gas safe and checkatrade - 3 of the radiators now don't work (but because I can't prove they worked before apparantly it's my problem)
• Painter decorator recommended by friends, who's done their house immaculately- didn't use bathroom paint so now it's peeling then tried to quote me a further £500 to add sealant to top of one 1.6m wall and paint a door) and now trying to rip off friends too, so feels slightly less personal)
• Local facebook recommended someone to fit firedoor, he's fitted the frame but was meant to hang the door when it was in stock in a couple of weeks after bathroom fitted... now have had no door on bathroom since November
• Agreed to v expensive quote to redecorate one room (plastering electrics plumbing etc) from recommended business by several friends - he just didn't turn up the day it was meant to start, said he'd book me in and never replied again!

So I do appreciate suggestions about asking local groups/neighbours/friends but I'm at the point where I just want something more concrete. I've only beeing in the house just over a year and the above doesn't include the nonsense quotes Ive had (really nonsense like 3k to plaster a 2.5m x 2.5m room or 550 to fit a new radiator) or the legions of trades I've been stood up by or ghosted by. Even happy to overpay if it means the job is done well, but even not trying to do things cheaply gets you nowhere!

Sorry that was a bit of a rant, I wish someone would turn the model on its head and instead of trades paying for leads, consumers pay to ensure unbiased reviews 😅😅😅

@TattiePants @Doggymummar thank you but alas I am in NW.

Have a look on Google and look at reviews with photos - that way you know it’s genuine - I had a quick look there’s a roofing firm near clitheroe and one near Oldham with great reviews (you mentioned nw). Get a couple of quotes and make sure you have a contract in place with a start and finish date and a breakdown of all costs

We're in Blackpool and can recommend a reliable roofer if that's any good?

Manchester way, but thank you!

I live in Stockport so might be able to share a few names if you are not too far away. I had a new roof fitted six years ago by an excellent guy, he came back the following year to fit a new velum window in my dormer extension and replace two flat roof areas. Also had a new boiler with a couple of new radiators but that was also six or seven years ago.

Check out neighboring council trusted trader schemes, or trustmark which is a National scheme. Or the national federation although there are a couple of members (apparently) of that around here that I absolutely would not use. Often if you can find or know of an excellent local general builder they may be able to tell you who they use for roofing subcontracting.

my one top tip for roofers is, as they drive away after the quote visit, memorize the number plate and run it thru the gov.uk Tax and MOT checker. Immediately discount anyone who has either a SORN, or no valid MOT/ exemption or whose vehicle is untaxed. Learned the hard way …

And if anyone has a good roofer in KT or TW post codes, please please let me know. I literally cannot give away a £16k project to anyone, and it is a 8 days’ work max.

@HouseIsOnFire I really do feel your pain. Sadly the best ones are frequently no shows because they're all so fully booked they can't keep up. I literally am waiting for my own extension to start but because they're all trading skills we get treated as second class and have to wait months and months for anyone to show up.

I honestly despair at the trade industry. No other business could run like they do but because there's so much demand, customers literally have no choice. The ones scrambling for work really aren't likely to be worth it.

I think there should be more female run trades. I always think no woman would leave so many customers with no updates and no customer service.

I'm signed up to 'nextdoor' people recommend trades people and some trades people will post pictures of their work.

I've had the worst luck there