How to Pick a Good Tradesman in Six Easy Steps

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How to pick a good tradesman in six easy steps This story was published: 1 MONTH AGO

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NOVEMBER 04, 2013 1:48PM

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CASSIE WHITE

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He's matched his hammer handle to his helmet: a promising sign. Source: ThinkStock

WHETHER you're doing a full renovation, or just need the toilet unclogged, finding a good tradesman can be a job in itself.

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Everyone has heard a shonky tradie horror story and government departments receive tens of thousands of complaints each year - mostly relating to residential building work.

1. MAKE SURE THEY'RE LEGIT But for every shady operator, there are plenty of businesses that undergo extensive accreditation processes to become members of their trade's peak organisation, says Master Electricians Australia CEO, Malcolm Richards.

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"If a company is going to go through the pain and effort of doing that, then there's a strong likelihood they're a high-quality contractor," he says.

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For that reason, he recommends the first thing you do to ensure you don't end up in court, or a situation akin to The Cable Guy, is to hire someone with the appropriate accreditation.

2. ASK FOR REFERENCES

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Just like they told you to avoid The Cable Guy at the movies, your friends might have tips for real-life tradesmen too.

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Laorence Nohra, CEO of tradesman service provider Tradebusters, says the most common complaints she hears about tradesman are that they don't show up on time, don't return quotes, or the work doesn't meet expectations.

She says word of mouth is generally the best way to choose a tradie. Otherwise, you're

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well within your rights to ask a business if they have regular customers who can provide references.

"The bigger the job, the more homework you should do," she says. "So if someone is potentially doing an extension on your house, you want to see some other projects first and speak to previous or existing clients."

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3. HAVE A PROPER QUOTE A detailed quote is both key to making the arrangement go smoothly and weeding out the good tradies from the bad.

Ms Nohra says alarm bells should ring if quotes don't feature an ABN or licence number, in the case of building work expect more than 10 per cent deposit, or are vague about the work that's going to be done.

"By not being clear in the description, they could potentially hit the customer up for a little bit more halfway through the job," she warns.

"Or painters, for example, might not include how many coats they'll do ... someone who's trying to cut corners might only do one.

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"Most tradies say what's included, but really good ones, especially builders, will always include the exclusions - so what's not included in the quote."

4. SHOP AROUND She recommends getting 2-3 quotes for bigger jobs, but for smaller ones, it's more important to have an idea of an acceptable hourly rate.

"Our guidelines state that $60-$90 an hour depending on the location, possibly including a service fee, are about standard," she says.

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A written contract is your best protection against a dodgy tradesmen. Source: Supplied

Mr Richards agrees that a solid written contract or quote is your safest bet in making sure the job is done on time, on budget and exactly how you want it.

"It's often the first thing that's skipped if the job is relatively small, but that's where the problems often occur," he explains.

"We've seen many issues where 90 per cent of the time it comes down to a lack of communication between the contractor and the customer.

"A contractor should sit down with a customer and research what their real needs and desires are, as opposed to someone who'll just give the cheapest price.

"If they've trimmed their price right back, you've got to ask what they're shortcutting to be able to do the job for that price."

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6. PLAY YOUR PART But Queensland electrical contractor Bill White says there are plenty of ways the customer can make the transaction difficult, too.

"Not having a clear idea about what you want, changing your mind halfway through a job, or not being home at the agreed time can really slow down the process," he explains.

"If you get a good tradesman, look after them; pay them on time. The relationship works both ways - if you're good to them, they'll work for you again.

"Getting a trusted tradie is like having a good GP: you want to stick with the same one."

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