6 simple tips to follow before hiring a reliable and affordable high-quality building trade for your next project.

Finding the right building trade who fits within your budget, who’s capable of sharing your vision, who’s reliable, completes your project on time at the high-quality finish can be a real challenge.
At the end of the day, it’s your hard earned money that is going to be spent and you want to make sure you’ll spend it well.
I’ve been involved in the building and construction industry for over 13 years both as a client and as a trade. During that time I have come across many building trades while visiting or working in different countries around the world such as Estonia, Australia, England, USA, and Asia.
The clients I have worked with have all been very different from one another yet when digging deeper into their minds I found out that they share one thing in common when searching for that right tradesman for their project.
‘’Clients definition for a right tradesman (I prefer to calling them, Craftsmen) - An affordable, high-quality, reliable, honest, skilled, knowledgeable, clean and tidy professional, with pleasing personality, who doesn’t overprice the job or bring surprise costs on the table after the project is completed. Who’s in control of the full job process, eliminates the stress, incorporating with clients ideas and helping them to meet their expectations.’’
By first looking at this list it may seem like a bit too much to ask for. You might ask yourself where should I find that kind of craftsman, there bearly are any good ones left. But let‘s be honest, there are actually so many great craftsmen out there who know their craft inside out and all you gotta do is search. I speak from experience because I‘ve been on both sides as a client and as a craftsman.
There are a few simple tips you may follow when searching for quality craftsmen. It’s like with any service, if you pay for it, you’re expecting to receive the full professional service worth your time and money.
Here are my 6 tips:
Tip 1 (Word of mouth) - This might be one of the best ways when looking for a quality craftsman. We best know something when we experience or try it so ask around if anyone of your friends, family or perhaps a work colleague have previously used a craftsman and what was the experience and quality of services they received. I’m absolutely certain there is someone in your circle who has come across with one and can help you out here.
Tip 2 (Test their knowledge before hiring) - There’s no such thing as a stupid question, so ask all the questions you don’t know the answers to. I’ve met lots of building trades during different projects I‘ve been involved in. Most of them were recommended to me via word of mouth but with some, I came across using trade platforms or even gumtree. Obviously, I didn't know everything (and I still don’t) so I asked all the questions I needed clarification for and see what type of answers I receive and if they made sense. During the process, I noticed it wasn’t building trades who used complicated terminology when explaining things that interested me but rather trades who kept it very simple and understandable, yet knew what they are talking about. Remember: Simplicity is the key here.
Tip 3 (Previous Experience) - Yet another important aspect to check is their previous experience including:
- How long have they been in this particular business? (The longer the better).
- How many projects have they previously done? (More projects mean more experience).
- Do they have any building-related qualifications? (This helps to demonstrate that they have undertaken certain courses and have basic knowledge about the industry. Sometimes they have trade specific qualifications, which is even better when these are related to the services you are after e.g. electrician, plumbers, carpenters, etc.).
- Proof of work (Pictures or videos of previous work done) If they have no website or a facebook page, there’s nothing wrong asking to see if they can provide you with pictures of previous work.
However, there could be cases where the person has newly started and only has little experience. In this case, I wouldn’t hire them for bigger projects.
On the other hand with smaller projects, why not give them a chance. You can still test their knowledge and see if they seem reliable. Everybody needs to start somewhere.
Tip 4 (Reviews/Feedback) - Over the course of 13 years I have understood that reviews & feedback are a very important part of any business. It gives you a great overview of how the person performed on their previous project. If they sit at 2.5 stars out of 5 you’ll probably know yourself, that it will be a waste of time and money hiring this tradesman (unless you want to gift your money to someone for a poor effort). Although reviews can also be easily made up, it’s definitely something a smart craftsman wouldn’t do to risk their reputation.
Tip 5 (Personality) - People like people like who? Like themselves.
Here is the question: Would you hire a craftsman who rocks up with a bad attitude and an angry face because they have had a bad day or due to some other reason? I bet you wouldn’t.
On the other hand, let’s say a person has a pleasing personality and positive attitude, they know what they are talking about (keeping it simple, yet understandable), assisting you at every turn and simply being helpful. You can’t really go wrong here. Another trait to look for in personality is honesty.
So if you can find a craftsman who’s honest, reliable and know what they are doing you have hit the jackpot.
Tip 6 (Payment) - There are 2 most common forms of payment, Electronic transfer, and Cash payments. Before making any payments, make sure you have received an invoice stating all the contact details (including name, phone, email, address, etc.), a scope of works and any materials to be provided. Additionally, the completion date should also be provided before works begin. Once you have received the invoice, it may indicate a certain % required as a deposit prior to starting with the projects. This may be requested to pay for the materials required for the project. Never pay more than 20%-30% upfront and if you do, do it electronically. Alternatively, you can also request to pay for the materials. Make sure you have all your correspondence in writing as it will be your proof of evidence. Final payment should not be requested until the job has been completed and you are satisfied with all the works. When the craftsman seems unreliable and you are uncertain, do not pay upfront.
With the cash payments, it’s another story. Cash payments are a huge risk for your insurance purposes as well as they do not provide you with any guarantee for the works done. Although it may first seem that you getting the job done cheaper, you could pay more at the end.
Next time when you need to hire any building trade, try using these 6 simple tips to determine whether they comply with the basic standards or not, and you most likely find the right person.
These tips can also be used by building trades who are lacking any of these areas and have decided to turn their business around by improving the quality of services they provide.
I hope you find that article helpful. Good luck with the process!
Written by: ‘’Allar Ahtmann’’
