Although this post may be long, I can guarantee you that by the end you’ll [hopefully] be more educated and have greater confidence in picking the right tradie for your needs.

We are tradies ourselves and its never nice to hear directly from our customers that they have been the victim of a dodgy tradie. It’s distressing for them and we can see how weary they are of ever engaging the services of a tradie again.

• A good tradie KNOWS their trade. A dodgy tradie THINKS he knows their trade.
• A good tradie is committed to their customer long after they’ve won the quote.
• A dodgy tradie isn’t.
• A good tradie communicates.
• A dodgy tradie barely contacts you.
• A good tradie offers quality work.
• A dodgy tradie does sloppy work.
• A good tradie might cost a little more.
• A dodgy tradie will cost you a lot more.
• Where can these ‘good tradies’ aka ‘unicorns’ be found?

Ask on local FB community pages. People love to talk, they’ll quickly recommend a good tradie that they’ve had a great experience with.

Check with local architects or draftsman. They’ll often have a book of trusted tradies in your area.

Educate yourself on what you need so you’re in a position to ask the right questions.

Trust your gut instinct. If you don’t click with your tradie or you just don’t get a good feeling about them or if they’re too good to be true, then move on.

Research your recommendations. Have a look at their Facebook Page, website or ‘google my business’. Read their reviews. If they’ve been given a negative review, how did they respond? Was it professional?

Visit the Fair Trading NSW website or the website of the relevant body in your state. Check to see if they’re licensed for the work you are engaging them for. See if they’ve had any citations against their business or any complaints.

Great news – you’ve found your unicorn of a tradie and now you want to engage their services. What next?

Don’t be afraid to ask for proof of their insurance. A good tradie will readily provide you with their current Certificate of Currency. Remember, you are the client, they are now working for you. They’re in your home and if something should go wrong, then you want to know they have the appropriate insurances to cover it

If the service you are requiring is a larger sum of monies then request a contract. A contract will outline the scope of works to be carried out so there is no confusion. Read it carefully before signing.

Most tradies will request a deposit. In most states a tradie can only request a 10% deposit, never feel pressured to pay more. If you’re unsure, check your states governing body website. Once the deposit is paid, some trades may request an additional sum to cover the cost of materials to be paid on the start date or just before.

If you have concerns throughout the job, speak up. Most of the time the tradie is aware of it and is working on correcting it.

At the end of the job, walk through the job with your tradie. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, speak up! If you’re happy with the finished product, tell them and tell your friends and your community.

We hope that this information provides you with the confidence to engage the services of your next tradie!

Feel free to share your experiences or stories below so others may benefit from what you have learnt. Good or bad :)