(If this isn't you, check out our Tradespeople FAQs)
You’ve posted your job and you’ve got tradespeople chasing your job – here are a few tips on how to pick the right person for your job.
✅ Read their reviews
We’d recommend reading through some of the reviews they’ve received from past customers. Seeing the jobs they’ve completed and what others have to say about them will shed some light on what you can expect from them on your job.
Consider:
- What is their "BC Rating"? We calculate this as an average of their 10 most recent reviews.
- What are the customer’s saying about their quality, value and reliability?
- Have they completed jobs like yours before?
- How many jobs have they completed through Builderscrack to contribute to their average review score?
✅ Get to know them
When you’ve decided who to engage with and granted them contact access, get to know them a bit better.
You might want to find out a bit more about their business;
- How long have they been in business?
- Do they have Public Liability insurance to cover property damage?
- Who will be completing the job?
- Can you call some of their past customers for a reference?
- Does their price include GST?
- Is their work guaranteed?
- Do they offer a contract?
Don’t be afraid to really talk details – it shows you’re engaged and want to ensure the best possible result.
✅ Check if they hold the required licence
Accreditations are often needed for building work that involves ensuring a house is structurally sound and weathertight (i.e. Restricted Building Work), and almost all plumbing and electrical work.
Tip: Trade industry memberships are not the same as licences - do you know the difference?
✅ Communicate clearly
Whether it’s discussing the project, negotiating on price, organising site visits, open communication is key to a successful outcome. Make sure tradespeople have all the details they need to prepare an accurate quote.
We encourage homeowners to communicate with tradespeople through the Builderscrack website. Here’s why:
- Keeps track of quotes and pricing amendments.
- Creates a digital record of agreements between both parties.
- Ensures you both have the same expectations of the job.
✅ Question why the cheapest quote is so low
Don’t just go with the cheapest bottom line; there may be a reason it's cheap, e.g. poorer quality of work or they’ve not accounted for everything in their quote. At the same time, the most expensive quote isn’t a guarantee of higher-quality work. Ask for a breakdown of costs so that you can compare "apples with apples".
We recommend getting quotes from two or three different tradespeople - that will provide you with a couple of options to compare.
Remember to consider what you’ve learnt about them in your research and approve the quote from the tradesperson you feel is best suited to your job.
