How we vet

Every trade on Trades Vetted has been checked by a real person before going live. Nobody pays to be vetted and nobody gets in without it.

1. Insurance, for every trade

Every trade uploads their public liability insurance certificate. We open it, read it and record the expiry date. We email them before it runs out. If it expires and we have not seen the new one, their listing comes down until we have.

2. Trade scheme membership, where one exists

Some trades have official schemes. Where they do, we check the membership number on the scheme's own public register.

• Electricians: NICEIC, NAPIT or another Competent Person Scheme
• Gas and heating engineers: Gas Safe
• Solar and heat pump installers: MCS

If a trade does more than one thing, they need the scheme for each one. An electrician who also fits solar panels needs MCS to be listed for solar.

3. Company details

Limited companies are checked against Companies House. The company has to exist and be active, and we check who the directors are.

Trades with no official scheme

Plenty of good trades, like plasterers, decorators and landscapers, have no official scheme. They still need insurance, and we ask for anything else that supports their application: trusted trader schemes, TrustMark or FMB membership, qualifications, a waste carrier licence, or photos of recent work.

What we do not do

We do not sell vetting. Trades can pay for a sponsored spot at the top of their town's page, and it is always labelled Sponsored, but they only get that option after they have passed the same checks as everyone else.

We check documents and registers. We do not inspect work, so always get a written quote and agree the job before it starts.