Local tradesmen

We have used the Checkatrade website for local tradesmen, several times, and have been pleased with the people we have contacted and then employed. The last one was a tiler and plasterer who was prompt, polite and lived locally. You can read other people's reviews of their work, good and bad, on the website.

google Check a Trade for your local area. Also try My Trader again locally.

I have had a few jobs done last week by somebody from My Trader. I gave a resume of what I wanted done- I asked 3 people for their quote- one did not reply, one said he could not do it and the 3rd came to give me a quote and I chose him. I also decided that I would only choose those with 100% recommendations from reviews.

What I did not realise until the fellow who came told me was that every time their name was chosen by a client to give a quote they have to pay the company a %.

I also look up Netmums local and again for my area and have had excellent work- only once was I let down.

AgeUk have a list of reliable trades people, I think!

We live in a village and have a parish magasine. Village tradesmen advertise there and with one minor exception ( a retired carpenter long past his sell by date for carpentry), we have always been very pleased with the result. When you meet the tradesman regularly (once you know who he is) regularly in the village shop, walking past your house or, as in two cases, when they live in house opposite yours, they cannot afford to not do the job properly.

DD has used checkatrade and another site where you put your job on the site and anyone interested indoing it

(not sure what happened there) ....contacted her, visited and gave a quote. She has used tradesmen from each site and always been happy.

I tried the My Trader site and no-one got back to me - I think because I live in a small village outside of the city. I then contacted my local authority who advertise they have a list of workmen who will carry out small jobs for people over 60 - no reply, not even an acknowledgement. Fortunately my neighbour is having work done to his house and I asked the workmen if they knew anyone who would carry out a few small jobs for me. Two of them said they would call in after work and sort them for me. Lovely guys who refused payment because I am allowing them to use my drive to unload materials and park.

Lots of areas have their own Facebook page. Just put a request for recommendations for a roofer and you'll get a stream of recommendations

'Which ' have a site where members of 'Which' can add a local tradesman. We recommended the local washing machine man - when he came about the dishwasher some time later he thanked us for recommending him as Which had told him it was us and he got quite a lot of work from the recommendation.