How to hire a professional service provider

The most important part of your home repair or construction project is to hire a professional service provider. Working with the right team will make or break a project, and influence the budget's requirements. And how do you employ the right tradies to make the refurbishment run like a seal a drain rather than a leak?

If you hire a tradie you place a lot of trust in them. You can be sure they'll be on track. You trust them to complete the work. More importantly, you have faith in giving them your home. 

You are doing more than simply testing qualifications as you do your diligence and employ a top class tradie. You are checking that your house is in safe hands.

Here are a few questions that you should ask yourself before you hire your next service provider:

Do they have a license?

All service providers should carry an authentic licensure as this verifies and identifies their position. Critical trades like builders, electricians and plumbers, all need formal certifications and qualifications. To be more precise, a TAFE certificate is required through apprenticeship. Subcontractors can work without a license, but they should work under someone with a valid license. At all times you should verify the tradesman’s license over his/her certifications or qualifications.

Are they insured?

According to experienced homeowners, you should always make sure your tradesman is insured. There are two different types of insurance all tradespeople must own. The tradespersons’ liability insurance policy will cover any damages caused by their work to your property. Public liability insurance is another important policy that takes care of property damage and third party injuries.

Do you know what you’re getting?

As a client, you are entitled to know exactly what the service provider is undertaking, how long it will take and how much the job will cost. A good way to get an estimate of your jobs price is to get several quotes from different service providers in your area. Indeed, you are not expected to learn about every detail of the process, however, it’s always good practice to be largely aware of what is to be undertaken. Above all, ensure if the tradesperson agrees on all that is quoted.

Should you consider reviews more or research yourself?

Never rely on virtual reviews completely. You should verify reviews before making a move. Some service providers have the freedom to post fake testimonies and reviews. Luckily, there are several ways to discover if a review is authentic or not. Go to their Facebook reviews or similar sites and check that the review is from a legitimate person. These sources will help you analyze the service professional better.

Tradespeople are expected to showcase 100% professionalism in the workplace. This includes their conduct and appearance. It would be unfortunate to spend thousands of dollars on someone inexperienced. Some characteristic traits that can wary would be regular tardiness and poor communication skills.

The people who have recruited them are the right source to get information regarding a tradie. Luckily, the Internet has made it possible for individuals to express their feedback through online reviews. You should read comments for a tradie before you agree to hire them. 

Yet be careful, here are a few questions to inquire for any review online: 

• Is it a comprehensive review?'Excellent work' or 'Better service’ does not say much. Specifications are better than just two word reviews
• Did the reviewers leave any other comments, or is this their only one? Daily reviews are more dependable. 
• Was the reviewer a verified customer? Had not, they would never even have recruited a tradie.

Should you pay upfront? 

Never completely pay for a service upfront. It is extremely unwise to pay before the work gets completed as this can leave you exposed with no bargaining power in the unlikely instance you are unhappy with a component of the service.

Should you get a written quote?

Confirm that the quote is set or just an approximation and whether it contains GST or not with the tradesperson before work begins. No matter how good the supplier's credibility is, always get several quotations from different vendors and inquire why the rates vary.

It will allow you to get a more affordable offer, understanding more about what's involved in the job and the quality of the goods and parts you purchase. Extra work would be needed on occasion, due to unexpected odd jobs. If this occurs, the person in your business will let you know as soon as possible. 

Quotes will vary if work does not start on the specified date, or if the actual nature of the job changes or if there is unforeseen work which comes ups.

You're now ready to make an informed decision when hiring a tradesperson. Need a local service provider?

Get free no obligation quotes from our trusted and qualified tradesmen from service.com.au today!