Checked and Checked again
When you use Checkatrade, you’re not just picking a name off a list. You’re choosing a tradesperson who has completed all checks relevant to them from our set of 12. Because when it comes to your home, cutting corners just isn’t worth it.
Before we give Checkatrade tradespeople our seal of approval, they must pass up to 12 checks and commit to a high quality of work, operate safely and communicate honestly.
And we don’t stop there. Here’s how it works — and why it matters.
The Checks — and What They Mean for You
1. Photo identification check: We check each tradesperson is who they say they are through an identification check conducted by a 3rd party.
2. Proof of address: We check where the trade and the business is located to make sure they are where they claim to be. We also use this address to help carry out the rest of our checks.
3. Qualifications: We check if the tradesperson needs an accreditation, like Gas Safe or NICEIC (Electrical Certification), and then we check they’ve got them. And that they’re up to date.
4. Open-source check: We scan public records and news stories for red flags. Think of it as a reputational radar — always on, always watching.
5. Personal CCJ check: We check for unpaid debts owed to customers. Because if someone hasn’t sorted things properly in the past, we want to know.
6. Business CCJ check: We do the same for the business itself — looking for unresolved issues with a customer that could affect how they work today.
7. Company history check: We check the business is active, with no current threats to strike it off the register. We also look for signs of ‘phoenixing’ – when someone repeatedly shuts down and reopens companies. It’s all about making sure the business history backs up the name on the door.
8. Financial checks: We check for things like bankruptcy and insolvency. It helps protect you from trades that might not be able to finish the job.
9. Duplicate check: We check if someone’s been suspended, declined or removed from Checkatrade before and won’t let them back in.
10. Enhanced Business Check: For some trades, we ask for proof they’ve been up and running for at least six months. It’s an extra step to make sure they’ve got solid, real-world experience under their belt before they join.
11. Director check: We check for any banned or disqualified directors behind the business. We expect every member of the business to uphold our high standards.
12. Customer experience check: We look beyond our own site, reviewing ratings on other platforms to get a full picture of their reputation.
The Checks Don’t Stop
Being listed on Checkatrade isn’t a one-off approval. We keep checks running in the background to make sure standards stay high — not just at the start, but every step of the way. Most of the checks we do at onboarding are repeated regularly, with different timings depending on what’s being checked. If we spot anything that doesn’t look right — or get a reason to dig deeper — we might rerun the full set of checks to make sure everything adds up. It’s how we help make sure a job done right, stays that way.
Reviews From Real People
Every tradesperson on Checkatrade is rated by real people, with real feedback you can read. We focus on what matters: quality of work, communication and reliability. It’s the stuff you care about — and the stuff we expect to be done right. That’s what every tradesperson agrees to in the Checkatrade Standard. And we don’t just collect reviews — we check them, regularly.
We also have strict review guidelines that both consumers and tradespeople must follow, to help keep things transparent and constructive. You can read them here: Consumer review guidelines
Tradesperson review guidelines
The New and Exciting Stuff!
We’re always looking for new ways to make hiring a tradesperson simpler, faster, and less of a faff. That sometimes means trying out new services or features designed to give you more choice and a smoother experience.
In some cases, the checks we carry out on tradespeople may be different to our usual process. When that happens, we’ll make it crystal clear on the product page, so you’ll always know what’s been checked — and what hasn’t — before you decide.
No surprises. Just the information you need to choose with confidence.
Why It All Matters:
Choosing a tradesperson to work on your home is a big decision. You want someone who shows up, does the work, and takes care doing it. And while no approach is perfect, we put a lot in place to help you feel confident every step of the way.
Pick your tradesperson with confidence — knowing we’ve done the checks, so you can focus on the work that matters.