How to Find a Good Tradesperson in Durham

Durham's housing stock keeps tradespeople busy. Georgian and Victorian terraces around Gilesgate, Claypath and Western Hill, student houses that change hands every summer, interwar semis in Neville's Cross and newer estates out at Framwellgate Moor and Belmont all need maintaining, and much of the city centre sits within a conservation area around the World Heritage Site. Finding someone reliable is as much about the checks you make as the name you pick. Here is a practical guide to doing it well.

Start with the right registration

Different jobs need different credentials, and for some work registration is a legal requirement, not a nice extra.

• Gas work: anyone working on a gas boiler, fire or cooker must be on the Gas Safe Register. Ask to see their ID card and check the back, which lists the appliance types they are qualified for.
• Electrical work: look for an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. They can self-certify notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations and give you a certificate at the end.
• Oil heating: common in older and rural homes around the city, oil boilers should be fitted by an OFTEC-registered engineer.
• General building: there is no compulsory registration for builders, so trade bodies such as the Federation of Master Builders, and the government-endorsed TrustMark scheme, are useful signals.

Durham County Council's own advice on trusted trader schemes points residents to TrustMark and reminds them to make sure gas engineers and electricians are registered. Which? Trusted Traders and Checkatrade are also widely used. Treat online review platforms as a starting point: they vet members to varying degrees, but a listing is not a guarantee, so still make your own checks.

Local trades worth knowing

Our trade guides cover established local firms in more detail. A few names from them:

• Plumbing and heating: PK Plumbing is a Durham independent trading since 2005 with Gas Safe engineers, and Scott Brothers Heating is a family firm at Esh Winning, trading since 1978 and OFTEC registered for oil systems. See our best plumbers in Durham guide for more.
• Electrical: Hibbitts Electrical on South Road describes itself as an NICEIC domestic installer, and AMP Renewables lists NICEIC, NAPIT and MCS accreditations for EV chargers, solar and heat pumps. More in our best electricians in Durham guide.
• Building: County Durham Building & Joinery at Belmont Business Park handles extensions and refurbishments, and R & B H Alderson is a family firm and long-standing Federation of Master Builders member. See best builders in Durham.

You can browse further trades in our directory.

Best for: Best for: a shortlist to start from, but always run the checks below before you book.

Get proper quotes

For anything beyond a small repair, get at least three written quotes for the same job. A good quote is itemised, says what is and is not included (waste removal, making good, decorating), gives a start date and rough duration, and says whether VAT is included. A quote is a fixed price; an estimate is only a guide, so ask which you are getting.

Be cautious of a price that is far below the others. It often means something has been left out, or the job will grow once work starts.

Agree it in writing

For larger jobs, a short written contract protects both sides. It should set out the scope of work, the price, a payment schedule, the start and finish dates, who obtains any permissions, and how changes will be agreed and priced. Keep a record of any variations by email or message.

Payment: never everything up front

A deposit to cover specially ordered materials can be reasonable, but you should never pay for the whole job before it starts. On bigger projects, stage payments tied to completed work are normal. Durham County Council's advice is blunter still: do not pay up front for any work, even for materials. Paying by credit card for amounts over £100 can give you extra protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, and avoid paying large sums in cash.

Permissions: planning, listed buildings and building control

Durham has more red tape than most places, so check before work starts:

• Planning and conservation: much of the city centre is a conservation area, and many buildings are listed. Changes to windows, doors, roofs or frontages can need planning permission or listed building consent from Durham County Council. A good local builder will know when to ask.
• Building Regulations: extensions, structural alterations, new windows and many electrical and heating jobs must comply with Building Regulations. Either your tradesperson self-certifies through a competent person scheme, or the work needs approval from the council's building control service or a registered approved inspector.
• Party walls: if work affects a shared wall with a neighbour, such as in a terrace, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require you to give your neighbour formal notice before starting.

Your rights and where to get help

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says a service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price if none was agreed. If work falls short, you can ask the trader to put it right, and if that fails you may be entitled to a price reduction.

In County Durham, consumer advice is provided by the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133), working with Durham County Council's Trading Standards team, and it is also where to report a rogue trader. Turn away uninvited doorstep callers offering roofing or garden work, which feature in many of the rogue trader cases Durham's Trading Standards team has taken to court. Call 101 to report a suspected rogue trader to Durham Police, or 999 if someone is in danger.

Know a reliable Durham tradesperson we should feature? Get in touch.