How to Find a Good Tradesperson in Cramlington

Most people find a tradesperson through a recommendation from a neighbour or a post in a local Facebook group. That is a good place to start, but it is worth a few minutes of checking before you let anyone loose on your boiler, your wiring or your walls. This guide covers the registers to check, the rules that apply in Cramlington, and what to do if a job goes wrong.

If you just want names, our shortlists of plumbers, electricians and builders in Cramlington are a good starting point.

Check the right register for the job

Some trades must be registered by law. For others, a trade body membership is a useful sign of quality but not a legal requirement. Always check the register yourself on the scheme's website rather than trusting a logo on a van or a website.

Gas. Anyone who works on a gas appliance in your home must be on the Gas Safe Register. Ask to see their ID card, check the number on the Gas Safe Register website, and check the back of the card, which shows the types of work they are qualified for. For example, RF Henderson Heating on Baker Road works mainly on boilers. Whoever you use, check the engineer's card.

Electrics. Most new circuits, consumer unit changes and any work in a bathroom are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. An electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT can sign off their own work. Local firms like PD Electrics can tell you which scheme covers the work when you ask for a quote. If your electrician is not registered, the work has to be inspected by building control instead, which adds cost and time.

Building. There is no legal register for builders. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) inspects and vets its members, and TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme for tradespeople, with its own complaints process. Both have search tools on their websites. Datim Building Contractors at Atley Business Park, for example, has a profile on the FMB's find-a-builder search.

Planning and building control in Cramlington

Northumberland County Council handles both planning and building control for Cramlington. Some streets near Annitsford and the southern edge of the town are in North Tyneside instead, so check which council covers your address.

• Planning permission is about what you build and how it looks. Many single-storey rear extensions, loft conversions and outbuildings fall under permitted development, but there are limits, and some newer estates have conditions that remove those rights. If you are unsure, apply to the county council for a lawful development certificate. You can search past applications for your street on the council's online planning register.
• Building Regulations cover how the work is built: structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage and electrics. Almost every extension, loft conversion or structural alteration needs approval, even when planning permission is not required. Your builder or designer can apply to the county council's building control team (buildingcontrol@northumberland.gov.uk) or use a registered building control approver. At the end you should receive a completion certificate, which you will need when you sell.
• Party walls. If you are building on or near a wall you share with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require you to give them written notice before work starts.

The council's main phone line is 0345 600 6400. Our guide to council services in Cramlington explains which council deals with what.

Getting quotes

• Get at least three written quotes for any job worth more than a few hundred pounds, and give every firm the same brief or drawings.
• A quote is not an estimate. A quote is a fixed price for the work described. An estimate is a best guess that can change. Ask which one you are getting.
• Check what is included: materials, removing waste, making good the plaster and paintwork, and any certificates.
• Ask about timing. When can they start, how long will it take, and will they be on your job every day?
• Ask for references from recent jobs nearby, and ask whether you can see finished work.
• Ask about insurance. A builder should have public liability insurance, and many offer an insurance-backed guarantee.

Paying for the work

• Never pay the full amount up front. A modest deposit for materials is normal on bigger jobs. After that, pay in agreed stages as the work is completed.
• Pay by card for larger jobs. If you pay at least part of the cost of something priced between £100 and £30,000 with a credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes the card company jointly liable if things go wrong.
• Be wary of cash-only demands, and of anyone who asks for a large payment before they have ordered materials or started work.
• Get a contract or written agreement for anything substantial, setting out the price, the stages, the start and finish dates and how changes will be handled.
• Know your cancellation rights. If you agree a contract in your own home, you usually have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel.

Doorstep callers

Be cautious with anyone who knocks on your door unannounced to say your roof, chimney, gutters or driveway need urgent work. Rogue traders often target older residents. Do not agree to anything on the doorstep, never go to a cash machine with a trader, and do not let anyone in without checking who they are.

Northumberland Trading Standards publishes a "No Cold Calling" poster that you can download from the county council's website and display in your window. Northumberland County Council does not currently run its own approved trader scheme, so do not trust anyone who claims to be "council approved".

If something goes wrong

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price if none was agreed. If the work is not up to standard, you are entitled to ask them to put it right, and in some cases to a price reduction.

1. Raise it with the trader first, in writing, with photos, and give them a reasonable chance to fix it.
2. Use the trade body's complaints process if they belong to the FMB, TrustMark, Gas Safe or a competent person scheme. Report unsafe gas work to the Gas Safe Register.
3. Contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. This is the route Northumberland County Council gives for complaints about goods and services, and Citizens Advice passes cases to Trading Standards where needed.
4. Report fraud to Action Fraud.
5. Consider the small claims court for money owed, after trying the steps above.

Find local trades

Our local guides to plumbers, electricians and builders are a good place to start, and the trades page brings them together. If you have just arrived in the town, our moving to Cramlington guide covers schools, health, transport and the estates.

Spotted something out of date? Get in touch and we'll update the guide.