Roofers top poll of least trusted

ROOFERS and builders have been voted the least trustworthy tradespeople while consumers have the most confidence in electricians, a survey by watchdog Which? has found.

Some 38 per cent of householders do not trust builders and roofers when employing them for the first time, making these trades the least trusted for domestic building work and repairs, the consumer group found. However, 80 per cent said they trusted the electrician they called, while 75 per cent also trusted central heating engineers.

The poll also found that householders’ biggest concern when hiring a tradesperson was that they would not turn up on time.

Poor workmanship and “being taken for a ride” were other top concerns, with more than half (55 per cent) worried that a trader would do a bad job and 46 per cent concerned that they would be ripped off.

Raj Kakar-Clayton, managing director of Which? Trusted Traders, said: “It can take a lot of trust to welcome a trader into your home, particularly if they’ve never worked for you before.

“Take the stress out of home improvement by reading online reviews, asking for references and making sure you have a contract in place before the job starts.”

Which? recommends that consumers are clear about the work they want done and ask for a quote rather than an estimate, always ask for references and make sure a contract is in place for protection in the event of a problem.