Problems with home-maintenance tradesmen, including builders, plumbers and decorators, remain a constant source of complaints to Consumer Direct, the government helpline, with 32,500 calls made in the first six months of this year.

Finding someone reliable takes research — not easy at short notice — but several organisations and resources can help. Here is our seven-point guide.

Go by word of mouth

It is a cliché, but the best way to find a tradesman is by personal recommendation. If friends and family can’t point you in the right direction, try contacting local residents’ associations, or even knocking on neighbours’ doors — especially where you know that they have had relevant work done.

Or seek state approval

If you are not getting anywhere with word of mouth, check whether your local authority operates an “assured trader” scheme. These list tradesmen approved by the local trading standards service. The largest is the Buy With Confidence scheme in the South of England. It monitors member traders for “high standards” and “value” and can step in to help to resolve complaints. The Office of Fair Trading lists assured trader schemes at oft.gov.uk.

Alternatively, search for companies approved by the Government’s nationwide TrustMark scheme at www.trust mark.org.uk. These are monitored for “quality of work”, “trading practices” and “customer satisfaction” and are required to operate a user-friendly complaints procedure.

Don’t rely on the web

Several websites can help users to find tradesmen. At RatedPeople.co.uk you can post a brief, which is forwarded to three traders who should contact you to quote for the job. If they have secured previous work through the site, you can read customer reviews. Tradesmen are not vetted and it is up to users to check on claimed qualifications (see “snooping”, below).

Jem Marryat, of Bristol, used the site this year in his search for a builder. The only person to contact him claimed that he had bought sole rights to the work and angrily refused to quote when the 40-year-old animator said that he was shopping around.

RatedPeople says that the builder in question was mistaken — no “sole rights” exist. Nevertheless, the company’s apology to Mr Marryat is a useful warning, reading: “We pride ourselves on finding great tradespeople. However, we can’t guarantee that this happens every time, as at the end of the day we have to put our trust in the tradespeople who use the site to find work.”

Other sites with user reviews of tradesmen include MyBuilder.com and Which-Local.co.uk (only available to Which? subscribers).

Get several quotes

However you locate tradesmen, always get three or four quotes before signing a contract. These should be written quotes based on an on-site assessment of the job, not vague estimates that are not binding. Make sure that all quotes feature a timescale or deadline and include any materials and removal of rubbish from the site. By law the price must include VAT unless the document states otherwise.

You should also agree a payment schedule at this point. Frank Shepherd, of Consumer Direct, says that it is best to pay by instalments, keeping back at least 30 per cent until completion to “motivate” the tradesman. He adds that payment by credit card is safest, because you are covered by the card company’s insurance on purchases between £100 and £30,000.

Do some snooping

Once you have located a likely tradesman, check up on claimed membership of any relevant bodies or trade associations by contacting them direct. Do not trust a car sticker or membership card.

Ask any organisations you contact how members are vetted and what extra protection customers enjoy. Most are self-regulating, and standards vary. Note that gas fitters, by law, must be Gas Safe-registered (see GasSafeRegister.co.uk).

Chase up references and inspect a tradesman’s completed work where possible. A good operator should be happy to put you in touch with previous satisfied customers.

Get it in writing

Before going ahead, ask for a jargon-free written contract that spells out what gets done, when and the price. Consider asking a solicitor to read this over if the job is expensive — more than about £10,000, say. It may also be worth hiring a surveyor to make occasional checks on big projects. He can advise on any builder’s claims that unforeseen extra work is necessary. Such costs should not affect small jobs where the tradesman could be expected to assess the risk in advance. Once work is under way, keep an eye on progress and get (and file) receipts for every payment made.

Be savvy

According to TrustMark, rogue tradesmen across the country rip us off to the tune of £17,123 an hour. However, many of them can be avoided by using common sense. For example, no honest tradesman would require you to pay cash in hand in advance, and anyone going door-to-door offering to tarmac the drive should set off alarm bells. Likewise, get a second opinion wherever a tradesman discovers “unexpected” problems. One elderly man whose case was investigated by Trading Standards was billed £82,000 for (botched) repairs to non-existent structural problems after a cold caller quoted £400 to fix a few loose roof tiles.

Factfile

If the terms of your contract are broken, or the tradesman fails to act with reasonable care and skill, in a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost (required under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982), give him seven days to resolve the problem before calling Consumer Direct on 0845 4040506.

If the tradesman belongs to an assured trader scheme or trade body, contact this too, because it may have procedures in place.

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Five features
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How to find a good tradesman
The 10 best DIY websites

Five websites
Consumer Direct
The Office of Fair Trading
TrustMark
Rated People
Which? Local