Bad contractors are easy to find. Good ones take work. Here’s the exact vetting process Vellogy runs on every contractor before they’re allowed on the network.
Step 1: Application and UK business verification
Limited company or sole trader? UK-registered business with a real address (not a virtual office, not a residential)? Active Companies House record if limited? We verify all three.
Step 2: Insurance
£2M+ Public Liability minimum. We ask for the certificate, then check the schedule — does it cover property being worked on? Is the policyholder name correct? Is the policy in date? Re-checked annually.
Step 3: DBS
Enhanced DBS check via a UK provider. We don’t accept self-declared “I’ve got a clean record” — actual certificate number, with the issue date.
Step 4: Trade accreditation
Plumber? Gas Safe registration number. Electrician? NICEIC or NAPIT membership. Glazier? FENSA if fitting frames. We check the registration is current on the relevant trade body’s website.
Step 5: In-person interview
This is the step most vetting processes skip. We meet the contractor in person — usually at their base or a job site. We’re looking at:
- Vehicles — is the van signwritten, clean, and well-equipped?
- Uniform — branded or scruffy?
- Tool kit — appropriate for the trade?
- Communication — do they answer questions clearly and honestly?
- Quoting — can they give a structured quote, not just “yeah, about £200”?
Step 6: References
Two references from past clients (letting agents, landlords, or commercial clients). We actually call them. We’re looking for: did they turn up on time, was the price what they quoted, did they clean up, would you use them again?
Step 7: Trial period
First 3-5 jobs are supervised — not in person, but the agent gets a post-job survey. Bad feedback removes the contractor from the network. Persistent lateness, missed calls, or sloppy work = gone.
How often we re-vet
Annually as standard. Insurance, DBS, accreditation — all re-checked. If anything’s expired, the contractor goes off the roster until it’s renewed.
What letting agents should do
If you’re running your own contractor list, run the same checks. The 90-minute cost of doing this properly is less than one bad claim. Most letting agents we talk to admit they’ve never actually seen half their contractors’ DBS certificates.