trades and handymen - which option
Sole trader or a building company? Who to hire for the work
A sole trader gives you the person doing the work, usually at a lower rate, with a direct relationship and no layer of management. A building company gives you cover when somebody is ill, several trades coordinated, and more structure if something goes wrong. The size and the sequencing of your job decides which matters more.
Why trust this page: GetBrent is a directory. We take no commission and we provide neither service, so we have no stake in which one you pick - which is the only reason a comparison like this is worth reading.
A sole trader
One skilled person, sometimes with a labourer, working directly for you.
Best for
- +Single-trade work - a plumber, a sparky, a plasterer, a chippy
- +Smaller jobs and maintenance
- +Lower rates, because there is no overhead to carry
- +A direct relationship with the person actually holding the tools
- +Work you will repeat, where knowing your property is worth something
Watch out for
- -No cover for illness or holiday, so timescales can slip
- -One trade only, so you are coordinating the others yourself
- -Less structure if things go wrong - check insurance and any trade registration carefully
- -Popular sole traders are booked well ahead
A building company
A firm employing or subcontracting several trades, coordinating them under one contract.
Best for
- +Multi-trade projects - extensions, loft conversions, full refurbishments
- +Jobs where sequencing matters and somebody needs to own the programme
- +Work needing building control sign-off and documentation
- +Anyone who does not want to manage a site
- +Larger jobs where continuity of labour matters
Watch out for
- -Costs more, because management and overhead are real and get charged
- -You may not meet the people doing the work until they arrive
- -Read the contract, particularly payment stages and what triggers each one
The short answer
One trade, one job - a sole trader is usually better value and often better work, because you are talking to the person doing it. Several trades in sequence, or anything needing building control - use a company, and pay for the coordination rather than pretending you will do it.
What to ask before you book
- •Ask to see recent work of the same type, and speak to the customer.
- •Check public liability insurance, and registration for gas or electrical work.
- •Agree a written scope, a programme and a payment schedule tied to stages.
- •Ask who exactly will be on site and who to call when there is a problem.
- •Never pay a large sum up front. Stage payments against completed work.
Find companies near you
Whichever way you go, compare two or three local firms. GetBrent charges no booking fee.
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