No one getsthrough withoutpassing.
Before a tradesperson can quote on your job, they pass a five-step vetting process covering identity, criminal record, trade credentials, insurance and track record. Every payment you make is then held in escrow until you approve the work.
Every layer, explained
Five checks decide whether a tradesperson can list at all. Four protections then cover you on every job they quote for. A failure at any step stops the application.
Identity Verification
DBS Background Check
Qualification Verification
Public Liability Insurance
Ongoing Monitoring
Escrow-Protected Payments
Genuine Reviews Only
Dispute Resolution
Data Protection
We know exactly who you are.
Every tradesperson must verify their identity with government-issued photo ID. We cross-reference full name, date of birth and address against electoral roll and credit reference data to confirm they are who they say they are.
Your home, your safety.
All tradespeople undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check before they can join TradeMatch. We screen for criminal records, fraud history and county court judgements. Basic DBS is required as standard.
Credentials that actually check out.
We verify professional qualifications directly with the issuing bodies. Gas Safe registration, NICEIC approval, FENSA certification and every other trade credential is confirmed before a profile is listed.
If anything goes wrong, you’re covered.
Every tradesperson must hold valid public liability insurance with a minimum cover of £1 million. We verify policy documents directly with insurers and monitor expiry dates for as long as they stay on the platform.
From application to approved
Here is exactly what happens between a tradesperson submitting their application and their profile going live. Reviewers work to a 24-hour target and a 72-hour maximum.
Application Submitted
Identity & Right to Work
Proof of Trade Verified
Insurance Confirmed
DBS Check Returned
Approved & Goes Live
Vetting never stops.
Passing the initial checks is the beginning, not the end. Review scores, complaint patterns and credential expiry are monitored continuously, and tradespeople who fall below our standards are suspended.
Continuous credential monitoring
Lapsed insurance suspends the profile
Flagged accounts reviewed in 24 hours
Regulated trades re-verified annually
High standards mean real rejections.
A reviewer approves, rejects, or asks for the one missing item — and cites the specific gap either way. These are the grounds on which an application does not proceed, and the grounds on which an existing profile is revoked.
- Invalid or expired scheme number — the register is the arbiter. If it says the registration is not active, the application does not proceed.
- Insurance below the minimum — cover exists but falls short of £1 million, or the certificate has already expired.
- Insurance in someone else’s name — the policy must be held by the tradesperson themselves, not by a third party or a former employer.
- Insufficient proof of trade — no scheme registration, no qualification certificate, and no video-KYC call that demonstrates competency.
- DBS disclosure — convictions or cautions relevant to working unsupervised inside people’s homes.
- Documents that do not match — the ID provided does not correspond to the person applying, or fraud flags are raised during review.
The protections that are not standard
Most trade directories verify some of this some of the time. Here is what applies to every tradesperson on TradeMatch, on every job.
| Protection | TradeMatch | Typical directory |
|---|---|---|
| DBS Background Checks | ||
| Insurance Verification | Varies | |
| Qualification Verification | Varies | |
| Escrow-Protected Payments | ||
| Verified Reviews Only | ||
| Dispute Resolution Team | Varies | |
| Free for Homeowners |
Questions homeowners ask us
The five things people most want to know before they hand over a key or a deposit.
Every quote from a vetted professional.
Whether you need a Gas Safe engineer today or a builder for a six-month extension, every quote you receive comes from someone who has passed all five checks — and your payment stays in escrow until you say the work is done.