What should you do before a tradesperson visits?
Before a routine visit, send a clear description of the work, useful photos and any known access restrictions. Agree whether the visit is to inspect, quote or carry out a specific job, what it costs and who will let the tradesperson in. Keep the agreed scope and appointment together so you can check them on the day.
You do not need to diagnose the fault. “The cupboard door catches the adjacent door and the hinge looks loose” gives the tradesperson something to assess. “Replace the hinge” assumes a solution before anyone has checked it. For an urgent problem, use the relevant problem guidance and appropriate emergency help first; this checklist is for arranging a routine visit.
Send the job, the setting and the unknowns
A useful photo shows where the item is as well as the detail. Take it from a safe, accessible position. Leave covers, equipment and fittings alone if opening or moving them would create a risk. Share relevant images, not a whole room full of private paperwork.
| Send | Useful detail |
|---|---|
| The problem | What happens, where and when you first noticed it. Say if it has changed. |
| The item | Room, fixture or appliance. Add a visible model label if you can read it safely. |
| The evidence | One wider photo and a close view of the relevant area. Describe anything the photo misses. |
| Earlier work | What was previously repaired or replaced, with the relevant receipt or report if you have it. |
| The desired result | Repair the existing item, assess options or quote for replacement. Name any finish you want retained. |
| The unknowns | What you cannot see or do not know. Ask whether it needs an inspection before a price. |
For a known service, check its service description and relevant cost guide. A guide can help you understand the scope; the actual quote must describe your job.
Agree what this visit is for
An inspection and a repair are different appointments. Before reserving a time, ask these questions and keep the answers with the job:
- Will you inspect and advise, provide a quote, or complete the listed work?
- Is there a visit or diagnostic charge, and what does it include?
- If you can do the repair then, will you confirm the price before starting?
- Who supplies the materials, and is the chosen item confirmed?
- What might need a second visit, and how would that be priced?
Ask about any quote charge before the visit. Citizens Advice’s guidance for work on a home in England recommends a written quote that describes the work, materials, price validity and VAT treatment. Use the quote comparison guide when you are choosing between offers.
Source: Citizens Advice: before you get work done on your home (England)
Plan access without promising the whole day
Agree a date and arrival window that someone can actually meet. Give the full job address through the booking or direct contact route, plus practical directions if the entrance is hard to find. Explain parking, loading restrictions, stairs, lift access and building entry arrangements that affect the visit.
Ask what space the tradesperson needs clear and whether water, power or use of a room may be interrupted. Move small personal belongings only where safe. Agree help for heavy furniture instead of promising an empty room you cannot provide. Plan where children and pets will be during the work.
If someone else is letting the tradesperson in, tell that person the appointment and the work agreed. Decide how the tradesperson can reach you for a price or scope decision. Being available at the door does not mean your neighbour has agreed to approve extra spending.
Copy this routine repair brief
Fictional example: a resident arranging a kitchen cupboard repair.
Job: the lower kitchen cupboard door catches the next door when opened. I first noticed it last week. The upper hinge looks loose; I do not know whether the hinge or mounting needs replacing. Two photos show the cupboard and hinge from outside.
Requested visit: inspect the door and quote for repair, keeping the existing door and finish if possible. Please confirm any inspection charge and whether repair could be done during the visit after I agree the price.
Access: the kitchen is on the ground floor. I can meet an agreed morning window. Parking is restricted outside; please ask for loading details before the visit. I can empty the cupboard. Please tell me if you need more space.
Decision: I will approve the repair price. If I am not there, contact me before changing the work. Appointment and charge: to be confirmed.
Change “to be confirmed” only once you have an answer. A request for Tuesday morning is not yet a confirmed appointment.
Check the day and the handover
- Read the latest appointment and quote, including any revised scope.
- Have the agreed access arrangement ready and keep the contact number available.
- Show the tradesperson the item and describe any change since your first message.
- Agree how you will be told about an unexpected finding before extra work starts.
- Before they leave, ask what was done, what remains, and what documents or follow-up are expected.
If the work changes, use the extra work decision checklist. For a rented home, use the repair coordination guide so the resident, person approving the work and contractor have the same appointment information.
Ready to arrange work? Find a local tradesperson, or start a quote request for the job you have described.
