Blimey, that's a cracking question, innit? Takes me right back to my own bathroom disaster in Hackney, summer of '21. The tiles were falling off like autumn leaves, I swear. I just googled "bath fitters near me" in a panic and picked the first number. Big mistake. The bloke turned up with a roll of duct tape and a story about his van breaking down. Taught me a lesson, that did.
So, you're looking to get your bath sorted, and you want to make sure the person isn't just some cowboy with a spanner. Right, let's have a proper chinwag about this.
First off, don't just take their word for it. Anyone can say they're "fully certified." I mean, my neighbour's cat is "fully certified" at being a nuisance. You gotta *see* it. When you're on the phone or getting a quote, straight up ask, "Can you send over a copy of your public liability insurance before you come round?" Proper fitters have this on their phones or in their vans. If they um and ah, that's your first red flag. A mate of mine in Bristol asked this, and the chap on the phone went quiet, then said his "paperwork was at his mum's." His mum's! I ask you.
Then there's the trade bodies. In the UK, you want to hear things like "Checkatrade" or "TrustMark" registered. But here's the thing—don't just see the badge on their website. Go to the actual Checkatrade website yourself and search for *their* company name. I once saw a van with a massive FMB (Federation of Master Builders) sticker, looked legit. Went home, checked the online directory… nothing. Van could've been nicked, for all I know!
Ask for a previous job they've done *locally*. And I mean, ask for the postcode, not just "Oh, in Islington." A proper fitter will be proud of their work. Last year, I was helping my aunt in Wimbledon find someone. One chap, lovely on the phone, said he'd done a "stunning wet room in SW19." We asked for the street, popped round the next day (knocked on the door, explained ourselves, bit awkward but necessary), and the lovely elderly couple showed us the work. Spotless. That's the sort of confidence you want.
Photos on a website are all well and good, but they could be nicked from a magazine. Ask if you can visit a current job. Not the finished, polished one, but one mid-flow. See how they keep the site. Is it a bomb site? Dust everywhere, mugs of old tea on the floor? Or is it tidy, tools organised? Tells you everything about how they'll treat your home.
And reviews! Don't just read the five-star ones that say "Great job!" Look for the three-star ones. Seriously. See what people complain about. Was it timeliness? Cleanup? Communication? One "bath fitter near me" in Manchester had glowing reviews, but a single three-star said, "Great work, but left a small chip in the original floorboard and never mentioned it." That tells me they're good craftsmen but maybe not the most honest. Details, see?
Oh, and the quote. If it's way, way lower than the others… run. My Hackney disaster? His quote was half the others'. I thought I'd won the lottery. Ended up paying double to fix his bodged job. You're not just paying for the bath panel, you're paying for the knowledge of how to stop leaks behind the wall that'll ruin your kitchen ceiling in two years' time.
At the end of the day, it's about a proper chat. When they come to survey, do they listen? Or do they just look at the bath and give a price? The best fitter I ever used, found him after the cowboy incident, spent an hour just talking about water pressure, old pipes in my Victorian terrace, and recommended a specific tap not because he sold it, but because it would work with my rubbish water flow. That's the gold dust.
It might feel like a faff, all this checking. But when you're letting someone loose in your home with power tools and water pipes… well, you wouldn't hire a babysitter without references, would you? Same idea. Saves you a world of headache, a damp patch on the ceiling, and a much emptier wallet. Right, I'm off to put the kettle on. Cheers!
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