How We Verify Businesses

🔍 Why Verification Matters

Hiring a tradesperson is a significant decision. Unlike online marketplaces that accept any business without checks, RatedTraders.com independently investigates the businesses we feature. Our goal is simple: give you enough confidence to make an informed choice.

We operate two levels of verification, each represented by a distinct badge on a business's profile and listing card. The more badges a business holds, the more checks it has passed.

✅ Our Verification Badges

These badges appear on business profiles and listing cards when we have completed the relevant checks.

🏅

Trust Verified

Our highest level of verification. We carry out a comprehensive review of the business before awarding this status.

Trade qualifications and industry accreditations (e.g. Gas Safe, NICEIC, Which? Trusted Trader)
Public liability insurance or equivalent cover
Customer review history and average rating reviewed
Business trading history and legitimacy confirmed
Contact details and registered company information verified

🪪

ID Verified

We have confirmed the identity of this business and validated their contact information.

Business name and trading identity confirmed
Phone number and email address validated
Business address and service area confirmed
Basic online presence reviewed (website, social media)

⚠️ Listings Without Badges

Not every business listed on RatedTraders.com has been independently verified by us. Some listings are sourced from public business directories and Google data, and appear without having undergone our verification process.

ℹ️

What this means for you

If a listing does not display an ID Verified or Trust Verified badge, it means RatedTraders.com has not independently checked that business's credentials, insurance or identity. Their Google rating and reviews may still be genuine — but we encourage you to carry out your own checks before hiring. You can ask them directly for proof of insurance, qualifications and accreditations, and references.

📋 Our Responsibility — and Yours

We work hard to provide useful, accurate information to help you find reliable tradespeople. However, even verified businesses can occasionally fall short of expectations.

Important Disclaimer

RatedTraders.com is a directory and information service. We are not a party to any agreement between you and a tradesperson, and we accept no liability for any loss, damage, injury or dispute arising from work carried out by any business listed on this site — whether verified or not.

Verification badges indicate that we have completed specific checks at a point in time. Circumstances can change, and we cannot guarantee that a business's qualifications, insurance or standards remain current. We strongly recommend that you always carry out your own due diligence before hiring anyone.

We recommend you always:

Obtain written quotes from at least three different tradespeople before committing to any work
Ask for references from previous customers and follow them up
Request proof of public liability insurance before any work begins
Ask to see relevant trade qualifications or accreditations (e.g. Gas Safe register, NICEIC)
Never pay the full amount upfront — agree a staged payment schedule
Get all agreed work and costs in writing before work starts
Check Companies House and the Financial Conduct Authority register where relevant

Following these steps significantly reduces your risk, regardless of whether a business holds one of our verification badges.