When I started out as a young plumber with a second-hand van and a bag of tools, there was one thing that mattered more than anything else, trust.
If a customer lets you through their front door, they’re putting their home, their money, and their safety in your hands.
That’s why I’ve always said if you’re working in people’s homes, you should be properly registered and qualified.
Gas engineers have to be Gas Safe, and rightly so. It keeps people safe and gives customers peace of mind.
So, here’s the question: why the hell don’t we have the same for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and the rest of the traditional building industry trades?
Every week you hear horror stories about cowboy builders leaving jobs half-done, ripping off pensioners, or vanishing after pocketing a few grand. No ID. No paperwork. No comeback.
Meanwhile, the decent, hardworking tradesmen and women, the ones who’ve grafted, trained, and take pride in doing a proper job, get tarred with the same brush.
A national register for all trades would change the game overnight.
Customers could check who’s coming to their door, see they’re qualified, and know they’re getting a legit professional, not some chancer with a drill and a dodgy smile.
It’s about peace of mind for the customer and respect for the skilled professional. Customers would know exactly who’s working in their home, that they’ve got the right training, and that if something goes wrong, they can be held accountable.
We’ve got to kick the cowboys out of the industry once and for all.
They drag down the reputation of everyone else, and they make a mockery of the thousands of skilled tradespeople who play by the rules.
Gas Safe works. It’s proof that a proper register raises standards, protects the public, and gives credibility to the trade.
It’s about time the same system was rolled it out across all building trades. We need to give customers confidence in the professionals they hire. And make sure the next generation of apprentices are joining a respected industry, not one full of cowboys and conmen.
No more excuses. No more blaggers. It’s time to clean up the trade.
