How NI Trades works, what we check (and what we do not), how reviews are kept honest, and how to flag a concern. If your question is not here, the contact page is one click away.
Posting a job, what costs (nothing), and what happens to your details.
Is NI Trades free for homeowners?
Yes. Posting a job and receiving expressions of interest from tradespeople is free for homeowners. We never charge a homeowner to use the platform.
How long does it take to get responses to a job?
For most trades and most NI towns, the first expression of interest arrives within a few hours of posting. We cap each job at three responses to keep things manageable for you and to keep tradespeople from being spammed.
Are my contact details shared with tradespeople when I post a job?
No. Tradespeople see only the job description, town and timing. Your name, phone and email are revealed only when you choose to connect with a specific tradesperson by responding to their expression of interest.
Can I cancel a job after posting it?
Yes. From your dashboard you can close a job at any time: when you've hired, when the work is no longer needed, or for any other reason. Closing a job stops further notifications going to tradespeople.
Vetting
How we vet tradespeople
What we check at application, what we do not check on an ongoing basis, and what the Verified badge actually means.
How does NI Trades vet tradespeople?
Every tradesperson goes through application-stage checks only: government-issued photo ID, public liability insurance certificate (minimum £1m) confirmed in force on the date of our review, two contactable references nominated by the applicant, and any statutory or industry credentials claimed (Gas Safe, NICEIC, CSCS and similar) checked against the relevant public register on the day of application. Our checks are not ongoing: we do not run scheduled, periodic or real-time monitoring after a profile goes live. See the full methodology and limits on our How we vet tradespeople page.
Does the "Verified" badge guarantee good work?
No. The Verified badge confirms only that we received and reviewed the required documents at application stage on a specific date. It is not an endorsement, accreditation, certification or guarantee of competence, conduct, current status or work quality. Customers must always agree a written quote, verify identity, and ask the tradesperson directly for proof of current insurance and any statutory credentials before work begins and before any money is paid. Customer due diligence is essential: NI Trades is an introduction service only.
How are references checked?
References are nominated by the tradesperson themselves. We contact each reference by email or phone only. We do not visit any site, do not inspect any completed or in-progress work, do not view photographs or other evidence of work, and we have no way of independently verifying the identity of the referee or the relationship they describe. The reference check is an indicative application-stage check. It is not a substitute for the customer's own due diligence on a specific job: if you want to rely on references for a particular hire, contact references directly yourself and request your own evidence.
What happens if a tradesperson's insurance lapses after they were vetted?
We do not run ongoing or scheduled re-checks of insurance. A public liability policy can lapse, be cancelled, be refused renewal, or be revoked at any time after our application-stage check (for example through non-payment of premium by the tradesperson, mid-term cancellation by the insurer, or refusal of renewal) and we are not notified when this happens. Customers must always ask the tradesperson directly for proof of current insurance immediately before any work begins and before any money is paid: the responsibility to verify live cover at the point of hire sits with the customer, not with NI Trades.
Whose responsibility is it to check insurance and credentials before work starts?
Yours, as the customer. NI Trades is an introduction service. Our checks happen at the point of application only and reflect what we saw on a specific date. Before work begins and before any money changes hands you must satisfy yourself directly with the tradesperson as to current insurance cover, current statutory credentials (Gas Safe, NICEIC, etc., verify the registration number on the relevant public register on the day of hire), identity, written quote and scope. NI Trades has no part in that decision and accepts no responsibility for it.
Reviews
Reviews
Where reviews come from, how we keep them honest, and what happens when one is disputed.
Where do reviews come from?
Only homeowners who posted a job through NI Trades and recorded a hire can leave a review for that tradesperson. We don't accept open public review submissions, which makes review-bombing or fake-positive review campaigns much harder to execute.
Can a tradesperson get a fake review removed?
A tradesperson can flag any review as inaccurate or in breach of our terms. Our trust & safety team investigates and removes reviews that don't meet our standards (e.g. abusive language, content unrelated to the work, suspected non-customer authorship).
For trades
For tradespeople
Joining, what gets verified, how leads work, and what your monthly fee includes.
How much does it cost to be listed as a tradesperson?
You can choose the Starter free trial (3 months free, capped at 5 responses in total) or sign up directly on a paid plan. Listed membership is £30/month and Featured is £55/month, billed from the date your application is approved. There are no per-lead charges, no bidding wars and no contracts.
Are there any per-lead charges or hidden fees?
No. NI Trades is a simple flat monthly fee (Listed is £30/month and Featured is £55/month) or a free 3-month Starter trial. There are no charges per lead, no credits to buy, no commission on jobs you win, and no long-term contract. What you pay does not change whether you get one enquiry that month or ten.
How is NI Trades different from Bark, Checkatrade or MyBuilder?
The biggest difference is the pricing model. Pay-per-lead platforms (such as Bark) charge you each time you contact a customer, whether or not you win the job, and usually sell the same lead to several tradespeople at once. Membership directories (such as Checkatrade) charge a recurring fee that has historically run into the hundreds or thousands per year. NI Trades charges one flat monthly fee with no per-lead charges, is Northern Ireland only, and shows each posted job to a maximum of three tradespeople, so you are never one of a dozen chasing the same customer. Our trade guide on whether lead-generation sites are worth it explains the maths in full.
How are jobs matched to tradespeople?
You receive notifications for open jobs that match your trade and the area you cover. You decide which jobs to express interest in. Each job is capped at three responding tradespeople so you aren't bidding against a long queue.
What do I need to apply to list my trade?
You will need government-issued photo ID, a current public liability insurance certificate (minimum £1m cover), two contactable references, and any statutory or industry credentials relevant to your trade (for example Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT or OFTEC). Having clear photos of your completed work ready also helps your profile convert once it is live.
Do I need to be a limited company to list?
No. Sole traders and limited companies are both welcome. The application checks (ID, public liability insurance, references and any trade credentials) are the same either way.
How long does it take to be approved?
We aim to review trade applications within a few working days of receiving your documents. We will come back to you if anything is missing or unclear; once approved, your profile goes live and your billing (if you chose a paid plan) starts from the approval date.
What is the difference between the Listed and Featured plans?
Listed (£30/month) gives you a full public profile with your work photos, reviews and contact via the platform. Featured (£55/month) adds premium profile features designed to help you stand out and win more work: a cover photo, a larger work-photo gallery, pinned customer testimonials and more. You can see the full feature comparison on our For tradespeople page, and you can move between plans at any time.
Can I cancel any time?
Yes. There are no fixed-term contracts. You can cancel from your dashboard and you will not be charged for the following period. Your listing stays live until the end of the period you have already paid for.
When do customers see my contact details?
Your profile is shown to a homeowner when you express interest in their specific job. You are in control: you choose which jobs to respond to, and your details are not scraped, sold or spammed out to anyone who has not posted a matching job.
Concerns
Concerns and complaints
How to flag an issue, what we will do about it, and how decisions about sanctions are made.
How do I report a concern about a tradesperson?
Use the Report concern button on the tradesperson's profile, or email us. We acknowledge reports within 2 working days and aim to conclude investigations within 10 working days. See our Complaints policy for the full process.
What sanctions can NI Trades apply to a tradesperson?
Substantiated complaints result in a formal warning. Three active warnings trigger automatic suspension pending senior review. In serious cases (safety, dishonesty, fraud) we suspend or remove a tradesperson immediately.
Still got a question
We answer every enquiry within 1 working day
If your question is not on this page, the contact form routes straight to the right person. Tradespeople with practical questions about winning more local work can also browse our trade guides.
