Compare Builders Puts Verification at Heart of Homeowner Protection

A new UK platform designed to tackle rogue traders and improve the way homeowners find builders has welcomed the Government's latest measures to strengthen consumer protection.

Compare Builders launched several weeks before the Government's announcement, having been developed independently by four founders who had already identified what they saw as a need for a different approach to trust in the building industry.

The Government's new measures include an Approved Code for the home improvement sector, access to dispute resolution and a Trusted Payments system designed to link payments to project milestones. Compare Builders says these are positive steps and believes they can work alongside its own approach to builder verification.

Continuous Independent Checks for Homeowners

The platform was built around a simple question: Before a homeowner hires a builder, how can they establish that the person and company they are dealing with are genuine, financially and professionally credible, appropriately insured and still compliant?

Rather than operating as another builder directory or simply displaying an accreditation badge, Compare Builders independently verifies builders and then continues to monitor their status.

Before receiving a Compare Builders verification number, builders undergo eight independent checks, covering identity and liveness, right-to-work status, Companies House records, financial standing, VAT status, public liability insurance, trade-body membership and a photo-verified portfolio.

The process doesn't end there. Companies House information is monitored for changes, insurance and other documents are tracked towards expiry, and the verification set is re-checked annually. If a builder's verification lapses, their ability to receive new homeowner matches is paused until the issue is resolved.

Each builder also has a public Compare Builders profile showing their verification status and relevant dates, allowing homeowners to see what has actually been checked. The founders describe this as continuous verification rather than one-off certification.

Compare Builders says it welcomes the Government's new approach and intends to incorporate its accreditation into the platform's verification system once the scheme becomes operational. The company believes the two approaches address complementary parts of the same problem. The Government's measures focus on improving standards, dispute resolution and payment protection, while Compare Builders focuses on establishing confidence in the builder before a homeowner commits to the work.

A Shared Mission Between Industry and Government

James Ryan, co-founder of Compare Builders, said:

“We welcome what the Government is doing. Anything that makes it harder for rogue traders to operate and gives homeowners greater protection has to be positive.

“We launched Compare Builders several weeks before the announcement because we had already identified the need for a better way of establishing trust between homeowners and builders.

“We don't see the two approaches as competing. They can work together. Our focus is on making sure homeowners can see who they are dealing with and what has actually been checked before they commit to a project.”

Compare Builders was founded by four people with very different experiences of the building industry. Luke Burford, a builder with more than 20 years' experience across Surrey and London, has spent years competing for leads and dealing with the consequences of poor workmanship left by rogue traders. James Ryan, a business owner, has experienced the financial and emotional impact of cowboy builders himself twice.

Technology specialist Ian Lewis developed the technology behind the platform after his own experience of rogue building work, while landscape gardener and builder Els Tisserand has seen reputable tradespeople lose work in a system that can reward speed and lead-buying over quality.

The platform is designed to benefit both sides. Homeowners and builders are verified before being connected, projects are offered exclusively to selected builders rather than being sold as the same enquiry to multiple firms, and builders only pay when they secure the opportunity. Homeowner and builder contact details are also masked until an appointment is made, with initial communication taking place through the platform.

Luke Burford, co-founder of Compare Builders, said:

“The good builders are sick of rogue traders too. Every cowboy builder damages the reputation of the whole industry.

“We wanted to create a system where reputable builders can demonstrate that they're genuine and properly established, and where homeowners can actually see the checks that have been carried out.

“The Government has now put this issue firmly on the national agenda, which we welcome. We want to play our part in making the industry fairer for homeowners and good builders.”