The average cost of getting building work done by tradespeople has risen to over £12,000, new data from Checkatrade reveals.  

While prices are on the up, the quality of tradespeople remains mixed, with roofers being dubbed the least trustworthy, according to the tradesperson review platform.  

Checkatrade said roofers had the worst-rated review scores on its platform. 

It claimed roofers were more likely to be 'declined' from the Checkatrade platform than any other tradesperson. However, average review scores for roofers overall remained fairly high, at 9.54 out of 10. 

Speaking to This is Money about roofing, Checkatrade said: 'Generally, it's a high-risk category because it's an area of our homes we can't easily see, causing us to place high trust in any individual that tells us something's wrong up there.

'Typically, large-scale roofing jobs are one of the more expensive home maintenance tasks, so when things go wrong, there are higher costs attached.'

Checkatrade told This is Money builders, landscapers, hard landscapers (which design and install things like paths and patios) and plumbers also didn't fare well in the trustworthy tradespeople rankings.  

Factoring in all trades, tradespeople in London's Southall, Preston and Manchester had the lowest average scores in the third quarter. 

Which trades CAN we trust?  

At the other end of the spectrum, chimney sweeps were found to be the most trustworthy tradespeople on Checkatrade, followed by alarm and security fitters and curtain and blind fitters, Checkatrade said. 

Residents in Bournemouth,  Redhill and Southend-on-Sea can breathe a sigh of relief as Checktrade found tradespeople in all sectors operating in these areas received the highest ratings on its platform. 

'Southend-On-Sea tradespeople are consistently high-performing', Checkatrade told This is Money.  

Jambu Palaniappan, chief executive of Checkatrade, said: 'We continue to see the issue of rogue tradespeople plaguing the industry, with roofing called out as a particular problem area.

'Our vetting saw us block applications from 16 per cent of the roofers who attempted to join our platform in Q3, and we have proactively reviewed our own approach to this challenging sector.

'All roofers on Checkatrade are being re-vetted and we require them to provide proof of at least six months' incorporation and trading history, adding a new layer of reassurance for consumers.' 

Building work costs surge    

The average cost of getting a building job done at home has surged by 19 per cent in a single quarter, Checkatrade's Home Improvement Index also revealed. 

With demand high and labour and materials costs on the up, the average cost of a building job is now £12,634, up from £10,626 in the previous quarter. 

The average cost of getting a kitchen fitted has has risen by 12 per cent in a quarter, from £6,574 to £7,376, while the average cost of a plastering job has surged by 16 per cent from £2,343.

Meanwhile, insulation installation costs have jumped 20 per cent to £4,636 and the average cost of gardening jobs climbed by 10 per cent to £679.  

The cost of getting smaller handyman-style jobs done has rocketed by 25 per cent, from £452 to £563, in the latest quarter, Checkatrade added.  

Checkatrade said: 'The overall average cost of every job carried out by Checkatrade members over the quarter increased by 6 per cent. 

'But again, there is no impact on demand, with the number of jobs also up 6 per cent - showing that around 150,000 more jobs were undertaken in Q3 versus Q2.'

The group's boss, Mr Palaniappan said the 19 per cent increase in average prices was 'significant', adding that it reflected 'the ongoing increases in the cost of labour and materials.' 

In total, over 2.7million jobs were carried out in the third quarter. Brighton, where average house prices are around £453,000, was the number one home improvement hotspot in the quarter.  Guildford and Portsmouth came in second and third place. 

In terms of the type of jobs proving popular with homeowners, chimney sweeping services increased by 211 per cent quarter-on-quarter. 

There was also a 131 per cent increase in in demand for interior design jobs in the period, Checkatrade claimed. Callouts for pest and vermin control rose by 43 per cent. 

Had a bad tradesperson experience? Get in touch: [email protected]