Where to find a good builder is one of the most discussed subjects among neighbours, second only to the weather,” says Andrew Skipwith, chief executive of Rated People, one of a growing number of websites that act as matchmakers between homeowners who want work done on their houses and the tradesman they need to carry it out.

I can confirm that. Just over a year ago, when we were merrily planning an extension to our home in a Hertfordshire village, everyone seemed to be at it like rabbits: loft conversions, side returns and rear extensions were appearing everywhere. And if you wanted the best bloke for the job, the place to ask was the school playground, hairdressers or village pub.

Even city friends did similar word-of-mouth networking through local residents’ associations and the like. But if you’ve just moved to a new area and don’t know anyone, word of mouth is tricky. And anyway, what if you track down the builder of your dreams only to find he’s booked up for the whole summer? The answer could lie online.

Problemsolved.co.uk

Alison Cork, shaping up to become Britain’s answer to Martha Stewart, set up this website in 2000 to “separate the men from the cowboys”. The online directory now lists 60,000 tradespeople, with comments, both positive and negative, from those who’ve used them.

Barbara McHugh used ProblemSolved to find a builder to change the bedroom and bathroom layout of the second floor of her penthouse in Lauderdale Tower, in the Barbican complex in central London.

“I’ve had dreadful trouble with builders over the years, so I was interested in any method of going by recommendation,” says McHugh, 59, who runs an IT company with her husband, Peter, 61. Her search of the site led her to Mark Turner. “I liked what people had said about Mark. He was quick to get back to me and when he came round he had some brilliant ideas. Even though the job turned out to be bigger than expected, we went only slightly over budget, and he never did anything before getting our approval. He cared about his work and paid attention to detail. You’re never really sure the comments on these sites are genuine, but he more than lived up to his recommendations.”

Bouquets: Cork calls her site “the Facebook of Tradespeople”. “Each member has their own interactive profile, so users feel they really know the tradesmen before they come into their homes,” she says. As well as adding comments, users can give builders points out of 10 on customer service, standard of work and value for money.

Brickbats: No vetting is done of the tradespeople on the site, so if one were dodgy, it could be up for a while before any negative feedback came through. Tradesmen have to pay if they want an enhanced entry, but there is no restriction on these, so anyone, good or bad, could pay for one. The site accepts no responsibility for any problems. There is also a suspiciously high proportion of 10 out of 10 ratings – “It’s true we get a lot at the top, some at the bottom, but few in the middle,” Cork says, “but that’s because when tradespeople have a happy customer they naturally encourage them to put up a review.”

Can you trust it? It would, in theory, be possible for people to send in false recommendations. Cork says the site runs checks by validating e-mail addresses. She reckons it is obvious when recommendations are false because they sound too perfect and there tends to be a clutch of them together. Those who use the site, including herself, post comments such as “I wouldn’t trust that one” if they see anything suspicious.

Mybuilder.com

The site (initially called buildersite.co.uk), was created in 2006 by Ryan Notz, a roofer and stonemason from Pennsylvania, who was finding it difficult to find clients after settling in Bristol with his British wife. Tradespeople register and create a profile, which is constantly updated with customer feedback.

Bouquets: Not only does this site let homeowners search for builders, it also allows them to post details of the work they need doing, and have tradesmen tender for it. Among the jobs offered last week were a basement conversion in Aberdeen, building a garden wall in Doncaster, and fitting a new kitchen in Maida Vale, west London – all of which attracted several quotes.

Brickbats: Notz admits that rogue tradesmen with false recommendations do slip through the net, but says that if they are discovered, they are banned. “It’s a messy industry,” he says.

Can you trust it? “We spend time making the site as unriggable as possible,” says Notz. “We check people’sreferences and phone up clients. Our software is designed to pick up false feedback, such as unrealistic timescales, when they’re sent in.”

Ratedpeople.com

Skipwith set up this site in 2005 to improve the “miserable experience” of home improvements. Thank you, Andrew. The tradesman pays a quarterly listing fee (£46) and another fee for every lead he follows up, based on the job size.

Dean and Lucy Sheppard, who own an 1860s cottage in Bristol, found KGB Construction, a local firm, through the site, and used it to build a two-storey extension. Dean, 37, a car services manager, and Lucy, 34, who have two small children, wanted the minimum of disruption – and were not disappointed. “As well as the best quote, they had the right experience for the job, which entailed finding the right match for the old stone walls,” says Dean. “So the site did exactly what it said it would.”

Bouquets: Customers post their jobs, and Rated People finds you the three of its members who are nearest and with the most appropriate skills.

Brickbats: The site selects three builders for you, but that doesn’t mean they will all come back with quotes.

Can you trust it? It’s pretty safe, because customers can only leave a rating following a specific job that has been posted on the site.

www.trustmark.org.uk

Backed by the government, the building industry and consumer protection groups, the site sets out to help homeowners find “reliable, trustworthy tradesmen”. These all sign up to a code of practice and are awarded the TrustMark only once they have been checked and accepted.

Bouquets: “What’s unique about us is that we carry out detailed on-site inspections by experts in each trade,” says Stuart Carter, a spokesman for the organisation.

Brickbats: No customer feedback. You find a tradesman by keying in your postcode and the trade you want.

Can you trust it? Tradesmen continue to be monitored for quality of work, trading practices and customer satisfaction – so yes, probably.

www.findabuilder.co.uk

Run by the Federation of Master Builders, which has been going for 68 years and has 12,000 members, the site lists people and firms in various trades, which you can search by postcode.

Bouquets: The site helps resolve any disputes between customers and builders.

Brickbats: There is no customer feedback, although there are links to builders’ own websites, which may show recent jobs.

Can you trust it? The federation says members undergo a rigorous vetting procedure that involves submitting six references, one of which must be from an industry professional such as an architect or surveyor, with the remainder from clients.

WE CAN WORK IT OUT

How do you find the best man for the job? Share your views at timesonline.co.uk/property

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