How we check the firms we work with

We pass your enquiry to one local firm, so you should know exactly what we have checked about that firm and what we haven't. This page sets out both, so you can judge for yourself how much further checking to do.

Before a firm receives any enquiry

We make three checks, and a firm receives nothing from us until all three are done.

Public liability insurance, seen and recorded. We ask for the certificate, check that the business name on it matches the firm, and record the expiry date. This is the cover that pays if, say, a digger cracks a drain cover or a fence post goes through a buried cable and damages your property or a neighbour's.

Waste carrier registration, where waste is removed from site. Most fencing and driveway jobs produce waste: old panels and posts, broken slabs, and the soil and hardcore dug out before a new block paving drive goes down. Anyone taking waste away from your property as a business must be registered with the Environment Agency. Where a firm removes waste, we ask for the registration number and record it. If waste you have paid to have taken away is fly-tipped, you can be held responsible, so this one matters.

Identity and trading name confirmed. We confirm who runs the business and that the name you'll be given is the name they actually trade under, so you know who you are dealing with.

Each area has one firm for fencing and gates and one for driveways and patios, and your enquiry goes to one firm only.

When insurance lapses

The expiry date is held on the firm's record and checked automatically. If their cover runs out, the site stops sending them enquiries until they send us the renewal. That's built into the software, not a reminder on a calendar.

What we do not do

We would rather be plain about the limits.

• We do not inspect workmanship. We don't visit a firm's past jobs or check how they lay a sub-base or set a fence post.
• We do not guarantee the work. We are an introducer. Your contract, your quote and any guarantee come from the firm that does the job. See our terms.
• We do not guarantee a price. The range on this site is indicative, worked out per metre or per square metre from typical local prices. The firm measures up and confirms a fixed price. See the driveway cost per m² and fence cost per metre guides for how the figures are built.
• We do not check scheme membership. See below.

Installer schemes you can check yourself

Some firms belong to installer schemes run by manufacturers or trade bodies, such as the Marshalls Register, Brett Approved, Interlay (the Association of Block Paving Contractors) and TrustMark. These schemes set their own standards and some inspect members' work or offer guarantees. We don't verify membership of any of them, and we don't claim a firm belongs to one. If it matters to you, ask the firm which scheme they belong to and check it on the scheme's own website.

What you should still do

A few minutes of your own checking is sensible on any trade job.

1. Ask to see the insurance certificate and check it is in date and in the firm's name.
2. Check the waste carrier registration on the Environment Agency public register if they are taking anything away.
3. Get the quote in writing, including the sub-base depth, edgings, drainage and what is taken away.
4. For a dropped kerb, check who does the work on the pavement. Most councils require their own contractor or one they have authorised to work on the highway. See how to get a dropped kerb.
5. Be wary of pressure: doorstep callers offering to surface your drive with "leftover" tarmac, cash-only deals, and large payments up front. Why cheap driveways fail explains what to look for.