According to research by Plentific.com, nearly four out of five homeowners admit that they would hire a trade professional without checking for public liability or professional indemnity insurance.

Hiring a tradesperson who does not have the appropriate insurance cover can leave a homeowner financially vulnerable if things go wrong, or if they are dissatisfied with the work carried out.

All home improvement or renovation projects come with some risk. Without public liability insurance, any costs arising from on-site injuries or damaged property will fall to the customer to pay. Similarly, if the work carried out, advice given or specialist services offered by a tradesperson are unsatisfactory, without professional indemnity insurance, the financial costs to amend the project will again fall to the homeowner to organise.

According to the research, only 54% of homeowners check the Gas Safe Register when hiring installers to work on their gas utilities. This percentage drops to 48% for those under 55, but rises to 60% for homeowners aged 55 and over.

The research also shows that 57% of homeowners believe checking reviews from previous customers is a must before hiring a trade professional. Checking a trade professional’s website also ranked highly, with 43% of respondents claiming that this was a key step when hiring a professional.

Stephen Jury, Spokesperson for Plentific, said: “It’s shocking to think that the majority of homeowners aren’t properly checking the tradespeople they let into their homes to carry out renovation or repair work. These projects can be costly, so if something goes wrong it is essential to be protected.

“The fact that more homeowners check previous customer reviews over credentials such as the Gas Safe Register could be surprising to some. However, it shows how much influence people put on real life testimonials and recent customer experiences."