How We Verify Plumbers - Verified Plumbers

How We Verify Plumbers | VerifiedPlumbers

VerifiedPlumbers · Verification

How verified plumbers are checked

Every plumber listed on VerifiedPlumbers.co.uk goes through a structured set of checks before approval, and is re-verified every 12 months. We check identity, qualifications, insurance, business legitimacy and reputation against named external sources — not just self-declared sign-up information.

16named checks before any listing goes live

6categories, from identity to reputation

12mofull re-verification, anniversary-based

This page sets out exactly what we check, how we check it, what our checks do and do not cover, and how to flag concerns about a listing.

The checks below apply at the point of listing and at each annual re-verification. Listing checks are administrative and do not replace user verification on the day — see verification on the day of booking below.

Identity & address verification

Checks 1–3

Photo identification check

We confirm the individual is who they claim to be using a third-party identity verification process. Documents accepted include UK passport, UK photocard driving licence, or equivalent government-issued photo ID. The verification confirms the document is genuine and matches the named individual.

Proof of address check

We verify the operating address of the individual against documentary evidence (recent utility bill, bank statement, council tax bill, or HMRC correspondence dated within the last three months).

Business address verification

For limited companies, we confirm the registered office address against Companies House. For sole traders and partnerships, we confirm the trading address against documentary evidence.

Qualifications & accreditation

Checks 4–6

Qualification check

We verify qualifications relevant to the work being offered against the issuing body or competent person scheme register where one exists. For gas work, this is the Gas Safe Register. For unvented hot water cylinder work, this is competent person scheme registration under Building Regulations Part G/G3 (Approved Document G). For notifiable electrical work, this is competent person scheme registration under Building Regulations Part P (Approved Document P). Scope of competence (the categories of work the engineer is qualified for) is recorded with the listing.

Accreditation verification

Registrations are checked directly against official registers — Gas Safe Register, MCS, OFTEC, WaterSafe, NICEIC, NAPIT, or the relevant competent person scheme — depending on the trades the listing covers.

Certification validity check

We confirm certifications are active, current and not expired at the point of listing. Certifications are re-checked at each annual re-verification.

Insurance

Check 7

Public liability insurance check

We verify the plumber holds current public liability insurance by reviewing a copy of the active policy schedule or insurer-issued certificate of insurance. Cover level and policy expiry date are recorded with the listing. Insurance is re-verified at each annual re-verification.

Public liability insurance is not a statutory requirement for plumbers, but it is industry-standard and is contractually required by most clients, landlords, agents, blocks of flats and commercial sites. Users should confirm current cover with the contractor before booking.

Business legitimacy

Checks 8–12

Company registration check

For limited companies, we confirm the business is properly registered with Companies House and that the registered name matches trading name where relevant. Sole traders and partnerships are confirmed via HMRC self-assessment registration evidence or VAT registration where applicable.

Active trading status check

We confirm the business is actively trading and is not dormant, dissolved, or in liquidation.

Strike-off and insolvency check

We check for any active or pending strike-off notices at Companies House, and for indicators of formal insolvency (administration, liquidation, voluntary arrangements, individual bankruptcy where relevant).

Company history review

We review trading history for consistency. New companies are listable, but rapid director changes, recent strike-off-and-restoration patterns, or trading-name churn are reviewed for context before listing.

Director status check

We check that no director linked to the business is currently disqualified or banned from acting as a director under the Insolvency Service Disqualified Directors Register.

Reputation

Checks 13–15

Public records and web reputation review

We review publicly available information for material red flags. Sources reviewed include Companies House filings, court records (small claims, county court judgments, winding-up petitions where in the public domain), trade press, local press, and Trading Standards prosecution records where published.

Cross-platform review aggregation

We collect review data from across the major review platforms — Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Checkatrade, TrustATrader, Which? Trusted Traders, and others where the plumber maintains a presence — and look for consistency of rating across platforms, volume of reviews relative to trading age, and patterns over time. We do not authenticate individual reviews; we look at aggregate patterns.

Behaviour pattern review

We look for behavioural red flags across the public review history — recurring complaint themes (unfinished work, deposits not returned, no-shows), sudden rating spikes that suggest review manipulation, or sustained downward trends.

Platform integrity

Check 16

Duplicate and identity match check

Before approving a new listing, we cross-reference identity, address, business name and trading details against previously suspended or rejected listings to prevent re-listing under new identities or business names.

Annual re-verification

Every listed plumber is fully re-verified every 12 months. Re-verification is anniversary-based: a listing approved in May is re-verified each May. Annual re-verification covers:

Identity and address confirmation.
Accreditation status (Gas Safe Register, competent person schemes, other accreditations relevant to the trade).
Insurance currency (active policy schedule or certificate).
Companies House active status, director status, no disqualification or insolvency events.
Updated cross-platform review aggregation and behaviour pattern review.
Duplicate and identity match re-check.

If a plumber no longer meets our standards at annual re-verification, the listing is removed.

Ongoing monitoring between checks

Between annual re-verifications, we continue to:

Track Companies House notices for newly filed strike-off, insolvency or director-disqualification events.
Monitor Gas Safe Register status changes for listings that hold gas competence.
Review reader feedback received about specific listings.
Track significant rating changes across the platforms we aggregate.

A listing can be suspended or removed at any point between annual re-verifications if a material change is detected.

What our checks do not cover

We are not a regulator or certification body, and our verification process does not:

Replace user verification on the day of booking. Always verify the engineer’s licence number on the Gas Safe Register at booking and on arrival, before any gas work begins, and confirm category competence for the work being carried out.
Inspect work carried out by listed plumbers in customer properties.
Authenticate individual reviews on third-party platforms.
Provide insurance or warranty cover for work booked through listings. Workmanship guarantees, where offered, are between the plumber and the customer; they are not standardised, are not insurance-backed unless the plumber explicitly states otherwise, and are not underwritten by VerifiedPlumbers.
Make any representation about specific job pricing quoted by individual plumbers. Pricing is set by each plumber and confirmed directly with the customer at the point of booking.

You contact and pay listed plumbers directly. Each listing operates independently. There is no commitment until you agree a booking with the plumber.

Verification on the day of booking

Verification at the point of listing reduces — but does not eliminate — risk. Always check, on the day:

Gas Safe ID card. A current Gas Safe Register engineer ID card carries a photograph, licence number, registration number, expiry date, and a list of work categories the engineer is qualified for. Domestic central heating boilers are a separate competence to gas cookers, gas fires, or commercial appliances. Confirm the work category matches the work being carried out.
Quote in writing. Get the diagnostic fee, hourly rate, parts mark-up, minimum charge and call-out terms confirmed before work starts.
Itemised invoice on completion. Workmanship guarantees, where offered, should be confirmed in writing.
Verify the licence number directly on the Gas Safe Register Check An Engineer tool if you are unsure.

Listing removal

A listing is removed if any of the following occurs at point of listing, at annual re-verification, or between checks through ongoing monitoring:

Gas Safe Register registration lapses, is revoked, or is restricted to categories outside the listed scope.
Public liability insurance lapses or is cancelled.
Companies House records show strike-off, dissolution, administration, liquidation, or voluntary arrangement.
A linked director is disqualified.
A pattern of unresolved customer complaints exceeds our threshold (recurring substantive complaints across platforms, particularly around incomplete work, deposits not returned, or unsafe work).
Identity, business address or trading details are found to be falsified, or a duplicate-listing attempt is detected.
Trading Standards prosecution or HSE prohibition notice is recorded against the listed individual or business.

A removed listing is not eligible for re-listing under a different identity or business name. Suspended listings may be reinstated where the underlying issue is resolved and re-verified.

Reader feedback & complaints

If you have a concern about a listing — a verification check you believe was incorrectly granted, a complaint about a plumber listed on the directory, or a request for the listing to be reviewed or removed — please contact us.

Contact

feedback@verifiedplumbers.co.uk

We acknowledge within

5 working days

We investigate within

20 working days

If you have a complaint about plumbing work itself, the first contact should be with the plumber concerned. If the issue is not resolved, you can:

Contact your local Trading Standards through Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
For gas safety concerns, contact HSE or the Gas Safe Register.
For dispute resolution, consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or, for higher-value disputes, the small claims court.

We are not a dispute resolution body, but reader feedback informs our ongoing monitoring and listing-removal decisions.

Methodology updates

This verification methodology is reviewed periodically. Material changes are dated and noted below.

May 2026Methodology v2 published. Insurance verification added as a numbered check; listing-removal triggers documented; reader feedback and complaints route added; annual re-verification confirmed as anniversary-based.

Last reviewed: May 2026 by Adiel Khan — SFEDI-accredited business advisor, 20+ years’ experience (South East Enterprise Ltd) and operator of VerifiedPlumbers. LinkedIn ↗. This page describes our verification methodology and is not regulatory guidance. Where regulatory points are referenced (Gas Safe Register, Building Regulations Approved Documents, Companies House), source links are provided inline.

Verified Plumbers is an independent directory. We verify and list plumbing businesses — we don’t carry out the work. For gas work, always confirm the engineer’s current Gas Safe registration before work starts.