I see the end result of bad hiring decisions three or four times a year - usually because someone calls me to fix a job another trade has done badly. Most of the time, the warning signs were visible before the work even started. This article is the 12 questions I'd ask if I were hiring a joiner myself.
These work whether you're looking for a £400 door job, a £5,000 wardrobe build or a £15,000 oak-framed garden room. A good joiner will be happy to answer every one. A cowboy will hedge on most of them.
The 12 questions - and why they matter
1. Can I see photos of three recent jobs of this specific type?
Not a portfolio in general, but jobs that match what you need. Anyone serious about their trade has photos of recent work on their phone. If they can't send you three examples of similar jobs from the last 12-18 months, they haven't done enough of them to be confident.
2. Do you have public liability insurance?
The industry standard is £2m public liability. Ask to see the certificate - any insured tradesperson can email it within an hour. No certificate, walk away. This protects you if something goes wrong on your property.
3. How long have you been doing this specific type of work?
Not 'how long have you been a joiner' - they might be newly self-employed after 20 years on a building site. Ask specifically about the work you need. Sash window restoration, for example, has a 5-year learning curve before someone's genuinely competent at it.
4. What's included in the quote, and what isn't?
A fixed-price quote should explicitly list inclusions and exclusions. 'Waste removal,' 'decorative finishes,' 'any electrical work beyond moving a single point,' 'certificates' - these are the areas where surprises happen. Ask for the quote in writing with inclusions itemised.
5. Do you take a deposit, and what does it cover?
Deposits of 20-30% are normal for jobs over £500, and they cover bought-in materials plus a diary slot. A deposit that's 50%+ with an open-ended start date is a red flag. Ask: 'what happens to the deposit if you can't start?'
6. How will I pay the balance?
Card through a Stripe or similar secure gateway is my default; bank transfer is common. Cash-only balance requests are worth questioning. Any joiner offering a 20% discount for cash is handling this off the books - which means no paper trail if anything goes wrong.
7. What guarantee do you offer?
12 months on workmanship is standard. Manufacturer warranties apply separately to hardware and materials. Get this in writing. If a joiner won't put a simple 12-month workmanship guarantee on paper, walk away.
8. What happens if I'm not happy with something?
Ask for a 'final walk-through' clause. Every good joiner does one - you walk the finished job together, snag list anything that needs fixing, and the joiner comes back once to tidy up. If they won't commit to this, they're likely the kind who disappears once the invoice is paid.
9. How do you handle variations and extras?
Every job has at least one surprise - a hidden joist, a rotten cill, an awkward power routing. Ask 'what happens if we hit an unexpected extra?' The right answer: 'I'll phone you, we'll agree the extra cost in writing before I continue, and it goes on your invoice separately.'
10. What's your timeline and what causes delays?
A clear answer with a start date, a working-days estimate, and the top two or three things that usually delay the job (supplier lead times, weather for exterior work, awkward structural finds) shows someone who plans. Vague 'oh, a couple of weeks' answers aren't reassuring.
11. Who else will be on the job?
On a solo joiner operation the answer is usually 'just me, sometimes with a labourer for heavier lifts'. On larger jobs they might bring in a plumber or electrician. Either way you want to know before day one, not when a stranger arrives at 7am.
12. Can you give me two references from recent customers?
Not five-year-old reviews - two recent customers, from the last 6-12 months, who will take your call. Any professional joiner will have these. If they bristle at the request, that tells you something.
Red flags that trump all 12 answers
- No written quote. If you can't get a quote in writing, don't hire them.
- Pressure to 'decide today' for 'a discount that expires.' This is pure sales tactic - a real tradesperson is busy, they're not running limited-time offers.
- No registered business address or phone number besides a mobile.
- Asks for the full balance up-front, or payment before work starts.
- Claims trade accreditations without being able to show evidence.
- Won't let you talk to the trades they sub-contract to.
What a good quote actually looks like
When you're comparing quotes, pay attention to the structure as much as the number. A good quote includes:
- Clear description of the work, broken down by room or element.
- Itemised materials (or at least 'materials' as a line item with a range).
- Labour days or hours.
- Whether the business is VAT registered and, if so, how VAT is shown. SC Joinery is not VAT registered and does not charge VAT.
- Timeline: expected start date, working days on site.
- Payment terms: deposit, balance, milestones if applicable.
- Warranty/guarantee terms.
- Exclusions explicitly listed ('decoration not included, electrical work above moving existing points not included').
And one question I'd always ask last
'If this job goes wrong, how do I get hold of you in 12 months?' Good joiners give you a direct mobile, their business email and answer every call personally. That's the single best predictor of whether you'll get after-care support when you need it.
Free written quote, usually within 48 hours of a site visit.