Why verify
Anyone can buy reviews.
Verification is earned.
Eight independent checks, re-verified every year — published on a public page anyone can audit in seconds.
What this is
A repeatable, evidenced, time-stamped accreditation that links to external authorities. Each check is evidenced.
What this isn’t
A subjective rating. We don’t score builders out of five stars. We don’t accept self-attestation. We don’t charge to skip checks. Verification is binary: pass or don’t.
What we verify
The checks behind every verified badge — one standard for every builder, each check evidenced at the source, each one repeated.
- 01
Companies House
We confirm the company exists, is active, isn't subject to a recent dissolution or strike-off, and that no director carries a current disqualification.
- Evidence
- Companies House public record · auto-checked daily for the active set
- Re-checked
- Annually + on every status change
- 02
Public liability insurance
Minimum £2m cover. We verify the certificate directly with the insurer rather than accepting the document at face value. Expiry date tracked; suspension auto-fires on lapse.
- Evidence
- Direct verification with the insurer · expiry-tracked
- Re-checked
- On expiry · grace window 14 days
- 03
VAT registration
VAT-registered status confirmed with HMRC. Builders below the threshold may declare exemption, recorded with the declaration version.
- Evidence
- HMRC VAT lookup · declaration document for exempted
- Re-checked
- Annually
- 04
Trade-body membership
Where the builder claims membership of Gas Safe, TrustMark, NICEIC, FENSA, FMB or NHBC, we cross-reference against the body's published register. Claims that don't reconcile are rejected.
- Evidence
- Published-register cross-check · direct API where offered
- Re-checked
- Quarterly
- 05
Reputation & Trust Portfolio
A photo-verified portfolio, public reviews and track record in one place. Every job won through Compare Builders is rated by a homeowner who's already been verified — reputation you can't buy, only earn.
- Evidence
- Photo-verified portfolio · public reviews · rated CB jobs
- Re-checked
- Continuously — every completed job adds to it
- 06
Right to work (principal)
The principal's identity and right to work are confirmed alongside their government photo-ID via our verification partners. The result is captured against the verification record, never published.
- Evidence
- Disclosure & Barring Service · certificated provider
- Re-checked
- Five-yearly + on principal change
- 07
Photo ID — principal
The principal verifies their identity with a government photo-ID and a liveness check, so the person behind the company is exactly who they say they are.
- Evidence
- Government photo-ID + liveness via an ID/AML provider
- Re-checked
- On principal change
- 08
Financial standing
An independent financial-standing check on the company, read from the company number — surfacing CCJs, adverse credit and insolvency risk before a builder is accredited.
- Evidence
- Commercial credit data · read from the company number
- Re-checked
- Annually + monitored for change events
Annual re-verification
Accreditation isn’t a one-off. Every check repeats every year, and document expiry is tracked continuously between cycles.
First reminder
Email to the builder principal flagging the upcoming re-verification window. Documents that expire in the same window are listed.
Second reminder
Email + dashboard banner. The verification team is alerted to begin gathering re-checked evidence.
Suspension
Status flips to suspended. Builder no longer receives auction invites. Suspension lifts immediately on refreshed evidence; otherwise archived after 14 days.
Public verification page
Every verified builder gets a public profile.
What lives there
Status banner
Active, Suspended, or Not recognised.
Identity
Registered name, trading name, Companies House number.
Trades & service areas
What they do and where they cover.
Insurance
Provider, cover amount, expiry.
Trade-body memberships
FMB, NHBC, TrustMark, Gas Safe, NICEIC, FENSA.
8-stage checklist
Every check with the date it was verified.
Verification history
Every status change, time-stamped.
Report an issue
One-tap route to flag anything that looks off.
What disqualifies
Honest list. These are the patterns we will not accredit, and the patterns that get a verified builder suspended.
- Director disqualifications, recent dissolutions, or strike-off proceedings.
- Public liability cover below £2m, or cover that has been allowed to lapse without renewal.
- Claimed trade-body memberships that don't reconcile with the published register.
- Patterns of complaints across more than one homeowner that resolve against the builder.
- A failed photo-ID or liveness check on the principal.
- Adverse financial-standing findings — outstanding CCJs or insolvency risk against the company.
- Failure to provide requested verification evidence.
- Repeated failure to respond to invited auctions, leading to a sustained low response score.
- Misrepresentation on the application — even if discovered after approval.
Ready when you are