How to Check a Builder Is Accredited in 2026 (UK)
Anyone in the UK can call themselves a builder — no licence required — which is why accreditation is one of the fastest ways to separate professionals from chancers. The catch: logos on a van or website prove nothing. Real verification means searching the scheme's official online register for the exact company name or membership number. The schemes that carry genuine weight are the FMB (independently inspected members), TrustMark (the only government-endorsed scheme), CIOB Chartered Building Company status and Which? Trusted Traders. This guide shows what each one actually vets and how to verify any builder in under five minutes.
UK Builder Accreditation Schemes Compared
Review-site badges (Checkatrade, Trustpilot, MyBuilder) are useful signals but are not accreditations — they verify reviews, not workmanship. And remember general building itself is unregulated: only gas, electrical, glazing and solid-fuel work carry legal registration requirements.
How to Actually Check
- Get the exact trading name and company number. Ask for both — accreditation is held by the company, and rogue firms trade under sound-alike names.
- Search the scheme's own register. Every scheme above has a free public search. Match the company name, postcode and membership number — not just a similar name.
- Check the membership is current. Lapsed members keep the logos. If the register shows nothing, the accreditation does not exist.
- Cross-check at Companies House. Confirm the company is active, how long it has traded, and that the director has not folded a string of building firms.
- Ask for insurance evidence anyway. Accreditation does not replace a current public liability certificate (£2m minimum) — see our insurance checking guide.
- Walk away from logo-only claims. A builder who bristles at verification is telling you something. Genuine members expect to be checked.
Skip the Legwork — Start With Vetted Builders
BestBuilders matches you with up to 3 UK builders who have already passed our vetting — identity, insurance and track record checked — so accreditation checks become confirmation, not detective work.
Common Questions
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