How to Hire a Trusted Garage Fitter in 2026 (UK)
A garage conversion is governed by Building Regulations, not a trade licence, so the quality of your fitter is the only thing standing between you and a cold, damp room that fails inspection. Get it wrong and the typical outcome is condensation, a floor that never warms up, and a missing completion certificate that surfaces the day you try to sell. This 7-step vetting process is what BestBuilders uses to screen every garage conversion specialist on our register. Apply it and you cut your risk of poor work dramatically.
The 7-step garage fitter vetting checklist
1. Confirm Building Regulations experience
A garage conversion must meet current standards for insulation, ventilation, fire safety and damp-proofing. Ask how many conversions they have completed and whether they handle the Building Notice or full-plans application themselves. A fitter who shrugs at Building Regs is the wrong fitter.
2. Insurance check (£2m+ public liability)
Ask for current Public Liability (£2m minimum) and Employers' Liability certificates and phone the insurer to confirm they are in date. Photocopied certificates are routinely forged.
3. Damp and insulation strategy in writing
The two things that ruin a garage conversion are cold floors and damp. Get the fitter to specify the floor build-up, wall insulation, damp-proof membrane and ventilation in writing. "It'll be warm enough" is not a spec.
4. Fully-specified written quote
The quote should name insulation products and thicknesses, the method for filling the garage door opening, window and door spec, and electrical scope. Quotes without detail invite cheap substitution.
5. Reference visit — a real one
Ask for two completed conversions over 12 months old and visit them. A year-old room tells you about damp and warmth in a way fresh photos never can.
6. Workmanship guarantee in writing
A written workmanship guarantee — ideally insurance-backed — means someone honours the work if the fitter ceases trading. A verbal promise is worth nothing.
7. Sensible payment schedule
A modest deposit (no more than 25%) with staged payments against milestones, balance on Building Control sign-off. Large up-front demands are a warning sign.
3 red flags that almost always signal a rogue trader
- "You won't need Building Regs for this" — a habitable garage conversion almost always does. This claim signals either ignorance or corner-cutting.
- Cash-only or no VAT receipt — no paper trail means no recourse if the work fails.
- Pressure to sign today — the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you 14 days to cancel a contract signed at home; pressure to commit before then is a red flag.
FAQs
Related guides
- How long does a garage conversion take?
- Cost guides
- Planning permission guides
- Is it worth it? Insights
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