Anyone can buy reviews on Checkatrade. Anyone can create a Companies House record. Neither tells you whether a contractor pays their subcontractors or holds valid insurance.
The problem with stars
The review economy has been gamed. The home improvement market handles over £28 billion in spending per year in the UK. Most homeowners spend their largest discretionary budget on a contractor they know almost nothing substantive about.
What star ratings miss
- Does the contractor pay their subcontractors on time?
- Do they hold current public liability insurance?
- Do they have a CDM compliance record?
- What is their dispute history?
Builder Score answers all of these. It is a 0–1000 trust rating calculated across five independently verified dimensions.