Direct answer
Before giving the go-ahead, make sure the written documents identify the parties, work, price basis, timing, payment stages and process for changes. Check relevant permissions, credentials and insurance independently, and know which completion records you expect.
Do the documents match the job?
If the quote, messages and contract disagree, ask for one corrected written version before accepting.
- Correct customer and business identity and contact details.
- One clear scope, with drawings or specifications identified by date or revision where relevant.
- Explicit exclusions and customer-supplied items.
- Preparation, protection, access, making good and waste responsibilities.
- A clear price basis, VAT position and validity period.
Official guidance: Citizens Advice.
Have permissions and approvals been checked?
Check the exact project against current official guidance. Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate, and other property, lease, lender or protected-building permissions may also matter.
Write down who checks, applies, pays fees, arranges inspections and retains completion evidence. Do not rely on an informal assumption that another party is handling it.
Are credentials and insurance appropriate?
- Verify any legally required registration using the official register.
- Check claimed scheme membership with the scheme itself.
- Ask what business insurance applies and whether it lasts through the planned work.
- Check with your own insurer whether the project affects your cover or notification duties.
- Do not interpret NorfolkTrades approval as independent certification of these matters.
Official guidance: Citizens Advice.
Are payment and change controls clear?
Citizens Advice recommends written quotes and contracts and advises making payment stages clear. Link each stage to an understandable milestone rather than only a date.
Agree that changed or unexpected work will be described and priced before it proceeds, except where immediate action is genuinely necessary for safety and is handled appropriately. Keep written approval with the project records.
Official guidance: Citizens Advice.
Final ready-to-start checklist
- Record the start window, expected duration, working hours and access arrangements.
- Protect private keys, alarm codes and personal information; share only what is necessary.
- Confirm who your main contact is and how urgent questions will be handled.
- List the inspection, testing, snagging, warranty and completion records expected.
- Save the accepted documents, later variations, invoices, receipts and handover information together.
Sources and further guidance
- Before you get work done on your home — Citizens Advice
- Planning permission and building regulations — GOV.UK
- Building regulations approval: when you need approval — GOV.UK
External guidance can change. Check the linked source for the current position and advice for your exact circumstances.