How TradeKind Works for Homeowners

TradeKind helps Sussex homeowners find and contact local tradespeople in two main ways: you can post a job for relevant trades to see, or browse public trade profiles and approach a particular business yourself.

You do not need to know exactly who you want before you start. You only need a reasonable idea of the work involved, where the job is and enough detail for a tradesperson to decide whether it suits them.

TradeKind currently covers East Sussex and West Sussex, including Brighton & Hove within its East Sussex coverage.

How can you find a tradesperson on TradeKind?

There are two main ways to begin.

Post a job

Post a job when you know roughly what work needs doing but have not chosen a business.

You select the closest trade category, choose the Sussex town where the work is needed and describe the job. TradeKind then looks for approved trades whose selected category and service area match your request.

Where matching trades are available, they can view the request and decide whether to contact you using the details you provided.

Browse local trade profiles

Browse Sussex trades when you would rather look at businesses before sending an enquiry.

Public profiles can help you see:

• which trades and services a business offers
• which Sussex towns or areas it covers
• the business information it has provided
• examples of previous work, where available
• answers to common questions
• whether the profile appears relevant to your job

When you find a business you want to approach, use the Request This Trade option on its profile.

That sends your job details directly to that business rather than sharing the request with other matching trades.

What happens when you post a job?

The job-posting form takes you through four main stages.

1. Choose the closest trade

Start by choosing the trade category that most closely matches the work.

For example:

• plumber for a leaking pipe or damaged tap
• roofer for suspected roof damage
• painter and decorator for internal or external decorating
• electrician for electrical work
• gardener for ongoing garden maintenance or clearance

You do not need to diagnose a fault yourself. Describe what you can see, hear or smell rather than guessing at the cause.

For example:

“There is a damp patch beneath the upstairs bathroom, but I am not sure where the water is coming from.”

If you genuinely cannot work out which category fits, choose the closest option or contact TradeKind for help before submitting the request.

2. Choose the town and enter the postcode

TradeKind uses the selected trade and location to find approved businesses that have said they cover that type of work in that area.

Choose the Sussex town that best matches the property location and enter the job postcode when requested.

Accurate location details matter. A business may work in one part of Sussex but not another, even when the distance looks small on a map.

3. Describe the job

A useful description helps tradespeople decide whether the work is suitable before they respond.

Include:

• what needs doing
• the approximate size, number or extent of the work
• any visible damage or known problems
• how soon you would like it completed
• your approximate budget
• access, parking or timing restrictions
• photographs, where they help explain the job

You can also add an optional job title.

A useful description might be:

“Replace one damaged fence panel in a rear garden in Lewes. Side access is available, but the passage is narrow. I would like the work completed within the next month. Photos attached.”

That gives a tradesperson far more useful information than:

“Fence needs fixing.”

You do not need to write a technical specification. A short, clear explanation is usually enough.

4. Add your contact details and submit

TradeKind asks for your name and email address. A phone number is optional for most jobs, although it is required when submitting an emergency request.

Your contact details are not published on the website. They are shared only with the relevant approved business or matched trades so they can respond to the request.

After submitting, you will see whether TradeKind found approved matching trades for that category and area.

What happens after your job is submitted?

If approved trades match the selected trade and town, your request is routed to them.

Those businesses can review the job and decide whether it is suitable. They may then contact you directly using the details you supplied.

A match does not guarantee:

• that every business will respond
• that someone will be available
• that the work will be accepted
• a particular price or timescale

If no approved trade currently matches the exact job and area, the request is still saved, but you should not rely on TradeKind alone for urgent work.

TradeKind is still building trade coverage across Sussex, so availability will vary by category and town.

You will also receive an email confirming that the request was submitted.

Creating a free homeowner account with the same email address allows you to:

• view your job posts and direct business requests
• check their status
• add photographs later
• keep a record of previous requests
• submit future requests more quickly

You do not need to create an account before posting your first job.

How does browsing trade profiles work?

Browsing profiles is useful when you want more control over who you approach.

You might browse first when:

• you want to see which businesses cover your town
• you want to look at work photographs before making contact
• the job is not urgent
• you have a particular type of project in mind
• you want to compare how different businesses describe their services
• you already know a business name and want to check its profile

A profile should help you decide whether the business appears relevant. It should not make the decision for you.

Look at:

• whether the listed trade matches your job
• whether the business covers your town
• whether the description is specific about the work it takes on
• whether the examples shown are relevant
• whether the FAQs answer questions that matter to you
• whether the information feels complete and consistent

Avoid choosing solely because a business appears first or uses the strongest sales language. The clearest practical match is usually more useful than the biggest claim.

What does an approved TradeKind profile mean?

Public TradeKind profiles are manually reviewed before they appear on the site.

In this context, approval means the profile has been checked for publication on TradeKind. It should not be treated as a blanket guarantee of:

• workmanship
• qualifications
• insurance
• identity
• background
• availability
• prices
• results

Where TradeKind has confirmed a specific check, that should be stated clearly rather than assumed from the word “approved”.

Before agreeing to work, ask the business about anything important to your particular job. Depending on the work, that may include relevant qualifications, insurance, experience, materials, timescales or who will actually attend the property.

How do you request a particular business?

Each eligible public trade profile includes a Request This Trade option.

Use it when you have found a business you want to approach directly.

You will be asked to choose:

• a trade category offered by that business
• a town within the area it serves
• your name and contact details
• a description of the work

The selected business must cover both the trade and the town chosen before the request can be submitted.

TradeKind passes the request securely to that business without publishing its private phone number or email address on the profile.

This is useful when:

• you have used the business before
• someone has recommended it
• its profile appears particularly relevant
• you found it while browsing by trade or town
• you do not want the request shared more widely

Sending a direct request does not guarantee that the business will respond or be available, but it gives the business the information needed to decide whether to take the enquiry further.

What should you include in a direct request?

The same basic rule applies whether you post publicly to matching trades or request one business: describe the job clearly enough for the recipient to understand it.

Include:

• what the problem or project is
• where the property is
• the approximate size or amount of work
• when you would like it done
• any important access details
• whether the issue is getting worse
• anything that may affect the quote or visit

For example:

“We need the living room, hallway and landing redecorated in Worthing. The walls need some filling and preparation, and we would like the ceilings and woodwork included. Parking is available outside.”

That gives a decorator a clear starting point without trying to tell them how to complete the work.

What should you check before choosing a tradesperson?

TradeKind helps you make contact, but you remain responsible for deciding whether a business is right for your home and the work involved.

Before agreeing to proceed, check:

• whether the business regularly handles that type of job
• whether it covers your location
• what the quote includes and excludes
• whether materials are included
• who will carry out the work
• the expected timing
• how changes or additional work will be agreed
• any qualifications or insurance relevant to the job
• whether the important details are confirmed in writing

For larger or more expensive work, compare the scope rather than looking at the total alone.

One quote may include preparation, waste removal and making good, while another may not. A lower price is not necessarily better value if it covers less work.

Which option should you use?

Use Post a job when you have work to describe and want TradeKind to look for approved trades matching the selected category and area.

Use Browse Sussex trades when you want to look through profiles and decide which businesses appear relevant before contacting anyone.

Use Request This Trade after you have found a particular listed business you want to approach directly.

You can also combine the options. For example, you might browse businesses first and then decide whether to request one directly or post the job more widely.

The important part is giving clear and accurate information. That helps tradespeople understand the work, reduces unnecessary back-and-forth and gives you a better basis for deciding what happens next.

Post your job or browse Sussex trade profiles to get started.