Transforming your outdoor space with a beautifully designed patio can add value and charm to yourhome. However, entrusting the project to reliable and skilled professionals is essential to ensure afabulous finish.While there are many reputable paving installers and patio installers out there, rogue traders pose arisk to homeowners, so it’s crucial to know what to look out for.

While this one may seem obvious, in reality rogue patio installers usually operate under a reputable company's disguise. However, there are some warning signs that you can look out for:
 

• Cheap quotes: We’d all like to save a bit of money, but if a quote seems too good to be true, it’s usually because it is. A quote from a quality patio installer will usually start from around £1,300, depending on the size, location, and material of your chosen patio 
• Immediate availability: While it’s tempting to go with the labourers that can get started on your patio asap, the alarm bells should be ringing. Professional patio installers are booked up months in advance with many happy customers, so if your paving installers can start straight away, it may be because no one wants to work with them.
• Lack of a paper trail: To keep operating under the radar, many rogue paving installers will avoid putting anything in writing. Be wary of traders that won’t put a quote down on paper, don’t use contracts, only use a mobile number for contact information, and request cash payments.
• No associations – Trusted installers will be associated with highly regulated and scrutinised by nationally recognised organisations to ensure reliability. Look out for professional bodies such as our Assured scheme, the APL and the Landscape Library when deciding on your landscaper.

Fortunately, there are many quality, professional patio installers out there that you can trust to install your patio, saving you time, stress, and potentially money on repairs or redoing work.
Choose one of our Assured landscapers to help design and build your garden - all carefully assessed to guarantee the highest standards. When you hire one of our trusted patio installers to
lay your stunning new Bradstone paving , you can relax knowing your patio is covered by a 10-year guarantee. Whether it’s technical support, laying tips, or product advice, our team is on-
hand to help whenever you need us.
Find a local landscape gardener using our handy tool here.

For the ultimate peace of mind, we recommend using our ‘find a garden landscaper’ tool to select the right local company for your outdoor project. Other ways you can keep your investment safe from rogue traders include:

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   Seek recommendations: Ask for word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted friends, family and neighbours who recently had a patio or paving work.
• Check the quote yourself: Even if you don’t have any experience with what a patio should cost, you can do a little research and confirm the cost of Bradstone’s products with our stockists.
• Verify credentials and insurance: Professional patio installers will have no problem showing you their registration with relevant trade associations and their insurance certificates that protect you from any liability in case of accidents or damages during the project.
• Trust your instincts: Pay attention to how the paving installer communicates and addresses your concerns during the consultation process. Don't be afraid to pull the plug if something feels off or if the contractor seems pushy or unprofessional.

Investing in a garden patio or outdoor paving project should be exciting, so don’t let the thought of running into a rogue patio installer put you off. Take all the guesswork out of hiring a quality paving installer by using our finder tool here, and start ordering free samples for your project on products like the Rock porcelain paving or the Old Town concrete paving here.