NearHands started because booking a plumber shouldn't be harder than booking a flight.
We began in Durham in 2024 with eleven electricians and a spreadsheet. The problem was never a shortage of good tradespeople — it was that finding one meant three phone calls, two voicemails and a week of waiting for a quote nobody intended to send.
Today NearHands covers twelve trades across the North East. Every professional is identity-checked before they take a booking, prices are shown before you commit, and the person who turns up is the person you booked. We take a flat £1.50 booking fee and no commission, because a marketplace that takes a cut of every job ends up working for itself.
What we hold to
Four things we decided early and haven't traded away since.
Every service shows what it costs, or says plainly that it needs a quote. No 'from' prices that triple on the doorstep.
ID and trade qualifications are checked before a Verified badge is issued. Insurance and DBS where the trade requires it.
A flat booking fee, no commission. Professionals set their own prices and keep what they charge.
Message the person doing the work, not a support queue. Live chat where the trade supports it.
How we got here
Looking for someone local?
Twelve trades, every professional identity-checked, prices shown before you book.