Find a builder you can trust, and only pay for work that is done
Hiring a builder should not feel like a gamble. With Complys you find verified, compliant builders near you, check their insurance before they start, and protect your project with photo-backed payment milestones. Your builder proves each stage is done before you release a penny.
The problem with hiring a builder
Everyone knows someone who has been let down. A builder who took a big deposit and disappeared. Work that was never finished, or finished badly, with no way to prove what was agreed. Payment handed over up front on trust, then nothing to fall back on when it went wrong. The problem is not that most builders are bad. Most are honest and skilled. The problem is that homeowners have had no easy way to check who they are dealing with, and no structure to keep payment tied to actual progress. Complys fixes both.
How it works
From finding a builder to signing off the finished job, in six simple steps.
Search for builders
Look for the trade and area you need. Every builder in the directory actively manages their compliance on Complys, so you are choosing from firms that take their responsibilities seriously.
Check their compliance
Open a builder's profile and see their insurance, accreditations and qualifications with live expiry dates. Know they are properly covered before you let them near your home.
Request quotes
Save the builders you like and post your job once to invite them all to quote. Compare like for like without the endless back and forth.
Work done in stages
Agree the job as payment milestones. As your builder finishes each stage they upload photos as proof against your quote.
Get an AI second opinion
Ask Complys to review the photos against the stage being claimed. It flags anything that looks missing or inconsistent so you can review with confidence.
Release payment when happy
Approve a milestone only when you are satisfied the work is genuinely done. You never pay ahead of the work.
Check a builder is properly covered
A cheap quote means nothing if the builder is not insured. If something goes wrong on an uninsured job, the cost can land on you. Every builder in the Complys directory manages their compliance on the platform, so their public liability insurance, their accreditations and their workers' qualifications are documented with live expiry dates. Before you invite anyone to quote, you can open their profile and see for yourself that their cover is real and current. It is the check that most homeowners never manage to do, made simple.
Browse verified builders →Photo-backed milestones, with an AI second opinion
This is what makes Complys different. Your project is split into payment milestones you agree with your builder. As they complete each stage they upload photos showing the work against your quote. You review those photos and only approve the milestone when you are happy, so payment always follows real progress.
On top of that, you can ask Complys to review the photos for you. The AI looks at what the photos show and checks whether they plausibly match the stage of work being claimed, flagging anything that seems missing, unclear or inconsistent. It is like having a knowledgeable friend glance over the pictures and tell you what to ask about. It makes you a more confident reviewer, especially if you do not know the trade yourself.
Finding builders, getting quotes and checking compliance is free. When you are ready to go ahead, starting a protected project with Project Guard is a one-off £99 per project. There is no subscription and nothing else to pay.
To be clear about what this is: the AI review is a helper and a second opinion. It is not a structural survey or a professional inspection, and it does not certify the quality or safety of the work. For major or structural jobs you should still use a qualified inspector. What the AI does well is help you spot the obvious and ask better questions before you release payment.
Frequently asked questions
How does Complys protect me against a bad builder?+
You agree the job with your builder as a set of payment milestones. As they finish each stage they upload photos as proof, and you only release that milestone once you are happy the work shown is genuinely done. You are never asked to pay for work that has not happened, which removes the usual risk of paying up front and hoping for the best.
Is it free for homeowners?+
Searching for builders, getting quotes and checking a builder's compliance are completely free for homeowners, with no account fees. When you are ready to start a job, protecting it with Project Guard costs £99 for the whole project. That ties your payments to photo-backed milestones so you only pay as each stage is proven done. There are no other fees.
How do I know a builder is properly insured?+
Every builder in the Complys directory manages their compliance on the platform, so their insurance, accreditations and qualifications are documented with live expiry dates. You can open any builder's profile and check their cover is current before you invite them to quote, rather than taking their word for it.
Can the AI really tell if the work has been done?+
Complys can give you an AI second opinion on the photos your builder submits, checking whether they plausibly match the stage of work being claimed and flagging anything that looks missing or unclear. It is a helper to make you a more confident reviewer. It is not a structural survey or a professional inspection, and it does not replace your own judgement or, for major work, a qualified inspector.
How do I get quotes from builders?+
Search the directory for the trade and area you need, save the builders you like, then post your job to invite them to quote. You describe what you need once and send it to several builders at the same time, so you can compare like for like without chasing each one separately.
What if I am not happy with a stage of the work?+
Instead of approving a milestone you can dispute it and add a note explaining the problem. Because payment is tied to your approval, this gives you a fair way to raise concerns before money changes hands, rather than after.
Start your project with confidence
Create a free homeowner account, find a verified builder, and protect your project from the first payment to the last.