Find Trusted Tradesmen in Maidstone

Maidstone's homes span several centuries. Around the town centre and in streets off the Tonbridge Road and Union Street, you'll find Victorian and Edwardian terraces, many in yellow stock brick with slate or Kent peg tile roofs. Kentish ragstone, quarried in the Loose valley for centuries, appears on churches, public buildings and some older houses. Further out are inter-war semis, post-war estates such as Shepway and Park Wood, and large newer developments around Hermitage Lane and Sutton Road.

That mix shapes the work Maidstone homes need. Older terraces tend to need roof, chimney, damp and rewiring work, while newer homes are more likely to need boiler servicing, fault-finding and upgrades.

A few local points are worth knowing before you hire:

• Hard water. Maidstone's water comes from South East Water, which says most of its supply comes from underground chalk and is hard. Limescale shortens the life of taps, showers, kettles and the hot water side of combi boilers, so ask your plumber or heating engineer about scale protection.
• Conservation areas. Maidstone Borough Council has 41 conservation areas, from the Town Centre and Holy Trinity Church to Loose Valley and Bearsted. In the Holy Trinity Church conservation area, an Article 4 direction means most changes to the outside of a house need planning permission. Check with the council before changing windows, doors, roofs or walls at the front of the house.
• Flooding. The town centre has flooded from the Medway several times, including at Christmas 2013. If your home is near the Medway, the Len, the Loose or the Beult, you can sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings.
• Council boundaries. Not every ME postcode is in Maidstone borough. Aylesford, Larkfield, Ditton and Kings Hill are in Tonbridge and Malling, and Walderslade and Lordswood are in Medway. Planning and building control questions go to the council for your address.

To find a good tradesperson in Maidstone, get more than one quote, ask for it in writing, and check the right registration for the job: the Gas Safe Register for gas work, and a registered electrician for electrical work. Reviews on Trade Pilot are tied to real, invoiced jobs, so you can see what a trade has actually done for other homeowners.