Find Trusted Tradesmen in Wokingham

Wokingham is an old market town that has grown a lot in recent decades. Around the market place you'll find older and listed buildings, and the town centre and Langborough Road are covered by a conservation area. Further out are estates from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Woosehill, and large new neighbourhoods including Arborfield Green, Montague Park and Matthewsgreen.

That mix shapes the work Wokingham homes need. Older houses in the centre often need roof, chimney and rewiring work done with care for the original building. Homes from the 1970s and 1980s are now on their second or third boiler and often still have their original consumer unit. In the newest homes, most jobs are additions, such as outside power, garden offices and extensions, or faults that may still be covered by the developer's warranty.

A few local points are worth knowing before you hire:

• Hard water. South East Water supplies Wokingham, and the water is hard. Limescale shortens the life of taps, showers and the hot water side of combi boilers, so ask your plumber or heating engineer about scale protection.
• Conservation areas and listed buildings. Wokingham Borough Council has conservation areas across the borough, including Wokingham town centre and Langborough Road. If your home is in one, or is listed, check with the council before changing windows, doors, roofs or the front of the house.
• New-build warranties. If your home is only a year or two old, report faults to the developer before paying a trade to fix them.
• Flooding. If you live near the Emm Brook or the River Loddon, you can sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings.
• Council boundaries. Wokingham Borough Council also covers Earley, Woodley, Winnersh, Twyford, Shinfield and Finchampstead, even where the postcode says Reading. Crowthorne is in Bracknell Forest. Planning and building control questions go to the council for your address.

To find a good tradesperson in Wokingham, 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.