The Paperwork Every Trade Needs to Have Sorted
The Paperwork Every Trade Needs to Have Sorted
Nobody got into plumbing because they love filing receipts.
No sparky ever woke up excited about their public liability renewal.
No roofer has ever said "you know what I enjoy most about the job? The tax return."
But here's the thing — the paperwork side of running a trade business is the bit that protects you. When everything's going well, nobody cares about your insurance certificate. The moment something goes wrong? It's the first thing everyone asks for.
This is a plain-English rundown of the paperwork every UK trade should have sorted. Not every piece of paper ever invented — just the ones that actually matter.
1. Public liability insurance
If you don't have this, stop reading and go get it.
Public liability covers you if:
- you damage a customer's property
- someone gets hurt because of your work
- a third party makes a claim against you
Most trades carry £1m to £5m of cover. The cost is usually between £100 and £400 a year depending on your trade and level of cover.
For the price of a decent drill, you're protected against claims that could bankrupt you.
Some customers — especially commercial ones and landlords — won't even let you through the door without seeing your public liability certificate. It's not optional. It's the cost of doing business.
2. Professional indemnity insurance
This one's less obvious, but it matters if you give advice, design anything, or specify materials.
If a customer follows your recommendation and it goes wrong — professional indemnity covers you.
Not every trade needs this. But if you're:
- specifying heating systems
- designing electrical layouts
- advising on building work
- recommending materials or products
…then it's worth having. It's usually cheap to add onto your public liability policy.
3. Trade qualifications and certifications
This depends on your trade, but here's the big ones:
Electricians:
- 18th Edition (BS 7671) — current edition
- Part P certification (or registered with a competent person scheme like NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA)
- City & Guilds 2382 / 2391 or equivalent
Gas engineers:
- Gas Safe registration — legally required to work on gas appliances
- ACS (Accredited Certification Scheme) — the qualification behind Gas Safe
- Renewal every 5 years
Plumbers:
- NVQ Level 2/3 or City & Guilds
- Unvented hot water qualification (G3) if you work on sealed systems
- Water regulations certification (optional but useful)
General:
- CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) — required for most commercial sites
- First aid certificate — good practice for all trades
- Asbestos awareness — legally required if you might disturb asbestos
Keep your certificates up to date. Set reminders for renewal dates. Don't let them lapse — especially Gas Safe, which is a legal requirement.
4. Tax registration
If you're self-employed (most sole trader trades are), you need:
- Self Assessment registration with HMRC
- A UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) number
- To file a tax return every year by 31st January
- To pay any tax owed by the same date
If you're running a limited company, there's more to it — corporation tax, annual accounts, Companies House filings. Get an accountant if you go that route. Seriously. The money you save on mistakes pays for them three times over.
CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) If you work as a subcontractor for other contractors, you'll probably be registered under CIS. This means your client deducts tax at source (usually 20%) and passes it to HMRC. You then claim it back through your tax return.
It's annoying but it's the system. Make sure you're registered — otherwise the deduction jumps to 30%.
5. Invoices and financial records
HMRC expects you to keep records of:
- all income (invoices you've sent)
- all expenses (receipts for materials, tools, fuel, etc.)
- bank statements
- mileage logs (if you claim vehicle expenses)
You need to keep these for at least 5 years after the tax year they relate to.
You don't need an accounting degree. You just need to:
- send proper invoices with a sequential number
- keep your receipts (photo them if paper — paper fades)
- reconcile your bank account regularly
- know roughly what's coming in and going out
Most trades hate this bit. But half an hour a week keeps it manageable. Leave it until January and you'll want to cry.
6. Contracts and terms
For small residential jobs, a written quote and confirmation text is usually enough.
For bigger work, commercial jobs, or ongoing contracts, you want something more formal:
- Scope of work (what you will and won't do)
- Price and payment terms
- Timeline
- What happens with variations (extra work)
- Cancellation terms
This doesn't need to be a legal document written by a solicitor. A clear email that covers those points is fine for most jobs.
The point is to have something in writing — so if there's a dispute, you've got proof of what was agreed.
7. Health and safety basics
For sole traders and small teams, this doesn't need to be complicated.
But you should have:
- A basic risk assessment process (even if it's a mental checklist before each job)
- Method statements for anything involving height, confined spaces, or hazardous materials
- Knowledge of your obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act
- A first aid kit in your van (sounds obvious, but check when you last restocked it)
If you work on commercial sites, you'll likely need formal RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statements) before you're allowed to start. Templates are easy to find online — just adapt them for each job.
8. Vehicle and tool records
Your van is your livelihood. Make sure you've got:
- Valid insurance (business use, not just social and commuting)
- MOT certificate
- Service records
- Breakdown cover details
For tools — especially expensive ones:
- Keep a list of what you own
- Note serial numbers for anything over £200
- Take photos of your kit
- Make sure your tool insurance is up to date
If your van gets broken into or your tools get nicked, having a record makes the insurance claim dramatically easier.
The paperwork checklist (save this)
Here's the full list in one place:
Insurance
- Public liability
- Professional indemnity (if applicable)
- Employer's liability (if you have staff)
- Van insurance (business use)
- Tool insurance
Qualifications
- Trade certifications (18th Edition, Gas Safe, NVQ, etc.)
- CSCS card
- First aid
- Asbestos awareness
Tax & Finance
- Self Assessment / CIS registration
- UTR number
- Sequential invoices
- Receipt records (5 years)
- Bank statements
- Mileage log
Contracts
- Written quotes
- Terms of work for bigger jobs
Health & Safety
- Risk assessments
- Method statements (for site work)
- First aid kit
Vehicle & Tools
- Van insurance and MOT
- Tool inventory with serial numbers
How Clearwork helps keep records straight
Clearwork won't do your tax return for you. But it does handle the job-level paperwork that feeds into everything else:
- Every job has photos, notes, materials, and labour logged
- Invoices are clean, numbered, and easy to export
- Customer records are tidy and searchable
- Job history gives you a full audit trail
When your accountant asks "what did you earn in Q3?" or a customer disputes what was agreed — the answer is already there.
Just get it sorted
None of this is fun. I know that.
But the trades who have their paperwork in order sleep better, earn more, and don't panic when the phone rings with a problem.
It's the boring stuff that keeps the business safe. And it only takes a few hours to get it sorted properly — then it's just maintenance from there.
Do it once. Do it right. Then get back to the actual work.
– Brandon
