The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is the UK’s largest trade association in the building industry. It has offices in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which are supported by regional offices.

The FMB is independent and non-profit-making and lobbies continuously for members’ interests at local and national levels. It supports building firms by providing knowledge and advice but also helps the general public on choosing the right builder.

As a minimum, building contractors are expected to meet the following criteria before becoming a member:

• Have employer and public liability insurance

• Be VAT registered

• Have confirmed their business address

• Agreed to abide by the FMB Disputes Resolution and Complaints Procedures

If a tradesperson wishes to become a full member with TrustMark or BuildAssure, they must pass a more thorough vetting process. All members must comply with the FMB Code of Practice.

The FMB offers a free Find A Builder service where the customer can find out about the FMB builder members in their area. Consumers can also leave feedback on the contractors they choose to do the work, increasing the trustworthiness of the member builder. Members must have a minimum of twelve months trading upon joining, so customers can be assured that FMB builders have experience. If they have applied to join since February 2011, members have had an inspection on a job in progress, so the FMB knows that contractors carry out their work to the standard they expect.