Local Facebook groups are full of trade recommendations. Some are genuinely helpful. A neighbour had a good experience, drops a name, and you find someone faster than searching from scratch. But a recommendation is not proof that the tradie is licensed, insured, available, fairly priced or right for your job.
Use the recommendation as a lead, not a finished decision. Before booking, run the same checks you would run on anyone else.
Ask what job they actually did
A recommendation is only useful if the job is similar. Someone who did a neat tap replacement may not be the right person for a full bathroom renovation. A painter who handled one bedroom may not be set up for exterior work at height. Ask the person recommending them what work was done, when it was done, and whether there were any problems after the job finished.
Check the licence where the work needs one
For licensed work, do not rely on a Facebook comment. Ask for the licence number and check it on the relevant state register. Electrical, plumbing, gas, building and some specialist work can carry licence requirements. The name on the licence should make sense with the business name on the quote. A recommendation from a neighbour does not protect you if the person doing the work is not properly licensed.
Ask for insurance details
Public liability insurance matters when work can damage property or injure someone. Ask whether the tradie has current cover and whether the policy matches the kind of work being done. You do not need to treat every small job like a courtroom exercise, but larger work deserves proof. A confident trade business will not be shocked by the question.
Do not skip the written quote
A recommendation does not replace a quote. Get the scope, price, inclusions, exclusions, materials, payment terms and timing in writing. Facebook introductions often move quickly because everyone feels familiar. That familiarity can make people sloppy. The written quote is what both sides will need if the job changes, the date slips or the final invoice is questioned.
Check more than one source of reputation
A handful of positive comments in a local group can be useful, but they are not the whole reputation. Look for business profiles, verified reviews, photos of completed work, trade registrations and how the business responds to complaints. Be careful with businesses that only exist inside social posts and have no stable contact details, website, profile or public record beyond a mobile number.
Watch for friend-of-a-friend pressure
Some recommendations come with social pressure. A friend knows them. A neighbour says they are good. Someone says they will do it cheap. You still get to ask normal questions. A decent tradie will not mind. If the recommendation makes you feel rude for checking licence, insurance, price or terms, that is the wrong kind of recommendation.
Be careful with cash-only offers
Cash-only work through a local group can create problems. You may have weaker records, unclear warranty, no proper invoice and a harder path if the work fails. Not every cash request is dishonest, but customers should know what record they are losing. For any meaningful job, get an invoice and payment record. The paperwork is part of the protection you are paying for.
Use the group for leads, not final judgement
Local groups can help you find names quickly, especially for small or urgent work. They should not be the final filter. Once you have the name, treat the process normally: check licence if needed, ask for insurance, get a quote, compare scope and save records. The recommendation starts the search. The checks finish it.
Put the agreement in one place
For what to check before hiring someone from a facebook recommendation, the useful record is usually short: what was agreed, who agreed it, when it was agreed, and what it does to price or timing. Keep that in one message, quote, invoice note or job file entry. Scattered details across calls and texts are where honest people start remembering different things. One written record gives both sides a calmer place to return to if the job later gets tense.
Keep the proof with the job
Save the quote, photos, messages, payment record, invoice and any approval tied to the issue. The proof does not need to be dramatic. It just needs to be findable. A customer can use it to explain a concern clearly. A tradie can use it to show what was done and why. The person with the clean record usually has the easier conversation when something is questioned later.
Make the later review factual
If the experience later becomes a review, write about behaviour and records, not just mood. Say whether the quote was clear, access was handled, messages were answered, changes were written down, payment terms were plain, and problems were fixed. That helps the next person reading the review. It also gives the business useful feedback instead of a public argument with no detail behind it.
Reset the scope when facts change
Jobs change when hidden damage appears, a customer changes their mind, parts are unavailable, weather moves the date or access is harder than expected. The safe move is to reset the scope before work continues. Write what changed, what it costs, what it does to timing and who approved it. That small pause is usually cheaper than arguing about an invoice after the work is already done.
A Facebook recommendation can be a useful shortcut, but it is not due diligence. Ask what job was done, check licence and insurance where relevant, get the quote in writing and keep the payment record. Good local word of mouth plus boring checks is a much safer combination than trust alone.