Home service marketplace, Plentific.com, has revealed that over two thirds (69%) of UK homeowners say that gardeners are the most trusted. This is just one percent less than the number of homeowners who say police are the most trustworthy of all professions listed (70%).

Other trusted tradesmen were electricians in third place (66%), painter/decorators in forth (63%) and plumbers in fifth (59%). These trade professionals all ranked higher than lawyers (51%), car mechanics (46%) and bankers (33%) when it comes to homeowners saying they are trustworthy.

When carrying out electrical repairs or maintenance work, many things can go wrong resulting in serious incidents that could be potentially life threatening. That’s why it’s so important for a homeowner to be able to trust the professional carrying out this kind of work. The same could also be said about plumbers, who ranked highly with homeowners on the list of most trusted professionals. These kind of tradesmen are involved in many important projects that, if done incorrectly, could be very costly to the homeowners to fix.

On the other end of the scale, unsurprisingly for some, politicians ranked bottom of the list with just 13% of UK homeowners saying they are trusted. Car salespeople came in at 16%, followed by journalists (18%), estate agents (22%) and bankers (33%). Occupying the middle of the table for total UK homeowners were recruitment consultants (34%) and builders (43%).

When it comes to bad press, the phrase ‘cowboy builder’ goes a long way in tarnishing the perception of these tradesmen and the trust they receive from homeowners. Botched building work, home improvement horror stories and an overall unease when it comes to hiring a builder all work against their reputation. Renovation projects that require a builder often involve a big investment from the homeowners.

Stephen Jury, spokesperson for Plentific, said: “It’s fantastic to see tradesmen listed so highly in the trusted professionals list. With homes being an importnat financial asset for most, you should have trust in a professional you hire to improve or repair your home. However, the figures show a significant difference in trust when it comes to fixing up homes, compared to estate agents who are tasked with selling them.

“Lets face it, when you hire a tradesman, you want to be able to trust them. You want to feel safe in the knowledge that they’re verified, have the appropriate qualifications, positive reviews and the relevant insurance for the work they will carry out.”

Mr Jury added: “Focusing on the bottom of the trust list, it will not be a surprise to many that politicians rank lowest following recent political events.”