Over 6 million Britons have fallen foul of a "cowboy" trader in the past five years. 

New research from Sainsbury's Home Insurance reveals that 6.2 million (13%) of people in Great Britain have fallen foul of "cowboy" traders in the past five years and have had to pay nearly £3.7bn to rectify botched jobs.

The research suggests that plumbers have caused the most distress, with 1.4m saying they have fallen foul of their poor quality work since 2006.

These alarming findings show how important it is for homeowners to only use reputable, skilled, trades people to avoid taking any risks.

Sacrificing quality in favour of saving money, could prove a very costly mistake, as you could find yourself footing a bill much higher than expected as you look to rectify any mistakes or shortcuts. In extreme cases, if a homeowner is proven not to have taken reasonable care of their property, they could also risk invalidating their home insurance.

There are simple steps you can take to make sure you avoid being swindled out of your money:

• Research local tradesmen
• Ask friend of family for recommendations
• Ask companies you’re thinking of hiring for references.
• Contact at least three traders and ask for a written quote. This will ensure you are paying the right price for the job you want done.
• Always check for relevant qualifications and accreditations, like TrustMark.
• Check that your home insurance provider offers a 24 Hour Home Emergency advice service as part of your cover. This can provide you with emergency repairs to botched jobs and could mean the difference between a good and bad experience.

Ben Tyte, Head of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance said: “We're concerned that so many homeowners have to rectify poor workmanship carried out by people they've employed in good faith to work in their homes.

“It's completely unacceptable that the remedial costs are exceeding £700 million. Of course the burden isn't just financial; there can be a great deal of personal stress attached to these difficult situations including the clean up and often confrontation.

"In these challenging economic times, it's understandable that people want to cut back on costs but where work to the home is concerned it’s just not worth the risk."

Of those that used tradesmen in the past five years, only a third  say they asked for a number of quotes and a mere 31% asked for a formal written quote for the work.

Worryingly just 5% checked if they were accredited by TrustMark, the Government endorsed standards agency, despite this being an easy web-based check via TrustMark's online database.

Those who have employed a "cowboy" trader in the last five years paid an average of £2,077 for the work they carried out. On top of this amount they had to pay nearly £600 to either repair the damage or complete the unfinished job.

 Dodgy and dangerous – tradesmen you don’t want to employ.

When it comes to having electric, plumbing or building work carried out in your own home you can’t afford to take any risks.  But what are the danger signals you should be looking out for? Here are the kind of things that should set your alarm bells ringing.

Beware of someone who:

• Gives an overpriced estimate then immediately offers a discount.

• Won’t give references from previous work.

• Works out of an unmarked van.

• Seems very cheap.

• Cold calls or ‘touts’ for business

• Requests money ‘up-front’.

• Doesn’t have a local accent.

• Is flattering

• Tries ‘too hard’ to be nice.

• Only advertises a mobile phone number, not a landline.

• Doesn’t advertise an address.

• Dominates much of the conversation, particularly when it comes to money.

• Is overly keen to start the job as soon as possible.

• Seems eager to do a cash deal, for instance by offering a ‘discount for cash’.

• Seems too keen to tell you about all the good work they have done in the past.

• Is not a member of a trades association.

• Won’t provide a written estimate or quote

• Uses a lot of jargon.

• Tries to rush you into a decision.