Got a quote?
Ask Mikey before you sign.
Some people have a tradie uncle who looks at the quote, squints, and says “mate, no.” Mikey is that uncle for the rest of us. Upload any tradie quote and he'll check the licence, read the fine print, and tell you exactly what to ask before a dollar leaves your account.
No dumb questions. Mikey knows you don't know what a compliance certificate is. That's the point.
Mikey's take
Hot water system replacement · Reservoir VIC
Not a shocker of a quote, but don't sign it yet. One thing to check, two things to ask.
- Properly itemisedUnit, labour, disposal and the compliance certificate are all listed separately. That's what good looks like.
- Price is at the high endLike-for-like electric storage swaps in Melbourne typically land around $2,800–$4,200. Could be legit. Ask this, word for word:
What's driving the price above the usual range? Is it the unit spec, access, or something at the site?
- 40% deposit is steepFor a job this size, around 10% is the norm.
Happy to pay a standard 10% deposit and the balance on completion. Does that work?
- Licence number needs a lookThe number on the quote doesn't match the format of a Victorian plumbing licence. Takes two minutes to check on the VBA register, and I'll show you how.
Next step: Ask the two questions word for word, and check the licence on the VBA register before any money moves.
Mikey reads the quote like your uncle would.
Not vibes. Not gamed star ratings. Proper checks on the stuff that actually protects you, the stuff the lead-selling platforms skip.
The licence, actually checked
Anyone can type "fully licensed" on a quote. Mikey tells you exactly which state register to check (VBA, QBCC, Fair Trading) and what the licence must cover for your job.
Before any depositIs the price fair?
Mikey compares against typical ranges for your job and city, and tells you how confident he is. High isn't always dodgy, so he gives you the exact question that finds out why.
Ranges, not accusationsDeposit & payment schedule
The #1 way people get burned: big deposits to blokes who vanish. Mikey knows what's normal for your state and job size, and flags anything front-loaded.
The vanishing-tradie defenceWhat's missing
Vague "supply and install" lump sums, no insurance mention, no timeline, no warranty terms. What a quote leaves out can cost you more than what's in it.
Reads the fine print and the gapsDIY or licensed job?
Some jobs you can legally do yourself and save real money. Others, like electrical, gas and most plumbing, are licensed-only in Australia for good reason. Mikey tells you which is which, straight.
Honest, even when it saves you $0The word-for-word questions
Knowing something's off is half the job. Saying it to a tradie without feeling like an idiot is the other half. Mikey scripts the exact questions: polite, firm, copy-paste ready.
Confidence, includedHow Mikey makes money. All of it, upfront.
The platforms you've used before charge tradies for your enquiry and don't tell you. Mikey's whole job is trust, so here's the entire business model in two boxes:
Right now
Mikey is free and makes nothing. Checking quotes is how he earns your trust, and every quote he reads makes him sharper at protecting the next person. That's the whole deal.
One day
When Mikey knows trades he'd genuinely vouch for (verified licence, watched track record, the lot), he'll offer to introduce you. They'll pay him for the introduction, you never will, and he'll tell you that's what's happening every single time.
One day, “Mikey checked it” will mean sorted.
Paying a tradie you've never met is a leap of faith. Mikey's job is to make it a safe one: he reads the quote and tells you straight, every time. It starts with yours.
The quote's sitting in your inbox. Takes Mikey two minutes.
Check my quote for freePDF, photo, or copy-paste. No account. Read, checked, then deleted. Never sold or shown to any tradie.