HOW TO HIRE · CHILDCARE & FAMILY

How to hire a baby-proofing fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to baby-proofing fitters in any UK nation. Here are the checks and what to ask.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a baby-proofing fitter in five steps

  1. Walk round firstAt your child's height, listing what needs doing.
  2. Say if you rentDrilling may need the landlord's permission.
  3. Get a written priceLabour and parts listed separately.
  4. Check insurancePublic liability for work in your home.
  5. Test every fittingBefore the fitter leaves.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or statutory register applies to baby-proofing fitters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. No law requires a licence to fit stair gates, locks, window restrictors or furniture straps.

Ask the baby-proofing fitter about training, phone two references and see photo ID that matches the booking.

Insurance

No register sets an insurance rule for a baby-proofing fitter, so ask: public liability insurance pays for damage or injury caused by the work.

Ask the baby-proofing fitter for the insurer's name and policy dates.

Trader status and cancellation

A baby-proofing fitter in business is a trader under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. A service agreed online, by phone or in your home can usually be cancelled within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; if you asked for it to start sooner, you pay for what was done.

Keep the booking confirmation and the written terms.

Your rights if a fitting fails

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a trader must fit with reasonable care and skill; if a gate or lock was fitted badly, you can ask for it to be put right at no cost or a price reduction.

Test every gate and lock on the day, and report any fault in writing.

VAT

Baby-proofing is standard-rated: a VAT-registered fitter adds 20% to labour and products. A fitter over the £90,000 threshold must be registered and show the VAT as its own line; one under it charges none.

Ask the fitter for a VAT number if VAT is on the quote, and check it is added once, on its own line. gov.uk →

“Which fixings will you use for the stair gate at the top of the stairs?”

A good answer: Screw-fixed at the top, never pressure-fit; fixings to suit the wall or banister.

“Do you supply the baby-proofing products or fit mine?”

A good answer: A clear answer and prices.

“Will the baby-proofing include anchoring heavy furniture and televisions?”

A good answer: Yes, into suitable wall fixings.

“Can a baby-proofing fitter fit window restrictors?”

A good answer: Yes, with keys handed over.

“What if I rent, or the banister is listed?”

A good answer: Clamp or no-drill options discussed first.

“Is your baby-proofing work insured?”

A good answer: Public liability named.

“How long will the baby-proofing take?”

A good answer: An estimate by room.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends to fit — the person you spoke to, an employed fitter or a subcontractor
  • Labour price by job or by visit
  • Products listed and priced, or yours fitted
  • Call-out or travel charge
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% shown as its own line
  • Making good after drilling
  • Guarantee on the fitting

Walk away if

  • Pressure-fit gate at the top of the stairs
  • No insurance
  • No written price
  • Drills a rented home without asking
  • Leaves without testing
  • Cash only, up front
LOW
£30
TYPICAL
£50
HIGH
£100

What a baby-proofing fitter costs: £30–£100 per job

Baby-proofing is priced by the job or visit, with products listed separately. Baby Proofing price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Baby-proofing fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyRoom by room at child height.
  2. QuoteProducts and labour priced.
  3. FittingGates, locks, straps, restrictors.
  4. TestingEach fitting checked with you.
  5. HandoverKeys, instructions, invoice.

Screw-fixed gate
A gate fixed into the wall — needed at the top of stairs.
Pressure-fit gate
A gate held by tension; not for the top of stairs.
Anti-tip strap
Anchors furniture to the wall.
Window restrictor
Limits how far a window opens.
Making good
Filling holes and touching up.
Public liability insurance
Cover for damage or injury.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and product detailsFor guarantees and recalls.
Test the gates daily at firstFixings can loosen.
Ask about the guaranteeOn the workmanship.
Write the reviewHonest detail about this baby-proofing fitter helps the next person choose. If it went badly, start with the make-it-right step so they can answer.

STEP 1Put the complaint to the baby-proofing fitterA short email is enough: what, when and what would put it right. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a baby-proofing fitter who charges for the fitting must take reasonable care and skill (section 49), and section 54 lets you require a fix at their expense or a reduction.
STEP 2Try the make-it-right stepUnder four stars for a booked baby-proofing fitter, Locufy asks whether to pass it to them first; we follow it through before the review goes up.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineNo regulator covers a baby-proofing fitter, so a baby-proofing fitter who will not engage can be referred to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales (0808 223 1144 in Welsh), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims as the last stepWhere the baby-proofing fitter still refuses, the small claims routes run to £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure and £5,000 in Northern Ireland, with no solicitor needed.

Hiring a baby-proofing fitter: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies in any UK nation.

Ask for public liability insurance; no law requires it, but it covers damage in your home.

If agreed online, by phone or in your home, usually within 14 days, paying for any work already done at your request.

£30 to £100 a job, typically around £50. A whole house costs more than a single gate; products are often bought separately. Read the baby proofing price guide for the factors, then search above to see baby-proofing fitters in your area.

At 20% if the fitter is VAT-registered.

Tell the fitter in writing; under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 they must put poor work right or reduce the price.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in childcare & family

How to hire: ChildminderHow to hire: NannyHow to hire: BabysitterHow to hire: Baby Sleep ConsultantHow to hire: Night NannyHow to hire: Maternity NurseHow to hire: Au PairHow to hire: Mother's HelpAll 701 hiring guides →

Baby-proofing fitters near you

Baby-proofing fitters in LondonBaby-proofing fitters in ManchesterBaby-proofing fitters in BirminghamBaby-proofing fitters in GlasgowBaby-proofing fitters in BelfastAll baby-proofing fitters on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  3. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  5. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register