Property owners should conduct checks on tradesmen before they are employed to work on appliances such as flue accessories, it has been advised.
Many people will invite tradesmen into their property out of pure panic, as problems such as leaking pipes require fast attention, meaning they often employ people without understanding their skill level, according to a spokesman from TrustMark.
Stuart Carter, head of PR and marketing at the company, said: "What is so amazing is when you think of some of the checks that we make when we look at taking out household insurance to make sure we get good value for money."
Mr Carter continued by saying that TrustMark ensures that people have conducted the required background checks before specialists are allowed to work on properties.
Sainsbury's Home Insurance revealed earlier this month that 6.2 million people have been affected by cowboy builders in the past five years.