Paid a tradesperson and the work was done badly You can usually still claim the money back
No written contract, a WhatsApp quote, work left half-done or leaking — this is one of the most common disputes we see, and it doesn't need a solicitor to sort out. You can usually take the tradesperson to small claims court for the cost of putting it right, or for a refund, even without a formal contract. JustClaim prepares the paperwork so you don't have to work out the legal wording yourself.
Courts may award simple interest on money you are owed — commonly 8% a year under the County Courts Act 1984, at the court's discretion rather than automatically — usually running from the date the money fell due. Court fees are typically added to a successful claim.
These are real ways people have described it to us
The sorts of things people tell us about this kind of dispute. 5 cases like it have come to us.
What a builder owes you, legally
Building work for a homeowner sits under consumer law as well as ordinary contract law. These are the provisions that usually decide unfinished and defective work.
ActConsumer Rights Act 2015, ss.49 & 57Services must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.
Section 49 implies a term into every contract where a trader supplies a service to a consumer: it must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Section 57 limits how far a trader can exclude or restrict that term, so a line in a quote generally won't remove it. Work falling below the standard a competent tradesperson would meet is normally a breach, whether or not anything was written down.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗ActConsumer Rights Act 2015, ss.51–52Where no price or deadline was fixed, both must be reasonable.
If the job was agreed without a firm completion date, the law fills the gap: it must be carried out within a reasonable time. What counts as reasonable generally depends on the scope of the work, agreed sequencing, access, supply problems and any variations — which is what answers a flat "there was never a deadline".
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗ActConsumer Rights Act 2015, ss.54–56Repeat performance, price reduction — and damages alongside.
The statutory service remedies are repeat performance (the trader putting the work right at their own cost, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience) and, where that isn't possible or doesn't happen, a price reduction which can run up to the full amount paid. Section 54 preserves other remedies too, including damages, so this is not always a rigid sequence. Evidence of the opportunity given to the trader is typically something courts consider.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗Case lawDamages — the cost of putting it rightThe usual measure is what it costs to get the work finished properly.
Contract damages generally aim to put you in the position you would have been in had the work been done properly, and the usual starting point is the reasonable cost of completing and correcting it. Courts may also weigh proportionality, betterment and mitigation — where a remedial cost is out of all proportion, the measure can instead reflect the reduction in value. A written quote from another trader is typically central either way.
Case lawFailure of basis — money paid for work never doneA deposit taken for work that never happened is usually recoverable as a debt in restitution.
Where you paid for something and received essentially nothing in return, the law of unjust enrichment generally allows recovery of the payment on the ground that the basis for it failed totally. It typically runs alongside a breach-of-contract claim and can be simpler where a trader took a deposit, never started, and then disappeared — there is little to argue about beyond the fact of payment.
ActLimitation Act 1980, s.5Six years from the breach, as a general rule.
Time generally runs from the breach rather than from when you noticed it, so defects that surface years later can raise harder limitation questions. Evidence — quotes, messages, photographs — also tends to be easier to assemble while the work is recent.
Read it on legislation.gov.uk ↗General information about the law of England and Wales, not advice on your case. Different rules can apply to work done for a business rather than a household.
What they might say — and what usually applies
A verbal agreement, a WhatsApp quote, or a text confirming the price is usually still a contract in the eyes of the law. Courts deal with this often — screenshots, invoices, and photos of the work can often carry as much weight as a signed document.
There's a difference between minor snagging and work that's unsafe or badly joined. Water running down a wall or fascia left unfinished usually goes beyond normal wear — a court may see this as work not carried out to a reasonable standard.
Paying upfront doesn't usually waive your right to expect work of reasonable quality. If the job was left unfinished or in an unsafe condition, that payment can typically still be reclaimed through a small claim.
This is sometimes offered and then not followed through. If you go ahead and get quotes for remedial work, keep them and the invoices — they're usually the figure a court will look at if the tradesperson doesn't pay up voluntarily.
Three steps, no solicitor
Your side, your words
What happened, what was agreed, what you are out of pocket. We ask what a court would ask.
A formal demand
A letter before action with a deadline, setting out what is owed and why. Many disputes end here.
Court claim, prepared
If they will not engage: a small claim drafted, checked and filed. We do the paperwork; the decision is the court’s.
What JustClaim is: we prepare and file the paperwork for your claim, for a fixed price shown before you pay. We're not a law firm, this isn't legal advice, and no outcome is ever guaranteed — what you get is the strongest honest version of your case, properly made.
Questions people in this exact spot ask
The gutter still doesn't drain properly and water is running down the wall — what can I actually claim for?
You can usually claim the cost of putting the work right, sometimes plus any damage the fault has caused, like damp or staining. Get a written quote from another tradesperson for the repair — that figure is often what a small claim would be based on.
We only ever agreed the job over WhatsApp, no formal contract. Does that matter?
It's usually fine. Message threads showing the quote, the price agreed, and photos of the finished work can typically be used as evidence, even without a signed contract.
The fascia repair looks awful and was left half done — can I get a full refund or only partial?
It depends on how much of the job was completed and to what standard. Courts often look at whether you received reasonable value for what was paid, so a partial refund or the cost of correction is a common outcome, though this isn't guaranteed.
The patio was badly joined and is already cracking — how long do I have to make a claim?
In England and Wales, claims like this usually need to be brought within six years of the work being done, though it's generally best not to wait — early evidence of the defect is easier to gather.
Do I need to give the tradesperson a chance to fix it before I claim?
It's often sensible, and courts sometimes expect to see that you asked them to put things right first. A clear written request (even a text) with a reasonable deadline can help show you tried before taking further steps.
The garden/turf work is unsafe, not just poor quality — does that change anything?
Work left in an unsafe condition can strengthen a claim, since it goes beyond a simple quality complaint. Keeping photos and, where possible, a second opinion on the safety issue can usually help support your case.
Get the paperwork started
Tell us what happened — the quote, the photos, the mess left behind — and we'll help you turn it into a small claim.
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