Electrical work has to be right. Instead you've got tripping circuits, sockets that don't work, scorch marks, or an installation that no electrician will sign off — and the one you paid won't come back or hand over a certificate.
Electricians are held to a clear standard, in both workmanship and safety. When they fall short, the cost of making it right is recoverable.
Your Right: Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 an electrician must work with reasonable care and skill. Notifiable work must also meet Part P of the Building Regulations and be certified. Defective, uncertified or unsafe work breaches that standard — and you can claim the cost of putting it right.
Safety first: if you think the work is dangerous, have it made safe by a registered electrician before anything else. Their report becomes key evidence for your claim.
When You Have a Claim
- Faulty or unsafe wiring, sockets, consumer unit or circuits
- Work that fails an inspection or won't be signed off
- No Electrical Installation Certificate for notifiable work
- Failure to notify Building Control under Part P
- Damage caused to your property during the work
Recover the cost of putting it right
JustClaim turns your situation into a properly drafted court claim and files it online. No solicitor, no jargon.
Start Your Claim NowHow to Claim: Step by Step
Make it safe and get a report. A registered electrician's inspection report documents the defects and the cost to correct them.
Complain in writing. Set out the defects and missing certification and give a clear deadline to resolve it.
Send a letter before action. A formal letter stating your claim and a deadline to pay before issuing proceedings.
File your claim. If they refuse, file an N1 at the county court for the cost of remedial work, inspection, interest and the court fee.
What You Can Claim
- The cost of correcting the electrical work properly
- The cost of inspection, testing and certification
- Repairs to any damage caused
- Related losses flowing from the failure
- Interest and the court fee
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue an electrician for bad or unsafe work?
Yes. An electrician must work with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and to the required safety standards. If the work is defective or unsafe — or they failed to certify and notify it properly — you can recover the cost of putting it right in the small claims court.
The electrician didn't give me a certificate — does that matter?
Yes. Notifiable electrical work in a home (under Part P of the Building Regulations) must be certified and notified to Building Control, and you should receive an Electrical Installation Certificate. If they failed to do this, you can claim the cost of having the work inspected, certified or corrected by a registered electrician.
What if the work is dangerous?
Get it made safe first by a registered electrician — your safety comes before the claim. Keep their report: it is strong evidence of the original electrician's failure, and its cost, along with the cost of remedial work, is recoverable.
Do I have to let the original electrician fix it?
For defective work the Consumer Rights Act usually gives the trader a chance to put it right. But where the work is unsafe or you've lost trust, it is reasonable to instruct a registered electrician instead and recover the cost — especially once safety is involved.
How much does it cost to take an electrician to court?
Court fees start at £35 for claims up to £300 and rise with the amount claimed. The fee is added to your claim and recovered from the electrician if you win. No solicitor is needed for a small claim.