Before you get work done on your home

These steps should help you save time, money and stress when you’re preparing to get building work, renovations or repairs done on your home. They should also  help you avoid problems with builders, plumbers or other contractors, for example decorators and electricians.

The links provided here may take you to information that is very detailed but should ultimately prepare you well for making decisions. 

Step 1: Check if you need permission of approval

You may have to get more than one kind of permission or approval before you go ahead with work on your home.

Always check if you need:

• building regulations approval - you may need this even for small improvements, for example replacing windows or doors

• planning permission - you usually need this to build something new or make a major change, for example, an extension.

There is a detailed leaflet on the Scottish Government website called 'Building Standards Customer Journey' that you can download or read online about the type of journey you may have to go through.

If you have to get approval or permission

You may need to hire a surveyor or architect to help you apply for building regulations approval or planning permission. 

If you’re in a conservation area

You must also check with your local council before doing work on your home if it’s in a conservation area.

Step 2: How to find good builders or contractors

Recommendations and references are good ways to find reliable contractors who do a good job. You can check who has been registered on the website of the Federation of Master Builders.

If you can’t get personal recommendations from people you know, ask contractors for references. It’s best to get:

• two or three recent examples of similar work they’ve done

• contact details for the people they did the work for - it’s best to get in touch because written references aren’t always genuine.

Read more on how to find a trustworthy trader. There is a separate website for trusted builders.

If your contractors don’t give references

Avoid contractors who won’t give references - it’s a sign they could be dishonest.

Do the proper checks

It’s dangerous to use someone to work in your home who doesn’t have the required qualifications, especially for anything involving gas or electrics.

You should use:

• a registered gas engineer for gas work, for example installing a boiler or cooker

• a registered electrician for electrical work, for example installing new lighting or rewiring.

Registered traders can be found on the NICEIC website (previously called National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting).

You can also check on the NICEIC website if the contractor is a member of an approved trader scheme.

Check what a contractor says

It’s a good idea to check what a contractor or their website tells you - especially if they’ve knocked on your door or telephoned you to offer their services. For instance, you can:

• ask to see a business card or letterhead, or get full contact details, then ring the business to check if the details match. If the person who called to your home is an employee you can check if they do work for the company

• check if the contractor is a member of the trade association they say they are - you should find a list of members on the trade association’s website. 

If you have been provided with just a mobile number

Be wary if a contractor just gives a mobile number. They may be hard to contact if problems come up. Make sure you do all the checks above. 

Interview contractors in person before you hire them

Before you meet them, it’s a good idea to write down:

• a clear and detailed description of exactly what you want done

• a list of questions to help you get all the information you need to compare and choose between contractors.

Make sure you find it easy to talk to them - this should help you sort out any problems that come up later.

When you meet them, write down what they say they’ll do - if you do hire them it’ll be helpful to have a record of the job details from this conversation, as well as the written contract you’ll get before they start the work.

If you’re not comfortable with a particular contractor don’t hire them. You can always find someone else to do the work.

Step 3: Get quotes before you decide who to use

A quote is a promise from the contractor to do the work at a fixed price. Don’t rely on a verbal quote - get it in writing.

Some contractors charge for quotes - ask about this first.

Try to get written quotes from at least 3 different contractors before you decide on one. Comparing quotes will help you decide if you’re getting a fair price.

After you say yes to a quote, it’s a binding agreement between you and the contractor, whether it’s written down or not. Having it in writing means you can check what you agreed and you can use it as evidence if there’s a dispute later.

Quotes and estimates

Make sure you get a quote, not an estimate. A quote is a fixed price, so you'll know what you’re getting and how much it will cost. An estimate is just a rough guess, so you could end up paying more.

The contractor can’t charge you more than the price on their quote unless:

• you ask for extra work that’s not included in the quote

• they let you know they have to do extra work and you agree to pay more for it

• they made a genuine mistake when writing down or calculating the price - they have the legal right to charge you what it should have been.

If you think your contractor is being dishonest

Be wary if a contractor won’t put a quote in writing. It’s a sign they could be unreliable.

Always be cautious if the price is a lot lower than other quotes you get. It could mean they don’t have the right skills or experience, or they’re not being honest. It could also mean they’re not quoting for exactly the same work.

What a quote should include

Be very clear about the work you want done - this will help you get the most accurate price and prevent misunderstandings later.

A quote should include:

• a fixed total price - not a daily rate

• a breakdown of all the work to be done and the materials needed

• separate costs for each material and part of the work

• how long the price is valid for

• if the price includes VAT

• when the price can go up, for example, only if you agree to extra work or extra costs of materials.

You could be offered a daily rate for work instead of a total fixed price. Discuss your options with the contractor and ask for a timescale for the work.

Often building work can develop glitches because of unforeseen problems or issues with weather. An experienced contractor should know how to provide a quote that allows them to take account of issues while giving you a reasonable price for the job.

Check if your contractor has the correct insurance

Before saying yes to a quote, you should check the contractor has the correct insurance in place and try to get a written contract.

Step 4: Check you and your trader have the right insurance 

You should check:

• your buildings insurance

• the trader’s insurance

Check your buildings insurance

Contact your buildings insurance company to check you'll be covered during the work. Your buildings insurance might be part of your home insurance. You might have to pay more for your insurance during and after the work.

Your insurer will probably want to know what trader you’re using and what insurance they have. They might suggest you take out joint insurance with the trader.

If you don’t have buildings insurance, it’s worth getting some before the work starts. You might feel more secure knowing you have insurance in place in case of any damage or if anything goes missing. Check how much buildings insurance cover you need.

If you own a leasehold property, the building is normally insured by the freehold owner or building’s management company. Contact them for the insurance policy.

Check the trader’s insurance

Ask what insurance the trader has. You should also ask to see their insurance policies and check they don’t run out before the work will be finished. A trustworthy trader will usually share this information with you. 

It’s also worth remembering the trader has to carry out the work with reasonable care and skill. If they don’t, you can ask them to redo the work or refund some of the cost.

Check if your trader has the following insurance:

• Public liability insurance - to cover if someone's hurt or if property is damaged

• Employers' liability insurance - to cover if a trader’s employees are hurt while working

• Professional indemnity insurance - to cover if a trader  does faulty design work or gives bad advice

• Contractors' all-risk - to cover work that’s damaged or destroyed before it’s completed

Your home insurance will cover the work once it's completed.

Step 5: Get a written contract

When you tell the trader you'd like them to do the work, you've made a contract with them. This applies even if it's not written down.

You should always try to get a contract in writing before you tell the trader you'd like them to do the work. If the trader doesn’t do what you agreed, a written contract can help you get what you paid for, or at least get some of your money back.

Minimum cooling off period

You might be able to cancel the contract if you change your mind within 14 days. The 14 days start when you tell the trader you’d like them to do the work or sign a written contract. 

If you asked for the work to start within those 14 days you might have to pay for some or all of it. The amount might depend on when you asked to cancel and how much work had been done when you asked to cancel.

Check how to cancel building or decorating work.

If the trader gives you a contract, check if it covers everything you agreed. If they don’t, you can write your own.

If your trader won’t provide you with anything in writing

Be wary of traders who won’t put anything in writing - it’s a sign they might be dishonest.

Help writing your own contract

Written contracts don’t need to be in legal language - they just need to outline:

• exactly what you’re paying for (they can refer back to the quote for this)

• everything you’ve agreed on - for example, timings, tidying up, materials and payments

It can help to look at example contracts, or create a contract using a template - for example, for:

• home repairs or maintenance - you can download a free contract template

• building work - you can download an example contract or buy a contract template

Check the contract covers the essential details

If you write your own contract or accept the trader’s, you should make sure it covers timings, tidying up, materials, equipment, subcontractors and payment.

Timings should cover:

• start and finish dates

• if you’ve agreed on a daily rate, the number of days the work will take and how many working hours are in a day

• delays - why they might happen, and what the trader will do about them

Tidying up should cover:

• how and when the trader will remove rubbish and clear up after themselves

• who pays for delivery and collection of any skips

Materials, equipment and subcontractors should cover:

• who pays to buy or hire materials and equipment for things the trader buys, how they’ll give you receipts and paperwork

• if and when they’ll use subcontractors

Make sure the contract covers how and when you’ll pay. Aim to:

• pay by card not cash

• pay in stages

• avoid deposits or upfront payments

• get some protection for your money

Paying for the work

You should pay for the work by debit or credit card if you can. If you can’t pay by card, pay by bank transfer. Don’t pay with cash.

If your trader only accepts cash

Avoid traders who only accept cash or want you to pay everything upfront - it’s a sign they might be dishonest or unreliable.

If you pay by credit or debit card, you might be able to get your money back through your card provider if something goes wrong - for example, if the trader doesn’t turn up but refuses to pay back your deposit.

If something goes wrong and you want to get your money back, contact your card provider. Tell them you want to use the 'chargeback' scheme.

If you pay for work that costs between £100.01 and £30,000 by credit card, it might be better to tell your credit card company you want to make a ‘section 75 claim’. A section 75 claim is a legal right for a customer to claim from the card provider if something goes wrong with a purchase. This includes paying a deposit by credit card, even if that’s less than £100. It’s another way to get your money back. 

Check how to get your money back if you pay by credit or debit card.

If you paid by cash or bank transfer, you can’t claim through the chargeback scheme or section 75. If you paid by bank transfer, you might be able to get your money back if you’ve been the victim of a scam. Check if you can get your money back after a scam.

If you pay by credit card and you don’t pay off the total amount on time, you’ll usually get charged interest. This might mean the amount you owe goes up even if you make the minimum payment each month. 

If you're thinking about using a credit card, check the important things to consider.  

Paying in stages is a good idea, because it means problems can be put right before you make the final payment. Be clear about the points in the work when payments are due.

Paying a deposit

Don’t agree to pay everything up front, in case something goes wrong or the trader doesn’t turn up.

If they ask for a deposit to pay for materials, offer to buy them yourself instead of paying a deposit - that way, at least you own the materials if something goes wrong.

If the work will take a long time, you might not be able to avoid a deposit. Aim to push it down as much as possible, and don’t agree to more than 25%.

Always get a receipt for a deposit, as well as receipts for any materials it covers.

If you need to pay a deposit to the trader before work starts, check if the trader has insurance to protect your deposit. This will make sure you get your deposit back if the trader goes out of business. 

Instead of insurance the trader might use an ‘escrow’ scheme. This means the deposit is held in a neutral account belonging to the escrow company. The trader is paid part or all of the money at agreed times, for example when the work is done. 

You should check the escrow company is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If they are, you can use the contact details on the register to make sure the account details are genuine. If they aren’t registered, you can suggest using an escrow company that is.

Check the escrow company is registered with the FCA on their website.

Check if something might be a scam.

Guarantees and warranties 

The trader might offer a guarantee for the work. It might also be called a warranty. This is a promise to put something right if it goes wrong after the work’s finished. It’s in addition to your legal rights.

You might also be offered an extended warranty for any goods. This usually means you can pay to make the guarantee last longer than a standard guarantee.

Before you agree to start work, check how long the guarantee lasts and what it covers. For example, if the trader is supplying materials and installing something, you should check the guarantee covers defects in the materials as well as problems with their workmanship. You should also ask your trader if materials come with their own guarantee from the manufacturer. 

Check if the guarantee is personal to you, or if it can be passed to future owners if you sell your home.

Always get a copy of the guarantee in writing. 

You should check if the guarantee is 'insurance-backed'. This is when an insurance policy is taken out to make sure the guarantee can still be honoured if the trader goes out of business. 

Sometimes insurance-backed guarantees come with the work, for example if you’re getting replacement windows and doors. If it doesn’t, you can buy one as part of the cost of the work, if the trader offers it. Check exactly what’s covered before you buy it. 

Step 6: Be prepared to deal with problems

Get the contractor’s full contact details before work starts. If you know how to get in touch, it’s easier to deal with any problems that come up. A reputable contractor may take responsibility to get in touch with you to provide progress reports or confirm what stage they are expecting the work to be at by the end of the week.

As soon as something happens that you’re not happy with:

• ask the builder or contractor to put it right

• come to an agreement about how they’ll fix it, and ask them to put it in writing.

Next steps

If a contractor does a bad job or doesn’t do what you agreed, you should be entitled to get it fixed or get some money back. Find out what you can do about problems with building work, decorating and home repairs.

You can also use the complaints resolution process provided by the NICEIC.

Further help

Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Advice Direct Scotland's consumer service if you need more help.