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# Consumer Rights Act: What Customers Can Actually Demand
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers every job you do for a private homeowner. It sets out what your customers can reasonably expect, and what they can't. Knowing this saves you arguments, protects you from chancers, and helps you handle genuine complaints properly.
Rule of thumb: your work must be done with "reasonable care and skill." That's the legal test. If it meets that standard, you're covered. If it doesn't, you owe a fix or a refund.
The Legal Standard
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says services must be:
- Performed with reasonable care and skill
- Done within a reasonable time (if no deadline was agreed)
- Provided at a reasonable price (if no price was agreed upfront)
For goods you supply (materials, fittings, fixtures), they must be:
- Of satisfactory quality
- Fit for purpose
- As described
This applies to domestic customers only. Business-to-business contracts follow different rules.
When Customers CAN Demand a Redo or Refund
Your customer has genuine grounds to complain when:
- The work is clearly defective. A leaking roof, cracked plaster, tiles falling off the wall, a radiator that doesn't heat up. If the work doesn't do what it's supposed to do, you haven't met the standard.
- The work doesn't match what was agreed. You quoted for oak flooring and laid pine. You agreed to fit a specific brand of boiler and fitted a different one. What you delivered is different from what you promised.
- Materials are faulty. If you supplied the materials and they're defective, that's your problem under the Act. If the customer supplied their own materials and they're faulty, that's theirs.
For faulty goods (materials you supplied), the customer has a 30-day right to reject them and get a full refund. After 30 days, you have one chance to repair or replace before they can demand a price reduction.
When Customers CANNOT Demand a Refund
This is equally important. Customers do not have a legal right to a refund when:
- They changed their mind about the colour, style or spec after you did the work they asked for.
- Normal settlement or shrinkage has occurred. New plaster cracks slightly. Timber moves. Grout settles. This is building physics, not defective work.
- They hired someone else to change or redo your work, then want you to fix or pay for the consequences. Once another tradesperson has altered your work, your liability gets complicated.
- Wear and tear after handover. Your bathroom install doesn't come with a lifetime guarantee against normal use.
Tip for new starters: take photos of your finished work at handover. Timestamped photos on your phone prove what condition it was in when you left. If a complaint comes in six months later, you've got evidence.
Snag Lists
Snagging is normal. Every job has a few bits to tidy up. A reasonable snag list might include a paint touch-up, a door that needs adjusting, a bit of sealant that needs redoing.
Unreasonable punch lists are different. A customer who produces 40 items including things like "I don't like the shade of grout" or "the handles feel cheap" (when they chose the handles) is not snagging. They're trying to get free upgrades or negotiate the price down.
Address genuine snags promptly. For unreasonable lists, respond professionally in writing, address the items that are genuine defects, and explain why the rest don't qualify.
Deposits
Taking a deposit is normal and legal. A deposit covers your materials and secures the booking. If the customer cancels before you start, whether they can get the deposit back depends on what was agreed and whether you've already spent it on materials.
If you did the work properly and the customer just doesn't want to pay the balance, the deposit is yours. A customer can't demand a deposit back when the work was completed to the agreed standard.
Tip for new starters: put your deposit terms in your quote. Something like "50% deposit on acceptance, balance on completion" is standard. Put it in writing and there's no argument later.
Handling Complaints Professionally
When a customer complains:
- Listen. Don't get defensive on the phone. Let them explain what the problem is.
- Inspect. Go and look at it. Most complaints are either genuine and fixable, or based on unrealistic expectations.
- Respond in writing. Email or text. Say what you found and what you'll do about it. This creates a record.
- Fix genuine defects promptly and professionally. It's cheaper than a dispute and better for your reputation.
- For disputed complaints, suggest mediation through a trade body or Citizens Advice.
When to Involve Your Insurer
Involve your insurer when:
- The complaint involves significant financial loss (water damage from a plumbing fault, structural issues from building work)
- The customer is threatening legal action
- A third party has been injured or their property damaged
Don't involve your insurer for minor snags. Handle those yourself. Every claim can affect your premiums.
Limitation Periods
Your customer has 6 years from completion to bring a claim for breach of a simple contract (most quotes and verbal agreements). For contracts executed as a deed (formal signed contracts under seal), the limitation period is 12 years.
This doesn't mean you're liable for normal wear and tear over 6 years. It means they have 6 years to bring a claim for work that was defective at the time you did it.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, Part 1 (Services and Goods)
- gov.uk, "Consumer rights when buying services," 2025
- Citizens Advice, "If you have a problem with a service," 2025
- Limitation Act 1980, Sections 5 and 8
- Ministry of Justice, "Small Claims Court guidance," 2025
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