Get poor building work put right or your money back

This guide is for homeowners in England and Wales whose builder, roofer, plasterer, landscaper or other tradesperson has done poor, unfinished or dangerous work and will not put it right. It starts where the regular guides on resolving a builder dispute and making a small claim stop: you will pin down what was agreed, prove the defects with an independent report, use the Consumer Rights Act 2015 remedies in the right order and turn the problem into a figure a court would recognise. By the end you will have a repair demand, a surveyor's brief, a letter before claim and a clear decision on card claims, trade schemes and small claims. It is general information, not legal advice; Citizens Advice can help you check your position, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have different court procedures.

What is inside

• Full step-by-step method9 detailed steps with decision points
• Ready-to-use templatesLetter requiring the builder to put the work right · Brief for an independent surveyor or engineer · Letter before claim
• Timed action plan8 stages from “Day 1” to “After judgment”
• Costly mistakes to avoid4 traps and what to do instead
• Complete checklist12 items to tick off
• Insider tips and fixes4 tips and 4 common problems solved

Step by step

1. Make it safe and stop the money flowing

   If the work is dangerous, such as a sagging lintel, exposed wiring, a leaking roof or a wall out of plumb, make the area safe first and get an urgent opinion from a structural engineer, a registered electrician or your council's building control team. Do not pay any further stage payment for work you are disputing, but if the contract says you owe money for other completed stages, pay that part so you are not the one in breach. A useful rule is to hold back only what reasonably reflects the cost of putting the defects right, and to say in writing that this is what you are doing and why. Do not let another firm start repairs yet unless it is an emergency, because you would destroy evidence, and the Act's first remedy is for the original builder to put the work right; a court will ask whether you gave them a fair chance. If you must do emergency repairs, photograph everything before and after and keep the invoices, as you can claim them later.