Guide · Tradespeople

The work was not good enough,
and you both know it.

Every tradesperson you hire, from a one-man band to a national firm, works under the same implied promise: reasonable care and skill. Shoddy work breaks that promise, and the law gives you remedies with teeth.

1.The standard they signed up to

You didn't need it in writing. Parliament wrote it into every service contract:

Consumer Rights Act 2015 · s.49 · Service to be performed with reasonable care and skill
"Every contract to supply a service is to be treated as including a term that the trader must perform the service with reasonable care and skill. (2)See section 54 for a consumer's rights if the trader is in breach of a term that this section requires to be treated as included in a contract."
In plain English: When you pay for a service, the law automatically assumes the trader will do the job with reasonable care and skill. If they don't, you have rights.
§ Read the full text on legislation.gov.uk →

2.Your remedies: repeat performance or money off

Substandard work? They come back and put it right at their own cost, in reasonable time, without charging you a penny more. If they can't or won't, the price comes down, potentially to zero:

Consumer Rights Act 2015 · s.55 · Right to repeat performance
"The right to require repeat performance is a right to require the trader to perform the service again, to the extent necessary to complete its performance in conformity with the contract. (2)If the consumer requires such repeat performance,"…
In plain English: If a service you paid for isn't done correctly, you can ask the trader to do it again properly. They must do this within a reasonable time and at their own expense, unless it's impossible to complete the service as agreed.
§ Read the full text on legislation.gov.uk →
Consumer Rights Act 2015 · s.56 · Right to price reduction
"The right to a price reduction is the right to require the trader to reduce the price to the consumer by an appropriate amount (including the right to receive a refund for anything already paid above the reduced amount). (2)The amount of the reduction may, where appropriate,"…
In plain English: If a service you paid for is not as described or is faulty, you can ask for a reduction in the price you paid. If you have already paid more than the reduced price, you are entitled to a refund for the difference.
§ Read the full text on legislation.gov.uk →

3.What to do

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This guide covers England and Wales; Scottish and Northern Irish rules can differ. This is guidance to help you understand your rights, not formal legal advice, and we're entirely independent: no affiliation with Citizens Advice, GOV.UK or any law firm. Every quotation above links to the official text so you can check us. Law verified current at July 2026.