Your rights
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader providing a service must carry it out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time if no time was agreed, and for a reasonable price if no price was agreed. Anything they told you about the work and relied on – such as what the quote included – can also count.
If the work falls short, you can usually ask for it to be put right (a 'repeat performance') at no extra cost, and if that isn't possible or isn't done in a reasonable time, you may be entitled to a price reduction.
Steps to take
- Make the problem safe – turn off water or isolate the fitting if needed
- Take dated photos and keep the quote, invoice and messages
- Contact the plumber promptly, explain the problem and ask them to fix it
- Follow up in writing, setting out what you want and a reasonable deadline
- Give them a fair chance to return and put it right
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If it isn't resolved
If the plumber belongs to a trade association or scheme, it may have a complaints or dispute resolution process. Citizens Advice can explain your options. If you paid by credit card for a job costing between £100 and £30,000, you may be able to claim from the card provider. As a last resort, you can make a small claim through the courts – in England and Wales this can be started online.
For unsafe gas work, report it to the Gas Safe Register, as gas work by an unregistered person is illegal.
Avoiding problems next time
Most disputes start with unclear expectations. A written quote listing the work and exclusions, agreed payment stages and photos of the area before work starts make problems much easier to resolve – and much less likely to happen.
