An extension, a loft, a new roof or kitchen, a repair that can't wait: having building work done is a big decision, and most people only do it a few times. You don't need to know the building trade to get it right. You need to know what to check, what to ask for in writing, and who to call if you get stuck.
This section walks through the job in the order it happens. It explains what the law in England and Wales says in plain English, and points to the free official help that already exists. The guides are free to read.
- Planning work? Start with your legal responsibilities, then follow the guides below in order.
- Something already gone wrong? Go to when building work goes wrong, or ring the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales).
- Looking for the free documents? Jump to them.
KubitDocs does not check, vet or recommend any builder or scheme.
Start here: your legal responsibilities
Some duties sit with you as the owner, not with your builder. For example, GOV.UK warns that if the work doesn't meet building regulations, the building control body "could make you pay to fix faulty work". It is worth knowing where you stand before anyone starts.
Your legal responsibilities when you have building work done
The guides, in the order of the job
- Your legal responsibilities when you have building work done. What is yours to sort out before the work starts.
- Before you hire a builder: the checks to make. Identity, insurance, schemes, references, and why you never agree work at the door.
- Getting and comparing builders' quotes. The brief, three written quotes, and what to compare.
- Your right to cancel building work. When you can cancel, how long you have, and the exceptions.
- Deposits and stage payments. How much, when, how to pay, and what guarantees do and don't cover.
- Party wall notices. What to do if the work is on or near a shared wall or boundary.
- When building work goes wrong. The steps, in order, from a complaint to a court claim.
Free documents
Three homeowner documents are free. They are complete forms, not samples.
- Homeowner's Legal Responsibilities Checklist: what sits with you as the owner
- Builder Checks Record: the checks you made before hiring
- Snag List and Handover — Home Improvements: what is left to put right, and what you were handed at the end
The homeowner toolkit
Ten fillable records and letters for running the job, from the brief to the guarantee. They cost £22.80 together, including VAT, or you can buy each one on its own.
- Project Brief and Scope of Works
- Quote Request and Comparison
- Contract Checklist for Homeowners
- Payment Schedule and Receipts Record
- Changes and Extra Costs Record
- Job Diary for Homeowners
- Guarantees and Certificates Record
- Party Wall Notice Pack
- Letter Before Claim — Building Work
- Letters to Your Builder
These are records and letters. They are not insurance, they don't hold your money, and they can't make a builder do a good job.
What a good builder should give you
What a good builder should give you lists the paperwork to expect, from the written quote to the guarantee, with one line on why each piece matters.
Free help
Citizens Advice consumer helpline (England and Wales)
- Phone: 0808 223 1133
- Welsh-speaking adviser: 0808 223 1144
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0808 223 1133
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; closed on bank holidays
The helpline gives advice on a problem with a trader. It is also how you report a trader to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice passes reports on. Trading Standards can act against a business, but Citizens Advice says they "won't help you fix your problem". For example, they can't get you a refund. Citizens Advice on home improvements.
Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland): 0300 123 2040, to report fraud, including doorstep fraud.
Police. Which? says to call 999 if a caller is really persistent and refuses to leave, or 101 if you are suspicious but not in immediate danger.
Scotland: Advice Direct Scotland, 0808 164 6000, for consumer advice. Report fraud to Police Scotland on 101.
Northern Ireland: Consumerline, 0300 123 6262, for consumer advice.
GOV.UK guides
Professional help. For your own situation, a solicitor. For a party wall matter, a party wall surveyor.
Where this applies
These pages are written for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own helplines, listed above, and some rules differ. For example, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 "extends to England and Wales only", and GOV.UK notes different rules in Scotland. Each guide says where the difference matters.
General information, not advice
Everything in this section is general information about what the law in England and Wales says. It is not advice on your own situation, and it can't promise any result. When the stakes are high, speak to Citizens Advice or a solicitor. What our documents can and cannot promise.