Guide

What to Ask Before the Work Starts

24 September 2026 · 6 min read

Most disputes between a householder and a tradesperson are not about bad work. They are about something that was never agreed, and both sides remembering it differently.

Everything here takes about ten minutes to settle, before anyone starts, and none of it is rude to ask.

Get the quote in writing

A written quote is not a sign of distrust; it is how a professional works. It should say:

• what the work is, in enough detail that you both picture the same thing
• what it costs, and whether that includes materials and VAT
• what is not included — making good, decorating, taking the old one away
• roughly how long it will take, and when they can start
• when payment is due

An estimate can move. A quote is a price. If the paper does not say which it is, ask.

Deposits

A deposit covering materials is normal and reasonable: the tradesperson is buying your kitchen with their own money weeks before you pay for it. Somewhere around a fifth to a third of the price is usual for a materials-heavy job.

What to look for: what the deposit is for, and what happens to it if you cancel. In a message, before you pay it. Pay by bank transfer or card, so there is a record.

On a long job, agree stage payments tied to visible progress rather than dates — first fix, second fix, completion. Both sides can see where they stand.

How extras get priced

This is the one that causes the arguments. Agree the rule before it happens:

Anything extra is priced and agreed by message before it is done.

It protects you both. You never get a bill you did not expect, and they never do work nobody will pay for. A one-line text with a price, and a "yes" back, is enough.

Insurance and qualifications

Ask whether they carry public liability insurance. It covers damage to your home while they are working in it, and every established trade has it.

Some work is regulated and the qualification is not optional:

• Gas — the engineer must be on the Gas Safe Register. Ask to see the card, and check the number on the register. This one is worth being firm about.
• Electrical work — a registered competent person can self-certify the work; otherwise it needs building control.
• Anything structural, and some window, drainage and roofing work — building regulations apply.

What you should be left holding

At the end of the job, you should have:

• an invoice with their name, address and the work described
• a certificate where one applies — gas, electrical, building control
• the guarantee, and what it covers: their workmanship, the manufacturer's parts, or both
• manuals and warranties for anything installed

Keep them together. This is the paperwork a buyer's solicitor asks for years later.

Paying

• Pay the balance when the work is finished, not before. Walk round it first.
• Keep a record of every payment. Bank transfer or card, not cash in an envelope.
• Do not pay for a job nobody has started beyond the agreed deposit.
• If something is not right, say so straight away, politely and in writing. Most tradespeople want to put it right; almost none want to hear about it six weeks later from a solicitor.

If it goes wrong

You have rights. Work done for you as a consumer has to be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and if it is not, the trader gets the chance to put it right. Keep it in writing and keep it calm — give them a fair opportunity to fix it, and say what you want done and by when.

If that fails, the route depends on the trade: a scheme they belong to, or the small claims process, which is designed to be used without a solicitor.

The bit people forget

When it goes well, say so where it counts. Your street is the most useful place for that, because the next person hunting for the same trade lives forty yards away. That is what Rep is for.