Often yes — if you agreed the job in the customer's home or at a distance, a consumer usually has a 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. But if you told them about that right and they asked you to start within the 14 days, they must pay for the work you've already done.
This one catches a lot of tradespeople out. When you agree a job in a customer's home — which is most domestic work — special consumer rules kick in that don't apply when someone buys from your premises.
The 14-day cancellation right
Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, when a contract is made in the customer's home (or at a distance, e.g. over the phone), the consumer normally gets a 14-day cooling-off period in which they can cancel for any reason.
What you must tell them
You're required to inform the customer of this cancellation right in writing before the work starts. If you don't, two things can happen:
- The cancellation period can be extended by up to 12 months.
- You may lose the right to be paid for work done if they cancel within that period.
Starting work within the 14 days
Customers often want work to start straight away — that's fine. If you've told them about the cancellation right and they make a written request for you to begin within the 14 days, then:
- They can still cancel during the period, but
- They must pay for the work and materials you've already provided up to the point they cancel.
How to protect yourself
- Include a cancellation notice in your quote or terms for any job agreed in the customer's home.
- Get their written request to start within 14 days if they want you to crack on.
- Keep records of what was done and when, so any charge for partial work is clear.
None of this applies in the same way to business customers, and the cooling-off right is a consumer protection — but since most domestic jobs are agreed in the home, it's worth building the notice into your standard paperwork.