Before you say yes: check the quote for red flags
Some features of a quote are officially listed warning signs, and some are just how the trade works. Describe the quote you were given and see what Citizens Advice actually says about each part, with the source, verified 2026-07-17. It checks the quote, not the business: that check comes after, by name.
Describe the quote in your hand
Answer what applies. Each answer is read against what Citizens Advice actually says, with the source. Skip anything you are unsure about.
Answer any question to see what the official guidance says about it.
Then check the business itself
A clean quote from the wrong business is still the wrong business. Check the business by name on the public evidence, line your quotes up side by side. Or browse traders with public evidence.
Common questions
Is a big deposit a red flag?
An upfront ask of 50 percent is most of the money before any work. Citizens Advice's guidance is to avoid deposits or upfront payments where possible, pay in stages as work completes, and pay by card rather than cash. No UK law caps a deposit, so the written stage plan you agree is the protection.
The trader knocked on my door. What are my rights?
Unexpected doorstep callers are a route Citizens Advice warns about when hiring for building work: take time to check the business like any other, and remember the cooling off right below. Because this was arranged away from the business's premises, you normally have a 14 day cooling off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Two limits matter: the right does not apply where you invited the business in for urgent repairs or maintenance, and if you asked for work to start within the 14 days you can owe for work already done.
They only take cash. Is that a problem?
Citizens Advice says to avoid traders who only accept cash or want everything up front: it is a sign they might be dishonest or unreliable. Paying by card also brings Section 75 credit card protection for work costing between 100 pounds and 30,000 pounds.
Is a discount for cash a red flag?
A discount for cash is not in itself against the rules. The officially listed warning sign is a trader who will ONLY take cash, and paying in cash gives up card protections.
This is guidance from the public rules and official consumer guidance, not legal advice. It describes the features of a quote as you entered them; it says nothing about any named business. Rules change and cooling off rights carry exclusions, so check the cited official page before you rely on any single rule.
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