How to resolve a dispute with a contractor
Reviewed 2026-10-07 · Official sources linked below · General information, not legal advice.
Stabilise the project first
If there is an immediate safety or weather risk, take reasonable temporary steps and keep the receipts and photographs. Do not destroy evidence unnecessarily. Tell the contractor what emergency work was required and why.
Turn the dispute into a schedule
Create columns for promised work, observed issue, evidence, proposed remedy, estimated cost and response. Separate incomplete work, defective work, variation disputes, delay and payment. Different issues may have different contractual remedies.
Use a calm escalation ladder
- Written notice with a reasonable inspection or response date.
- A joint inspection or independent report where the defect is technical.
- A settlement meeting or mediation with authority to agree.
- A formal letter before action complying with the relevant protocol.
- Adjudication where the contract and 1996 Act regime apply.
- A civil claim with a proportionate schedule and evidence pack.
Avoid the common own-goals
Do not publish allegations, threaten criminal action for a civil payment dispute, instruct a replacement contractor before recording the defect, or inflate a claim with unrelated inconvenience. Preserve your credibility and keep communications focused on the contractual problem.
Questions people ask
How do you handle a dispute with a contractor?
Use a written chronology, define the defect or payment issue, request a specific remedy, preserve evidence and use negotiation or ADR before litigation where safe and proportionate.
What should I not say to my contractor?
Avoid threats, personal accusations and statements you cannot prove. Say what happened, refer to the contract or evidence, state the remedy and give a reasonable response date.
What if the contractor has disappeared?
Preserve the contract, payment records and evidence, verify the legal entity and registered address, check whether insurance or a trade scheme applies, and obtain advice on service and recovery before spending heavily.
Official sources to check
- Citizens Advice: problem with a service
- Justice UK: construction pre-action protocol
- Consumer Rights Act 2015: services
Links were checked while this page was prepared. Legislation, fees and court guidance can change; use the linked source for the current position.
Before escalating: preserve the contract, photographs, payment record and independent assessment. A structured evidence bundle is often more useful than a longer email.