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Complaint about poor work by a builder or trader (Ireland)
Ireland · in English · for consumers
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For a consumer in Ireland whose builder, plumber, electrician, garage or other trader did the work badly or not as agreed. Under Part 4 of the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a service must be supplied with reasonable care and skill; the letter asks for the work to be put right at the trader's cost or, where that is impossible or not done, for a price reduction or to end the contract (section 86). It gives 14 days to reply before the Small Claims procedure (up to €2,000). Send it by registered post (An Post) with photos.
- Made for use in Ireland
- Last updated November 3, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- The builder who did your extension in Ireland left cracks and leaks behind.
- The plumber did a bad job and will not come back to fix it.
- The garage serviced your car but the problem it was paid to fix is still there.
- You want the trader to put the poor work right or take money off the bill.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town and county (e.g. Ennis, Co. Clare; or Dublin 8)
- Sender's Eircode
- Date
- Trader
- Trader's postal address
- Description of the work
- Date of the contract
- Price
- What the complaint is about
- What you ask for: the work put right, a price reduction or ending the contract
- Total owed, gross (in euros, the figure only)
Common questions
- What can I ask for in Ireland when a builder or tradesperson does poor work?
- First, that the trader puts the work right at no cost to you, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience (section 85 of the Consumer Rights Act 2022). If that is impossible, or is refused or not done in a reasonable time, a proportionate price reduction or ending the contract (section 86). These rights apply to services bought from 29 November 2022; for older contracts the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980 applies.
- Can I get another tradesperson in Ireland to fix the work and charge the first one?
- Usually only after giving the first trader a fair chance to put it right, as this letter does. If it refuses or fails, get written quotes from other traders and keep the invoices: the reasonable cost of putting the work right can be part of the price reduction or of a claim against the first trader.
- Who else can help with a dispute about building work in Ireland?
- The CCPC explains your rights free and records complaints about traders; home building is one of the subjects people contact it about most. If the trader belongs to a trade association, check whether it runs a complaints scheme. For a claim up to €2,000, the Small Claims procedure of the District Court is the low-cost route once this letter's 14 days have passed.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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