Tradesperson Damages Your Property: Who Pays in the UK?

Q: How long do I have to make a claim against a tradesperson for property damage in the UK?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have six years from the date the damage occurred (or when you became aware of it) to bring a civil claim in England and Wales. Don't delay unnecessarily, though — evidence degrades and memories fade. ---

If a tradesperson damages your property while carrying out work, they are generally liable for that damage — and their public liability insurance should cover the cost of putting things right. The legal basis for this sits under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015, both of which require tradespeople to carry out work with reasonable care and skill. If they fall short of that standard, you have a legitimate route to compensation.

I've been working as a qualified electrician in North East England for over a decade, and I've seen this go wrong in both directions — customers who didn't know their rights and ended up footing the bill themselves, and tradespeople who faced claims for damage that wasn't actually their fault. This article is intended to cut through the confusion and give you straight, practical guidance.

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Who Is Legally Responsible If a Tradesperson Damages Your Property?

The short answer: the tradesperson is responsible if the damage resulted from their negligence or failure to meet a reasonable standard of workmanship. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any service provided to a consumer must be performed with reasonable care and skill. If it isn't, the trader is in breach of contract.

The legal concept underpinning this is duty of care and negligence. When an electrician or any other tradesperson enters your home to do a job, they owe you a duty of care. If they breach that duty — through carelessness, poor practice, or incompetence — and your property suffers as a result, you have grounds for a claim.

This applies whether they've cracked your plaster during a rewire, damaged a kitchen unit when installing a new consumer unit, or cut through something they shouldn't have when running cable for an EV charger installation. Accidental damage is still their responsibility if it happened because of how they worked.

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What Is Public Liability Insurance and Does Every Tradesperson Need It?

Public liability insurance (PLI) is a policy that protects a tradesperson if they accidentally damage a client's property or injure a third party while working. For an electrician, it typically covers things like physical damage to your home, accidental water ingress caused by drilling, or fire damage resulting from faulty work.

Here's the honest answer that surprises many people: there is no legal requirement in the UK for a tradesperson to hold public liability insurance. It is strongly recommended, and most reputable tradespeople carry it — usually with cover between £1 million and £5 million — but it is not a statutory obligation in the same way that, say, motor insurance is.

Professional indemnity insurance is a separate product that covers claims arising from professional advice or design failures, rather than physical damage on site. Some electricians carry both; many only carry PLI.

This is exactly why you should always ask for proof of insurance before work starts.

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What Types of Damage Can Happen During Electrical Work?

From my own experience, the most common types of property damage that arise during electrical jobs include:

Plaster and wall damage — almost unavoidable during a full rewire, but the extent and quality of making good varies enormously
Joinery and flooring damage — chasing cables under floorboards or along skirting without adequate care
Structural damage — incorrectly drilling through joists, which is also a potential Building Regulations issue under Part P
Water damage — drilling into hidden pipework (we always check, but not every tradesperson does)
Scorching or fire damage — thankfully rare with a competent electrician, but relevant if work later fails an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
Damage to existing systems — a botched consumer unit upgrade or poorly connected circuits causing downstream equipment failures

Some damage, like minor plaster disruption during a rewire or an EV charger installation, is expected and should be discussed upfront. Other damage — a cracked worktop, a broken tile, a flooded kitchen — is clearly not.

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Steps to Take Immediately After a Tradesperson Causes Damage

1. Stop and document everything. Take CCTV or photographic evidence (video where possible) before anything is moved or tidied up. Timestamp your photos.

2. Tell the tradesperson on site, immediately. Don't wait. If they're still there, raise it calmly and make sure they acknowledge it.

3. Follow up in writing. Send an email or text the same day, clearly describing what happened and requesting their insurance details.

4. Do not repair the damage yourself yet — doing so before a claim is assessed can undermine your position.

5. Get at least two independent quotes for the repair work. You'll need these figures when pursuing a claim.

6. Check your original written quotation or contract of service for any clauses about making good or damage liability.

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How to Make a Claim Against a Tradesperson in the UK

Start by writing a formal letter or email to the tradesperson setting out the damage, the estimated repair cost, and requesting resolution within a reasonable timeframe (14–28 days is fair). Keep your tone factual.

If they have public liability insurance, ask for their insurer's details and contact the insurer directly. The insurer will typically send an assessor.

If direct contact fails, your next steps are:

Citizens Advice Bureau — free guidance and can help you draft formal correspondence
Trading Standards — relevant if you believe the work was deliberately substandard or fraudulent
If the tradesperson is registered with a scheme like NICEIC or NAPIT, raise a formal complaint — both schemes have dispute resolution processes
Small claims court — for claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, the process is relatively straightforward and doesn't require a solicitor. Court fees apply but are recoverable if you win.

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What If the Tradesperson Has No Insurance or Refuses to Pay?

This is the harder situation, and unfortunately it does happen. If the tradesperson has no PLI and is refusing to engage, your options are:

Small claims court — you can still pursue an uninsured individual through the courts. Enforcing a judgment can be difficult if they have limited assets, but the judgment itself is on record.
Check for scheme membership — even without insurance, a NICEIC or NAPIT registered contractor is subject to their scheme's disciplinary processes
Trading Standards — if the work was unsafe or fraudulent
Your own home insurance — as a last resort, check whether your policy covers accidental damage caused by contractors. You'd likely face an excess and a potential premium impact, which is deeply unfair when you're the innocent party, but it may be the most practical route.

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How to Protect Yourself Before Hiring an Electrician

The best protection is what you do before anyone sets foot in your house:

Ask for proof of public liability insurance — and check it's current
Verify their registration with NICEIC, NAPIT, or another competent person scheme. This matters particularly for notifiable work under Part P Building Regulations (new circuits, consumer unit replacements, work in kitchens and bathrooms)
Get a written quotation that specifies the scope of work, what making good is included, and timescales
Discuss anything fragile or valuable before work starts — tiled walls, solid wood floors, period features
For rental properties, make sure any electrician providing a landlord electrical certificate (EICR) is genuinely qualified to assess and certify — not all are
Pay by credit card where possible — Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act gives you additional protection for purchases over £100

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a tradesperson legally required to have public liability insurance in the UK?

No. There is no legal requirement. It is strongly recommended and most professional tradespeople carry it, but you should always ask to see proof before work begins rather than assuming it exists.

What should I do if an electrician damages my plaster or walls during a rewire?

Some plaster disturbance during a rewire is normal and should be discussed beforehand. However, if the damage is excessive or the electrician fails to make good as agreed, photograph everything, raise it formally in writing, and refer to any written quotation that included making good as part of the scope. If they dispute it, their NICEIC or NAPIT scheme is a useful first port of call.

Can I withhold payment from a tradesperson who has damaged my property?

You can withhold a reasonable portion of payment equivalent to the cost of remedying the damage — but be careful. Withholding all payment, even where damage has occurred, can complicate your legal position, particularly if part of the work was completed satisfactorily. Take advice from Citizens Advice before doing this.

What happens if a tradesperson denies causing the damage?

Gather all your evidence — photographs, your written quotation, any messages, and independent repair quotes. If they're scheme-registered, the scheme's dispute resolution process can help establish the facts. Ultimately, if it reaches small claims court, a judge will weigh the evidence on the balance of probabilities.

How long do I have to make a claim against a tradesperson for property damage in the UK?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have six years from the date the damage occurred (or when you became aware of it) to bring a civil claim in England and Wales. Don't delay unnecessarily, though — evidence degrades and memories fade.

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If you're looking for a qualified, insured electrician in the North East for any work — from a straightforward EICR to a full rewire or EV charger installation — you're welcome to get in touch with the team at [Energy North Ltd](https://energynorth.uk). We're happy to answer questions honestly before you commit to anything.