Builder contract: what to include, with a simple template
A builder contract should put the scope of work, the fixed price, the payment stages, the start and finish dates, what is included and excluded, how changes are priced, and the guarantee in writing, signed by both sides. Even a one-page written agreement is far safer than a verbal deal.
Why put it in writing?
Most disputes between homeowners and builders come down to one thing: the two sides remembered the deal differently. A written contract fixes the price, the work and the timetable so there is nothing to argue about, and it gives you something to fall back on if the job goes wrong. It protects the builder too, which is why good ones welcome it.
What a builder contract should include
Whether you use a formal contract or a simple letter, make sure it covers:
- The names and addresses of both you and the builder
- A clear description of the work to be done
- The fixed total price, and what it includes and excludes
- The payment schedule: any deposit, stage payments against work done, and a final payment held back until snagging is clear
- Start and expected completion dates
- How extras and changes are quoted and agreed, in writing, before they happen
- Materials and the specification to be used
- Who handles waste, skips and parking
- The builder's public liability insurance
- Any guarantee or warranty, and how long it lasts
A simple builder contract template
You can adapt the plain-English template below. It is not legal advice, but a clear written agreement like this is far better than a handshake. Copy it, fill in the brackets, and both sign and date it.
Download as Word Download as PDF
Both files carry exactly the wording above, generated from this page, so they cannot drift from what you have just read. Use them, change them, or write your own from the list further up.
Before you sign
Read it through, and get it agreed in writing before any work starts, not halfway through. Never pay a large deposit, keep every change in writing, and hold back the final payment until the job and the snagging list are genuinely finished.
Your right to cancel, which most contracts do not mention
If you agreed the contract somewhere other than the trader's own premises, which for building work usually means your own home, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel without giving a reason. Only new builds, and conversions substantial enough to count as one, are outside it: extensions, repairs, boilers, windows, kitchens and driveways are all covered.
The part worth knowing is what happens when the trader never tells you. They are required to give you that cancellation information in writing, and if they do not, the 14 days becomes 12 months. If you have signed under pressure and been given nothing about cancelling, you probably have far longer than you think. You can also agree in writing for work to start inside the 14 days, which is normal and does not remove the right, though you may then owe for what has already been done.
Build the scope of works for your job
The hardest line in any contract is "a clear description of the work". Pick your job below and this builds a written scope from the same guide data used to price it: what the job covers, the decisions that move the price, what each quote has to state, and blanks to fill in. Print it, give the same one to every builder, and the quotes that come back are comparable. It carries no prices on purpose, so it does not anchor what anyone quotes you. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Common questions
No, a verbal agreement can be binding, but it is very hard to prove. A written contract is strongly advised because it makes the price, scope and payments clear and is far easier to enforce if there is a dispute.
Usually yes, if you signed it away from the trader's own premises, which for building work normally means at home. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give you 14 days to cancel without a reason, and only new builds and near-total conversions are excluded, so extensions, repairs, boilers, windows and driveways are all in scope. If the trader never gave you that cancellation information in writing, the period extends to 12 months. Agreeing in writing for work to start within the 14 days is fine and does not remove the right, though you may owe for work already done.
A modest deposit to cover materials is common on larger jobs. Avoid paying a large sum up front. The safest approach is stage payments against work completed, with the final payment held back until snagging is done.
Retention means holding back a small part of the final payment (for example five percent) until the snagging list is cleared. Agreeing it in the contract gives the builder a reason to come back and finish every last detail.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.