I recently had a gardening job done (light weeding and edging the lawn). The gardener quoted verbally £21.75 per hour and said he would put two men on it. They came and did the job - were there for no more than 7 hours including over an hour's lunch break.
We then heard nothing for 7 weeks when we received the bill for £393! We spoke to the "director" who said the quote was for £21.75 per man plus vat and removal of the weeds (there were not that many!). I wrote to him to say I felt he had misled us in the quote to secure the work.
I worked out the figures we had been quoted verbally (he never at anytime volunteered any price list or written quote), added a bit for disposal of the weeds using the council's website for commercial disposal, added VAT and it came up to just over half of the invoice. I outlined this and then wrote a cheque stating that in cashing it he would be agreeing to this being the full and final settlement of the invoice. He cashed it then wrote back saying he would take me to court for the remainder. I am standing firm as I believe we are right. Are we?
What the law says about paying for services
When you hire a gardener or any other tradesperson, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets out what you can expect. This law replaced the older Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 for most consumer contracts and provides clear protections when things go wrong.
Under the Act, anyone providing a service in the course of business must carry out that work with reasonable skill and care. They must also complete it within a reasonable time if no timeframe was agreed. When it comes to price, the law states that you should pay what was agreed beforehand. If no price was fixed in advance, you only need to pay a reasonable amount.
This applies to all kinds of service providers, including gardeners, decorators and cleaners, even where nothing was written down. A verbal agreement still counts as a contract.
Find out your legal rights on a faulty product in less than a minute.
Try our Faulty Goods Rights Checker free, here on this site →Estimates and quotes: knowing the difference
Much depends on whether you agreed a quote or an estimate before the work started. These terms mean different things and affect what you can be charged.
A quote is a fixed price. Once you accept it, the contractor should stick to that figure unless you agreed to extra work. If your gardener quoted £200 for the job, they cannot simply charge you £350 when the work is done.
An estimate is different. It gives you a rough idea of the likely cost, but the final bill can vary. Even so, the final amount should not be wildly higher than the estimate without good reason. If unexpected problems arose during the work, a reasonable contractor would normally discuss this with you before carrying on and increasing the cost.
Where no figure was mentioned at all, you are only required to pay what would be considered reasonable for that type of work. This can be harder to pin down, but looking at what other local gardeners charge for similar jobs may help establish what counts as fair.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Steps to take if you have been overcharged
Start by raising the matter directly with the gardener. Explain calmly why you believe the charge is too high and refer to any quote or estimate you were given. Many disputes can be resolved through a straightforward conversation.
If speaking to them does not work, put your complaint in writing. A letter or email creates a record of your concerns and shows you are treating the matter seriously. Set out the facts clearly:
- What work was agreed
- What price or estimate was discussed
- What you have been charged
- What you believe is a fair amount to pay
Give the gardener a reasonable deadline to respond, usually 14 days. Keep copies of everything you send and receive.
Citizens Advice offers guidance on how to complain about poor service or overcharging, and their website has template letters you can adapt for your own complaint.
What happens if you cannot agree
If the gardener refuses to budge and you believe the charge is genuinely unfair, you have options. You could offer to pay what you consider reasonable and explain in writing why you are withholding the rest. Be prepared for the possibility that the gardener may pursue the matter further.
For disputes involving smaller sums, the small claims court is often the most practical route. In England and Wales, this covers claims up to £10,000. The limit is £5,000 in Scotland and £3,000 in Northern Ireland. The process is designed to be straightforward and does not usually require a solicitor, though court outcomes can be unpredictable and you may want to seek advice before proceeding. You can find information on making a claim on GOV.UK.
If the case goes to court, a judge will consider what was agreed, what work was actually done, and whether the amount charged reflects a fair price for the service provided.
Alternative dispute resolution may also be worth considering. If your gardener belongs to a trade body such as the Horticultural Trades Association, check whether they offer a complaints or mediation scheme. The Consumer Ombudsman can sometimes help with disputes even where the trader is not a member of a particular organisation. Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service can provide free guidance if you are unsure how to proceed.
Where do my elderly parents standca
The company came and assessed that the drains were not at fault and left the property. No work was carried out; only an assessment of the job. We then received a bill for £192.00.
Despite clearly advertising there is no call out fee on their website, The company are attempting to charge us a call out fee. This is very poor practice, misleading and false advertising. Would love to hear what you think we should do.
No price was agreed as he said he wasn’t sure until he reached the problem, kept changing his mind , started at £2000..then £3000 , next day £4000 ... £5000 ?!?!
He asked if I had a partner .. which I don’t , so he knew I was a single mother with children .
When I had to pay on Thursday afternoon the bill was £6100 .. £7320 with VAT .. as you can imagine I was gob smacked and felt victimised as I was a single female .
I feel this price would be much lower if a male was in the house .
What do I do now to try and see if this is the right price ???
Thankyou
I was given a flexi light at Xmas. Think of a Selfy stick but with a small flexible lamp at the end.
It did not work. Not having the receipt or knowing where it was bought, I wrote to the address on the packaging. Offering to return it complete with packaging.
They asked that it was returned.
It was duly returned c/w original packaging at a cost of £2.85. They have informed me that a replacement is in the post but decline to pay my cost of returning the faulty item. Is this correct? I thought not.
Regards, Martin Reeve
Ask Consumer Rights Expert a question
Ask our editorial team a question and we will reply with our advice. Tell us as much about your situation as you can: the more detail you give, the more useful our answer can be.
You do not need to use your real name. Please do not include your full address, phone number, email address, or the names of other people. We may edit or remove identifying details for privacy and legal reasons.
Comments are moderated before publication.