---
title: Anyone Can Work as a Builder in Britain Without a Licence
description: Nearly half of UK homeowners think builders must be licensed. They are not, and here is what the law gives you if the work goes wrong.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-08-05T08:07:33.935Z
updated: 2026-08-05T08:07:33.944Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/uk-builders-no-licence-consumer-rights
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/uk-builder-licensing-100996.webp
categories: Home & Living
content_type: News
region: United Kingdom
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Hire a builder for a loft conversion or a full renovation and you are handing a large sum to someone who needs no licence and no proven qualification to take the job on. Nearly half of adults in Britain believe the opposite, according to the Federation of Master Builders, the trade body that represents builders and has spent the past year pressing ministers to introduce one.

The FMB's own survey found that 37% of adults in Britain have hired a builder who turned out to be unreliable or unqualified. Over the past five years homeowners have [lost £14.3 billion to cowboy builders](https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/cowboy-builders-could-be-costing-brits-a-staggering-14-3-billion.html), the FMB says, with 15% of UK adults losing money in that period at an average of £1,759 each.

## The Government Turned Down a Licensing Scheme in 2023

The question has already been put to ministers directly. A public petition calling for statutory licensing and regulation of builders closed in October 2023 with almost 11,000 signatures, and [the Government's response](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636359) was that it did not support a building licensing scheme, though it kept the policy under review. It said it was not convinced that licensing a sector as large and varied as construction would be practical or cost-effective, having assessed how such schemes work in other countries.

## Building Work Is Covered by the Same Law as Any Other Service

What homeowners have instead is the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which the Government pointed to in that response. It covers building work as it covers any other paid service: the trader must do the job with reasonable care and skill, and within a reasonable time where the contract does not set one. Where a builder falls short of that, the Government said, there is likely to be a breach of contract, and you can ask for the work to be done again or for a price reduction.

If you cannot agree a remedy, the claim can go to the small claims court, which handles amounts up to £10,000 at modest cost and without a solicitor. You have up to six years to bring one. Citizens Advice gives free guidance on taking a complaint forward and can pass it to Trading Standards for enforcement.

## The Builders' Trade Body Is Pressing the Case Again This Year

The FMB has not dropped the question. It launched a report called Licence to Build in the House of Lords in May 2025, and in March 2026 it responded to the Government's consultation on creating a Single Construction Regulator, asking ministers to fold a mandatory licensing scheme for building companies into the new body. Brian Berry, the FMB's chief executive, said the regulator is a chance to fix long-standing weaknesses in an industry where the gaps in oversight are filled by what he called halfway house measures.

> "Good builders are being undercut by rogue traders who operate with little oversight and leave consumers facing serious financial and emotional harm."
> — Brian Berry, Chief Executive, Federation of Master Builders

Berry said a mandatory licensing system would set a clear baseline for competence and make enforcement more effective. In the FMB's survey, 81% of adults said they support it.

## Vetting Checks Confirm a Builder's Identity

Platforms that recommend or vet builders on a homeowner's behalf are covered by consumer law whatever they promise. The Competition and Markets Authority published compliance guidance for trader recommendation platforms in November 2024 and last updated it in May 2026, covering how they advertise, how they vet the traders they list and how they handle complaints. It came out before the unfair commercial practices provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 took effect in April 2025.

A new one, Compare Builders, launched this week. The company says it checks both sides before they make contact: builders through Companies House, confirmation of insurance with the insurer, VAT status, trade body membership and photo identification, and homeowners through their email address, mobile number and HM Land Registry ownership records. It says those checks establish identity and business credentials rather than the standard of anyone's work, and that it acts only as an introducer, with the contract for the job staying between homeowner and builder.

## FAQ

**Q: Do you need a licence to be a builder in the UK?**
No. There is no scheme requiring a builder to hold a licence or prove their skills and experience before trading, which is why the Federation of Master Builders is campaigning for one.

**Q: How can I check a builder before I hire one?**
The checks available cover who a builder is rather than how well they work: Companies House registration, whether their insurance is real and current, VAT status and trade body membership. Some platforms now confirm those before putting a homeowner and a builder in touch. None of them is an assessment of workmanship.

**Q: What happens if a builder does not finish the job?**
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a builder must carry out work with reasonable care and skill and within a reasonable time. An unfinished or substandard job is likely to be a breach of contract, which entitles you to ask for the work to be completed or for a price reduction. If you cannot agree, the small claims court handles claims up to £10,000 without a solicitor.

**Q: How long do I have to bring a claim against a builder?**
Up to six years, according to the Government's response on builder licensing. If a builder and a homeowner cannot agree a remedy between them, that is the window in which a claim for breach of contract can be brought.