Section 75 and Building Work: Claiming a Refund When a Builder Fails or Abandons a Job
You paid a deposit for a house extension. The builder has gone quiet. Or scaffolding went up, the old roof was stripped, and the builder stopped coming to site — leaving the house exposed and the job half-done. Or the work was completed but is so defective that another contractor has told you it needs tearing out and redoing.
If any payment — deposit, stage payment, or balance — went on a personal credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may cover you for the full amount owed.
Quick check: does this apply to you?
- ✓ You paid at least £1 to the contractor on a personal credit card
- ✓ The total contract value was more than £100 and no more than £30,000
- ✓ The contractor has failed to start, abandoned the job, or delivered seriously defective work
- ✓ The problem arose within the last six years (England/Wales) or five years (Scotland)
Not sure? Use the free eligibility checker.
How building contracts typically work — and the credit card issue
Building work is commonly paid in stages: a deposit to secure the contract (typically 10–25%), one or more progress payments as work proceeds, and a retention or final payment on completion.
Many builders prefer payment by bank transfer. If you paid the deposit on a credit card and subsequent payments by transfer, Section 75 still applies — you only need £1 paid on the card to trigger joint liability for the full contract value. The deposit alone is sufficient.
If you paid everything by bank transfer and nothing went on a credit card, Section 75 does not apply. You would need to pursue the contractor directly, through a trade body if they are a member, or through the courts.
Your situation — and what you can claim
Contractor took deposit and never started. A clear breach. Claim the full deposit paid, or the full contract value if other payments were also made.
Work started but contractor abandoned the job. More complex to calculate, but still claimable. You are entitled to the cost of completing the contract — what you have paid, minus the reasonable value of any work legitimately done. You will need a written quote from another contractor for the completion works. That quote is your primary evidence of loss.
Work was completed but is seriously defective. Section 75 covers services not of satisfactory quality under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If a structural wall was built incorrectly, waterproofing has failed, or the work does not meet building regulations, these are potential grounds. You will need a surveyor’s or structural engineer’s written report to support the claim. Cosmetic or minor snagging issues are harder to bring under Section 75 — the defect needs to be material.
Contractor entered administration mid-project. The administration ends the contractor’s ability to perform. Whatever remains unfinished is a breach. Claim for the cost of completing the work.
What to gather before you write to your bank
Collect these before writing to your bank
- ▪Original contract, quote, or written scope of works showing the full price and what was agreed
- ▪Credit card statement showing the deposit or any other card payments
- ▪Photographs of the current state — what has and has not been done, and any visible defects
- ▪Written quote from another contractor for completion or remediation — this is essential for calculating your loss
- ▪For defective work: a surveyor’s or structural engineer’s written report
- ▪Written correspondence showing you raised the problems and the contractor failed to respond or resolve them
- ▪If the company is in administration: the administrator’s name and announcement (search “[company name] administrator”)
Note: if the contractor is a sole trader who has become bankrupt rather than a limited company in administration, Section 75 still applies — it is the card provider’s liability, not the contractor’s, that you are pursuing.
What to say if your bank pushes back
Your bank may say
”Some work was completed, so the contract was partially fulfilled.”
Partial completion does not satisfy the contract. Your claim is for the full cost of finishing the job — what you paid, minus the value of work legitimately performed. Provide the completion quote from another contractor as your evidence of the outstanding loss.
Your bank may say
”You only paid the deposit on a credit card — we can only refund the deposit.”
The deposit triggers joint liability for the full contract under Section 75(1). The card provider’s liability is not capped at the amount you happened to pay by card. It extends to your full loss arising from the breach of contract — which may include stage payments made by bank transfer and the cost of completing the works.
Your bank may say
”This is a civil dispute — you need to take the contractor to court.”
Section 75 was specifically designed to avoid this. Under Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the card provider is jointly and severally liable with the supplier. You can claim against the bank directly. Taking the contractor to court is one route, but it is not a prerequisite for a Section 75 claim.
Your bank may say
”Workmanship disputes are not covered by Section 75.”
This is wrong. Section 75 covers any claim you have against the supplier for breach of contract, including the supply of services not of satisfactory quality under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If the work is materially defective and the contractor has refused or been unable to put it right, that is a breach — and your card provider shares liability for it. A surveyor’s report documenting the defects is your key evidence.
If your bank still refuses
Issue a written rebuttal addressing their stated reasons. If they maintain the refusal, refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of their final response letter. Building work disputes — particularly abandoned jobs and defective work supported by professional reports — are well-represented in the FOS case database.
See our Financial Ombudsman escalation guide for what to include.
What to do now
Get a completion or remediation quote — instruct another contractor to inspect and provide a written quote for finishing or fixing the work. This is the document your entire loss calculation depends on.
Gather your evidence — contract, credit card statement, photographs, the completion quote, and for defective work, a surveyor’s report. Confirm the administrator’s name if the company is in administration.
Write to your card provider’s disputes team — by email or recorded post, citing Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. State what was agreed, what was or was not delivered, and the cost of completion or remedy. Do not phone.
Ready to write the claim?
The Section 75 Claim Pack is a plain-English PDF workbook with a template letter citing the correct legislation, an evidence checklist for service contracts including building work, rebuttal templates for the most common rejection reasons including the partial completion and civil dispute deflections, and a Financial Ombudsman complaint letter. £6.99, no subscription.
Get the claim pack — £6.99Last updated: 2 May 2026. See also our complete Section 75 guide and our Section 75 vs chargeback guide.