Customer won’t pay your invoice? What UK tradespeople can actually do.
The short answer: You’ve got six years to chase it, so don’t panic, but don’t drift either. Reminder, firm reminder, then a letter before action. If the customer is a business, you can add statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate (11.75% right now) and a fixed £40 to £100 on top. If that fails, a county court claim costs £80 on a £1,200 debt and most disputed claims under £10,000 go to a free one-hour phone mediation first. And no, you can’t go back for the boiler.
Job done three weeks ago. Invoice sent the same night. Read receipt, two blue ticks.
Then nothing.
You send a “just checking this came through”. Nothing. You ring. Voicemail. The thing that was a £1,200 invoice is now a knot in your stomach every time you open the banking app, and you’ve started composing messages in your head at 11pm that you know you shouldn’t send.
Here’s the ladder, rung by rung, with what each step costs and what it gets you. Everything’s linked to GOV.UK or the legislation at the bottom. We’re not solicitors, so if the number’s big or the customer’s lawyered up, get one.
- 1RemindersDay 1 polite, day 7 firm. A date and a way to pay.Free
- 2Interest and compensationBusiness customers only: 8% plus base rate (11.75% now), and a fixed £70 at this size. Re-invoice.+£93.18 at 60 days
- 3Letter before actionOne page, a deadline, what happens next. Give an individual or sole trader 30 days to reply.Free
- 4County court claimOnline. Disputed claims up to £10,000 go to free one-hour phone mediation first.£80 fee
- 5Small Business CommissionerOnly when a bigger business is sitting on your money.Free
You have six years to chase it in England and Wales. Chase on a schedule, not when you’ve had enough.
First, the clock: how long can you chase an unpaid invoice?
Six years in England and Wales. The Limitation Act 1980 says “an action founded on simple contract shall not be brought after the expiration of six years” from when the money fell due. So an invoice from 2022 is still live.
That’s the ceiling, not the plan. The longer a debt sits, the colder it gets. The customer moves, the business folds, the “I’ll sort it Friday” messages stop. Chase early and chase on a schedule.
Rung one: the reminders
Most unpaid invoices aren’t a refusal. They’re a customer who meant to, didn’t, and is now slightly embarrassed. Two reminders clear most of them.
- Day 1 overdue, polite — “Hi Dave, the invoice for the bathroom (ref 0231, £1,200) was due yesterday. Pay link’s below if it’s easier. Cheers.”
- Day 7, firm — “Dave, invoice 0231 for £1,200 is now a week overdue. I need this settled by Friday 31 October. If there’s a problem with the work or the bill, tell me now and we’ll sort it.”
Short. Specific. A date. A way to pay. No apology for asking, and no threats yet.
If the customer raises a problem with the work at this point, deal with it. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a householder can ask for a fix if the work wasn’t done with reasonable care and skill, and a dispute about quality is a reason a court will listen to. Fix the snag, then chase the bill.
Rung two: interest and compensation (business customers only)
If your customer is another business, a contractor, a landlord’s company, a letting agent, a shop, the law is on your side in a way most trades never use.
The Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation, as GOV.UK sets it out, lets you charge statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate on a late business-to-business payment. The base rate used is the one in force on 30 June for debts that go late between 1 July and 31 December, and the one on 31 December for debts that go late between 1 January and 30 June. The Bank held Bank Rate at 3.75% through June and July 2026, so for a debt that went late this autumn the statutory rate is 11.75%.
On top of the interest, you can add a fixed sum for recovery costs:
- Up to £999.99 owed — £40
- £1,000 to £9,999.99 — £70
- £10,000 or more — £100
And GOV.UK says you can also claim reasonable costs each time you try to recover the debt, if they go beyond the fixed sum.
A worked example on that £1,200 invoice, 60 days late:
- Annual interest: £1,200 × 11.75% = £141.00
- Daily interest: £141.00 ÷ 365 = about 38.6p a day
- 60 days late: 60 × 38.6p = £23.18
- Fixed compensation (debt between £1,000 and £9,999.99): £70
- New total: £1,200 + £23.18 + £70 = £1,293.18
GOV.UK’s instruction is to send a new invoice if you decide to add the interest. Do that, and watch how quickly a business customer who was “waiting on their own invoices” finds the money.
Two conditions. If no payment date was agreed, the invoice is late 30 days after the customer received it or you finished the work, whichever is later. And you can’t use statutory interest if your contract already sets a different rate.
Householders are different. The late commercial payments rules are for business-to-business. For a private customer you can only charge late-payment interest if your terms said so when they accepted the quote. Put a line in your terms now for the next job. If it goes all the way to court, the court can add interest for you; GOV.UK says the rate for other types of debt “is usually 8%”.
Rung three: the letter before action
Before a court claim you’re expected to write to the customer formally, set out what’s owed and why, and give them a chance to respond. Call it a letter before action. Keep it to one page:
- Who you are, who they are, the job and the date.
- The invoice number, amount and due date.
- Interest and compensation if they’re a business, with the working.
- A deadline — a clear date to pay by.
- What happens next — that you’ll make a county court claim without further notice if it isn’t paid, and that court fees and interest will be added.
- How to pay.
Send it by post and by email or WhatsApp, and keep a copy. If the customer is a private individual or a sole trader, the court’s pre-action protocol for debt claims expects a business to give them 30 days to reply before issuing a claim, with a reply form and an information sheet enclosed, so build that into your deadline.
A surprising number of debts get paid at this rung. The letter makes it real.
Rung four: the county court claim
If the letter’s ignored, you can apply to the county court in England and Wales for the money. It used to be called the small claims court. GOV.UK calls it making a court claim for money, and you can do it online if you know the exact amount, you’re claiming against one or two people or businesses, and they have an address in England or Wales.
The court fee depends on what you’re claiming, including interest:
| Claim amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 to £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 to £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 to £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 to £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 to £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 to £10,000 | £455 |
| £10,000.01 to £200,000 | 5% of the claim |
So the £1,293.18 from the example above costs £80 to put in front of a court. You add the fee to the claim. You’ll need the customer’s name, address and email, and a card to pay the fee.
Then one of three things happens:
- They don’t respond. You ask the court for a judgment, online if you claimed online. That’s a county court judgment against them, which is the thing that sits on a credit file.
- They admit it and offer to pay. You accept the terms or ask the court to set them.
- They dispute it. For claims of £10,000 or less, GOV.UK says you’ll be told you must attend mediation: a free, one-hour telephone appointment where a mediator talks to each side separately. If that fails, a hearing, and another fee.
If you win and they still don’t pay, enforcement is another step with its own fee: bailiffs (a warrant of control, for debts between £600 and £5,000 in the county court), an order against their wages, their bank account, or a charge on their property.
Be honest with yourself before you start. A judgment is only worth what the customer can pay. A business that’s gone under, or an individual with nothing, costs you the fee and the evenings.
Rung five, if they’re a bigger business: the Small Business Commissioner
If a larger business is sitting on your money, there’s a free government office for exactly that. The Office of the Small Business Commissioner covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and runs an enquiry service for small businesses with an unresolved payment dispute with a larger customer. It also has an interest calculator and guidance on getting invoices right. It can’t help with a householder who won’t pay, but a main contractor who’s 90 days late is its bread and butter.
“Can I take my materials back?”
No. Once a boiler’s plumbed in, a kitchen’s fitted or tiles are on the wall, they’re part of the property, not your stock. Going back to remove them is trespass at best and criminal damage at worst, and it turns a debt you’re owed into a claim against you. Citizens Advice tells customers that fitted items a trader can’t remove without damage are a reason for the trader to argue a reduced refund, not a thing the trader can come and collect.
The place to protect yourself is before the job: a deposit that covers the materials, and stage payments so you’re never more than one stage ahead of the money. We’ve written both up.
The bit that stops it happening again
Nearly every unpaid invoice we hear about had the same shape. The invoice went out late. It went out without a due date, or with “payment on receipt”, which means nothing. There was no pay link, so paying meant finding the bank details in a thread from three weeks ago. And the first reminder went out when the trade was already angry.
Fix the shape:
- Invoice the day you finish, from the van, before the customer’s forgotten how good the job looks.
- A due date on it. “Due by 7 November.” Not “on receipt”.
- A pay link. Make paying a tap, not a job.
- Reminders on a schedule, not when you’ve had enough.
- Your terms on the quote, including late-payment interest, so a householder has agreed to it before the job starts.
So we built the chasing into the chat you already live in
With The Back Office you finish the job and tell Jan on WhatsApp (or Telegram, if that’s your one): “Invoice Dave Holt for the bathroom, twelve hundred, due in seven days.” What comes back is a branded PDF invoice with the work itemised, VAT handled if you’re registered, a due date and a pay link, and it goes to Dave as soon as you say so. If the date passes, Jan chases it for you: polite first, firmer later, on a schedule, so you’re never the one composing the 11pm message. Chasing is included at £29 a month, not a higher tier.
Straight with you: Jan drafts, you approve. Nothing reaches a customer until you’ve said so, because it’s your name on it. We keep your quotes, invoices and receipts as tidy digital records so your books are MTD-ready for you or your accountant. We don’t file your return and we’re not HMRC-approved software. £29 a month inc. VAT, flat. In pounds.
Unpaid invoices for tradespeople: quick FAQ
What can I do if my client in the UK won’t pay an invoice?
Reminder, firm reminder with a date, then a letter before action. If they’re a business, add statutory interest and the fixed compensation. If it’s still unpaid, make a county court claim online. Most disputed claims under £10,000 go to free telephone mediation before a hearing.
How long can you chase an unpaid invoice?
Six years in England and Wales under the Limitation Act 1980. Chase much sooner than that.
How much interest should I charge on a late invoice?
For a business customer, 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, which is 11.75% at the moment, plus a fixed £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt. For a householder, whatever rate your terms set, and only if they accepted those terms.
Can I take my materials back if a customer doesn’t pay?
No. Fitted materials become part of the property. Removing them turns your debt into their claim against you. Protect yourself with a deposit and stage payments instead.
How much does it cost to take someone to small claims court?
The court fee runs from £35 on a claim up to £300 to £455 on a claim up to £10,000. A £1,200 claim is £80. You add the fee to what you’re claiming.
What if the customer says the work was bad?
Deal with it properly. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have to do the work with reasonable care and skill, and a customer can ask for a fix. A court will want to see you tried. Fix it, document it, then chase the bill.
Does the Small Business Commissioner help with a householder who won’t pay?
No. It’s for small businesses owed money by larger businesses. For private customers it’s reminders, a letter before action and the county court.
The customer who goes quiet isn’t usually refusing to pay. They’re waiting for you to make it easy, or make it real. Do both, in that order.
Where these figures come from
Every figure in this guide is linked to its source below, with the date we checked it. Rates, fees and rules change. If you’re reading this a long way from the date at the top, or you’re in a real dispute, check the originals and get proper advice.
- Six-year limit on actions founded on simple contract — Limitation Act 1980, section 5: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/5
- Late payment: when a payment becomes late (30 days if no date agreed), business customers only — GOV.UK, Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery: gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery
- Statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate; calculation method; send a new invoice if adding interest; can’t use it if the contract sets a different rate — GOV.UK, Charging interest on commercial debt: gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery/charging-interest-commercial-debt
- Fixed compensation of £40, £70 and £100 by debt size; reasonable recovery costs — GOV.UK, Claim debt recovery costs: gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery/claim-debt-recovery-costs
- Base rate reference dates of 30 June and 31 December — Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Rate of Interest) (No. 3) Order 2002, article 4: legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/1675/article/4/made
- Bank Rate held at 3.75% on 18 June, 30 July and 17 September 2026 — Bank of England, Bank Rate: bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/the-interest-rate-bank-rate
- 30-day response period, reply form and information sheet where a business claims a debt from an individual or sole trader — Ministry of Justice, Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims: justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/protocol/pre-action-protocol-for-debt-claims
- Court claim process, formerly “small claims court”; mediation as an alternative — GOV.UK, Make a court claim for money: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money
- Court fee bands (£35 to £455, then 5%); fee based on claim plus interest — GOV.UK, Court fees: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/court-fees
- Interest on court claims “usually 8%” for other types of debt; separate rules for commercial debts — GOV.UK, Work out interest: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/work-out-interest
- Conditions for claiming online (known amount, up to two defendants, address in England or Wales); form N1 by post — GOV.UK, Make the claim: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/make-claim
- Requesting a judgment if there’s no response; questionnaire and extra fee if disputed — GOV.UK, After you make your claim: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/after-you-make-your-claim
- Court mediation free, compulsory for disputed claims of £10,000 or less, one-hour telephone session — GOV.UK, Mediation: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/mediation
- Enforcement options: warrant of control for £600 to £5,000, attachment of earnings, third-party debt order, charging order — GOV.UK, Enforce a judgment: gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/enforce-a-judgment
- Enquiry service for small businesses with an unresolved payment dispute with a larger customer; interest calculator; UK-wide — Office of the Small Business Commissioner: smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk
- Service to be performed with reasonable care and skill — Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/49
- Fitted items that can’t be removed without damage; what customers can ask for when work is poor — Citizens Advice, Cancelling building or decorating work and Problem with building work: citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/cancelling-building-or-decorating-work/ · citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/problem-with-home-improvements/
All sources checked 21 October 2026.