Why Use Written Terms?

Why More UK Tradespeople Are Using Written Terms and Conditions

Trades across the UK are starting to see the benefits of using written terms when working with residential clients.

More and more UK trades are now using written terms to set clear expectations, avoid disputes, and make sure they get paid without the hassle. It’s a smarter way to work, and it’s becoming the new standard across the industry.

Did you know?

In Australia and the USA, providing written terms before starting residential work is standard practice. The UK is now following suit to reduce disputes and protect businesses—because, unfortunately, handshakes just aren’t enough anymore.

The Rise of Written Terms in the UK Trade Industry

The old way doesn’t hold up today.
Times are changing ...if you want to survive, you’ve got to adapt. Trust used to be everything. You shook hands, agreed a price, and got on with the job. But now?

Disputes are on the rise, costs are climbing, and too many trades are being left out of pocket when things go wrong.

Sadly, we see it all too often — trades come to us for protection after things have already gone sideways. They’ve faced a big loss, had a nightmare customer, or ended up chasing money they were never guaranteed. But without terms in place from the start, there’s no proof. It’s their word against yours.

And when there’s no paper trail? There's often no way to put it right. Prevention is better than cure. With our trade-specific written terms and conditions, you’re never unprotected.
Not every customer is the same, but now and then, it happens
We’ve all experienced it. The job starts off well, the customer is polite, responsive, and everything feels straightforward.

But as the end of the job approaches, the atmosphere shifts. Questions start coming in. Maybe there’s confusion about what was included, disagreements about how long the job took, or expectations that weren’t discussed.

One minute they’re happy, the next they’re asking why it’s not cheaper because it was “done quicker than expected.” Or worse, complete silence when the final invoice is sent.

These situations aren’t rare. And when there’s nothing in writing, it’s hard to stand your ground.

When working for domestic clients, there’s no review site to check if a customer is genuine. When quoting jobs, you rely on instinct. And sometimes, especially when work slows down, you take the job whether your gut feeling is good or not.

With our service agreement templates, you leave nothing to chance.

So how do you protect yourself ?

Built by trades, backed by legal, and ready to use. Clear, professional terms that protect your time, money and work.

From experience, we know what puts domestic clients at ease: clear wording, practical detail, and a tone that looks professional without coming across as intimidating.
When things go wrong on a job, it’s usually not about the quality of your work — it’s about what wasn’t made clear at the start that leads to disputes.

This is why we’re trusted across the UK as the number one provider for professionally written contracts in the trade industry.

Designed by trades, backed by legal experts, and built specifically for UK domestic work.

Every trade has its own common disputes — ours are written by the tradespeople who’ve experienced them, and prevent them happening by working with our legal team to create terms and conditions for their industry. This hard work and dedication shows in every document we create.

There’s no intimidating legal jargon, nothing generic. Written in a clear tone that’s easy for customers to understand, whilst remaining firm on the important terms such as payment terms, late fees, and liability.

Just easy-to-edit templates that show you’re professional and knowledgeable.

Have complete confidence knowing you’re using established, proven templates used by others in your industry every day.
Documents you’ll actually use. Trusted by trades. Ready to go.
All our products are ready for instant download. They come in three formats—Word Doc, Google Doc and PDF. They’re easy to edit, just fill in the blanks and you’re good to go.

Unlike other generic contracts out there, these are made for the trade, by the trade. We’ve done all the hard work for you, well, those with decades of experience have.

And let’s not forget the legal team, who’ve gone through it all to make sure it meets consumer law, so if it ever ends up in court or collections, you’ve got what you need to get paid.

As you’ve probably said to your own customers at some point, "do it once, do it right." Our documents are no different. Don’t waste time with a generic download off Etsy or eBay that ends up buried in your inbox because you’re too embarrassed to hand it over.
Use what your fellow trades are using—contracts that work. Once you do, you’ll never go back to a generic agreement again. That’s our promise.

One payment. Unlimited downloads. No subscriptions, fees, or hidden costs—for a full 18 months.