A problem with the tradie's work
Tell the tradie, in writing
Say what's wrong and what you want done. Keep the quote, invoice, photos, messages and any certificates you were given.
Know your rights
Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, a service must be done with reasonable care and skill, be fit for purpose and be finished within a reasonable time. If a failure can be fixed, you can require the tradie to fix it within a reasonable time.
If they won't fix it
If they refuse or take too long, you can have it fixed elsewhere and recover the cost from them, or cancel. An unsafe result counts as a substantial failure, so you can cancel and seek a refund. You can also claim for other loss the failure caused.
Take it further
If you can't resolve it with the tradie, the Disputes Tribunal can make a final decision.
Defects that show up later
If the job counts as residential building work, the Building Act lets you notify a defect within 12 months of completion, and the contractor must fix it within a reasonable time. That holds for written and oral contracts of any value.
Licences, unsafe work and illegal work
Complaints about a plumber, gasfitter or drainlayer go to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (PGDB) through its online complaint form.
PGDB can investigate and discipline people on its register, and it can prosecute people working illegally in the District Court.
Useful evidence includes photos, invoices, quotes, compliance documents and any report from a tradie who fixed the work afterwards.
Stop and check before you pay if
- The person on site can't show a current New Zealand Practising Licence for the trade.
- They won't say who supervises them, or you can't find that supervisor on the PGDB register.
- An accepted quote turns into a bigger bill, although you agreed to no extra work and the job didn't change.
- You're asked for a large deposit up front. No law requires a deposit, and Consumer Protection advises paying no more than 10% if asked.
A complaint about PlumbMatch
If it's about how your personal details were handled, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (privacy.org.nz) takes complaints. Our privacy policy covers what we collect and who sees it.
Misleading claims by a business are illegal in New Zealand, and the Commerce Commission enforces that law.
What we can't do
We can't refund what you paid a tradie, make them return to the job or decide who's right in a dispute about the work. The Consumer Guarantees Act and the Disputes Tribunal, above, are what can.