UK Tradesperson Complaints Statistics: What Citizens Advice Data Reveals (2024–2025)
Citizens Advice complaint data, rogue trader losses, and the trust crisis that makes Google Reviews the most important asset an honest tradesperson can build.
36,534 complaints about tradespeople in one year. Roofing tops the list. Here's what Citizens Advice data reveals about the UK trust crisis — and why it makes Google Reviews essential.
Key Takeaways
- 36,534 complaints about home improvement work filed with Citizens Advice in 2024-2025 — over 700 per week.
- Roofing is the most complained-about trade (22.2%), followed by major renovations (11.9%) and windows/doors (10.6%).
- 52% of UK consumers don't trust tradespeople. Your Google reviews are the primary tool for overcoming that barrier.
- UK consumers lose £1.4 billion annually to rogue tradespeople. The average repair cost for poor workmanship is £8,729.
- In a trust-scarce industry, every 5-star review is proof you're safe to hire — and consumers spend 31% more at well-reviewed businesses.
UK Tradesperson Complaints Statistics: What Citizens Advice Data Reveals (2024–2025)
Here's a number that should matter to every honest tradesperson in the UK: 36,534 complaints about home improvement work were filed with Citizens Advice between July 2024 and June 2025. That's more than 700 per week. And home maintenance and improvements has been the 2nd largest complaint category — behind only used vehicles — for five years running.
These aren't your complaints. But they create the trust environment you're operating in. Every rogue trader complaint makes the next homeowner more cautious, more likely to check reviews, and more likely to eliminate tradespeople who don't have a visible online reputation.
This post compiles the UK complaint and trust data that shapes how homeowners choose tradespeople — and what it means for those of you doing the job properly.
For the full data set, see: Google Reviews statistics for UK tradespeople (2026).
TL;DR
- 36,534 complaints about home improvement work were filed with Citizens Advice in 2024–2025 — over 700 per week.
- Roofing is the most complained-about trade at 22.2%, followed by major renovations (11.9%) and windows/doors (10.6%).
- 52.8% of complaints relate to sub-standard work. 14.3% involve scams or rogue traders.
- UK consumers lose an estimated £1.4 billion annually to rogue tradespeople.
- 52% of UK consumers don't trust the tradespeople they hire.
- 58% say they've been burned by a rogue trader. 43% feel nervous about hiring again.
- The average cost of repairing poor workmanship is £8,729.
Citizens Advice complaint data: the full breakdown
Overall volumes
Citizens Advice Consumer Service is the UK's most authoritative source for consumer complaint data. Their figures for home improvement work:
Jul 2024 – Jun 2025 36,534 12.6% Jul 2023 – Jun 2024 41,624 13.4% 2025 (England only) 39,864 N/ASources: Citizens Advice Consumer Service annual data; Installer Magazine; Insight DIY/Emperor Paint
The slight decline in 2024–2025 is encouraging, but the volumes remain enormous. Home improvement consistently ranks as the 2nd largest complaint category at Citizens Advice, a position it has held for over five years. Only used vehicles generate more complaints.
Most complained-about trades
Between July 2024 and June 2025, the complaint breakdown by trade was:
1 Roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs 8,126 22.2% 2 Major renovations (lofts, conversions, extensions) 4,365 11.9% 3 Window frames and doors 3,856 10.6% 4 Plumbing ~2,630 7.2% 5 Fitted kitchens ~2,594 7.1%Source: Citizens Advice Consumer Service
Roofing dominates the complaints table — and there's a clear reason. Roofing work is hard for homeowners to inspect (it's on the roof), often involves cold-calling or doorstep selling, and carries a long lag before problems become visible. It's the trade most exploited by rogue operators.
For roofers doing genuine quality work, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The trade has a reputation problem, but a strong Google profile with detailed reviews can set you apart immediately. See our guide: Google Reviews for roofers.
What people complain about
The complaints break down into clear categories:
Sub-standard/low-quality work 19,281 52.8% Scams or rogue traders 5,230 14.3% Other issues (pricing disputes, delays, etc.) 12,023 32.9%Source: Citizens Advice Consumer Service, Jul 2024 – Jun 2025
Over half of all complaints are about the quality of work. This isn't about cowboys who disappear with deposits — it's about tradespeople who do the job but do it badly. Leaking roofs, cracked tiles, poor plastering, electrical work that doesn't meet regs.
A separate ToolTime/Opinium survey (2024) asked UK homeowners about their most common complaints with tradespeople:
Poor quality job 64% Bad timekeeping 56% Costs going up 45% Lack of respect for the home 44% Lack of transparency in quotes/invoices 41%Notice that timekeeping and respect for the home rank almost as high as work quality. These are the things that generate negative reviews — and they're also the things that positive reviews mention. According to a 2024 analysis of 10,000 UK trade reviews, the most praised traits are professionalism (42%), quality of work (34%), punctuality (13%), and tidiness (7%).
The overlap is telling. The same behaviours that generate complaints also generate praise — it just depends which end you're on.
The trust crisis in UK trades
Consumer confidence
Checkatrade's 2024 "State of Trust in Trades" report, surveying 3,000 UK adults with research firm Focaldata, paints a stark picture:
- 52% of UK consumers don't trust the tradespeople they hire
- 58% say they've suffered at the hands of a rogue tradesperson
- 43% feel nervous about hiring again after a bad experience
- 14% opted for DIY rather than risk another bad tradesperson
- 61% of those who were scammed reported anxiety and frustration
These aren't niche statistics — this is a majority of UK consumers reporting distrust. When more than half of homeowners approach hiring a tradesperson with suspicion, your Google reviews become the primary tool for overcoming that barrier.
The financial impact
The numbers on financial losses are significant:
Annual UK consumer losses to rogue tradespeople £1.4 billion Checkatrade/CMA, 2024 Average cost of repairing poor workmanship £8,729 FMB/TrustMark, Dec 2024 Gen Z average repair cost for botched jobs £20,534 FMB/TrustMark, Dec 2024 Over-60s average repair cost £5,128 FMB/TrustMark, Dec 2024 Gen Z reporting issues with tradespeople 61% FMB/TrustMark, Dec 2024 Over-60s reporting issues 41% FMB/TrustMark, Dec 2024Sources: FMB/TrustMark survey of 2,000 UK homeowners (December 2024); Checkatrade/CMA (2024)
The generational data is particularly interesting. Gen Z homeowners report more issues and spend far more on repairs — possibly because they're less experienced at vetting tradespeople and more likely to find them online rather than through personal recommendations. This is exactly the demographic that relies most heavily on Google Reviews.
The dispute burden on tradespeople
It's not just consumers who suffer. Dispute Assist (2023) surveyed UK tradespeople and found:
- 62% of UK homeowners (~15.4 million households) have experienced home improvement issues
- 43% of tradespeople spend up to 5 hours per month resolving complaints
- 11% spend 10+ hours per month on complaints
- 20% of tradespeople face 4+ current disputes at any time
- 67% of UK consumers don't know what Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is
Complaints consume time that could be spent earning. For tradespeople averaging £66,172 turnover, 5 hours per month on dispute resolution equates to roughly £1,500–£2,000 in lost earning potential annually.
How complaints and reviews connect
Negative reviews drive avoidance
The complaint data matters for your Google profile because of how consumers react to negative information:
- 94% of UK consumers have been put off by a negative review (Artios, 2023)
- A single negative review can drive away up to 30 potential customers (BrightLocal/Womply)
- It takes up to 12 positive reviews to offset one bad review
- 4 negative reviews on a Google Business Profile can deter up to 70% of potential customers (SocialPilot, 2025)
- 96% of consumers specifically look for negative reviews (PowerReviews, 2022)
- 82% seek out bad reviews to set expectations (gominga, 2024)
That last stat is key: homeowners don't just stumble on negative reviews — they actively search for them. They want to know the worst thing anyone has said about you before they hand over thousands of pounds.
How good tradespeople benefit from the trust crisis
This is the silver lining in the complaint data. When 52% of homeowners don't trust tradespeople and 58% have been burned by a rogue, anyone with visible proof of good work stands out dramatically.
A Google profile with 40+ reviews averaging 4.5+ stars doesn't just say "I'm good at my job." In the context of a £1.4 billion rogue trader problem, it says "I'm safe to hire." That's a fundamentally different value proposition — and it's worth more to an anxious homeowner than any marketing claim.
The tradespeople who invest in review collection aren't just building a marketing asset. They're building trust in an industry where trust is scarce. And scarce trust commands a premium — research shows consumers spend 31% more at businesses with excellent reviews.
For more on what homeowners check before calling, see: what UK homeowners actually look for in your Google reviews.
Response time expectations
When things do go wrong, how fast homeowners expect a response matters:
Response within 7 days 53% Response within 2–3 days 34% Response within 2 weeks 87% Timing doesn't matter Only 4%Source: ReviewTrackers, 2024; BrightLocal LCRS, 2024
Only 4% of consumers say response timing doesn't matter. For tradespeople who receive a negative Google review, responding within 24–48 hours is ideal. Research shows that customers who get a response within 24 hours upgrade their rating 33% of the time.
For templates on handling negative reviews, see: how to respond to a bad Google review without making it worse. And for fake or malicious reviews: how to handle a fake Google review.
What this data means for honest tradespeople
The complaint statistics aren't about you — but they shape the market you're operating in. Here's what the data says you should do:
1. Collect reviews consistently. In an industry where 52% of consumers start with distrust, visible proof of quality work is the fastest way to overcome that barrier. 83% of customers will leave a review if you ask.
2. Respond to every review. When 94% of consumers are put off by negative reviews, your responses to criticism matter enormously. A professional, calm response to a complaint signals maturity. See our response templates.
3. Encourage specific detail in reviews. Reviews that mention punctuality, tidiness, and clear communication directly counter the most common complaints (bad timekeeping, lack of respect, opaque pricing). The more specific the review, the more trust it builds.
4. If you're in a high-complaint trade, reviews matter even more. Roofers, builders, and window fitters carry the reputational burden of their industry's complaint statistics. A strong review profile doesn't just compete with other roofers — it competes with the homeowner's anxiety about hiring any roofer at all.
TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews by sending automated review requests via WhatsApp and SMS after every job. In an industry with a trust problem, consistent review collection is how you prove you're one of the good ones.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints do Citizens Advice receive about tradespeople?
36,534 complaints about home improvement work between July 2024 and June 2025 — over 700 per week. Home maintenance and improvements is the 2nd largest complaint category at Citizens Advice, behind only used vehicles. This has been consistent for five or more years.
Which trade gets the most complaints in the UK?
Roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs, with 8,126 complaints (22.2% of all home improvement complaints) in 2024–2025. This is followed by major renovations at 11.9% and window frames/doors at 10.6%. Roofing's dominance is linked to the difficulty of inspecting roof work and the prevalence of doorstep cold-calling by rogue operators.
How much do rogue traders cost UK consumers?
An estimated £1.4 billion per year (Checkatrade/CMA, 2024). The average cost of repairing poor workmanship is £8,729 (FMB/TrustMark, December 2024), with younger homeowners (Gen Z) paying an average of £20,534 to fix botched jobs.
Do complaints about other tradespeople affect my business?
Indirectly, yes. 52% of UK consumers don't trust the tradespeople they hire (Checkatrade, 2024), and 58% say they've been burned by a rogue. This means every homeowner approaches hiring with some degree of suspicion. Your Google reviews are the primary way to overcome that — visible proof of quality work in an industry where trust is scarce.
What are the most common complaints about UK tradespeople?
Poor quality work tops the list at 64% of respondents, followed by bad timekeeping (56%), costs going up (45%), lack of respect for the home (44%), and lack of transparency in quotes (41%). These are also the things positive reviews praise — professionalism, punctuality, and tidiness feature prominently in 5-star trade reviews.
Related reading
- Google Reviews Statistics for UK Tradespeople (2026): 60+ Data Points
- How to Respond to a Bad Google Review (Without Making It Worse)
- How to Handle a Fake Google Review as a UK Tradesperson
- What UK Homeowners Actually Look For in Your Google Reviews
TapReview helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews with one tap. Try it free →
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints do Citizens Advice receive about tradespeople?
36,534 complaints about home improvement work between July 2024 and June 2025 — over 700 per week. Home maintenance is the 2nd largest complaint category at Citizens Advice, behind only used vehicles.
Which trade gets the most complaints in the UK?
Roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs, with 8,126 complaints (22.2% of all home improvement complaints) in 2024-2025. This is followed by major renovations at 11.9% and window frames/doors at 10.6%.
How much do rogue traders cost UK consumers?
An estimated £1.4 billion per year (Checkatrade/CMA, 2024). The average cost of repairing poor workmanship is £8,729 (FMB/TrustMark, December 2024).
Do complaints about other tradespeople affect my business?
Indirectly, yes. 52% of UK consumers don't trust tradespeople they hire (Checkatrade, 2024). This means every homeowner approaches hiring with suspicion. Your Google reviews are the primary way to overcome that.
What are the most common complaints about UK tradespeople?
Poor quality work (64%), bad timekeeping (56%), costs going up (45%), lack of respect for the home (44%), and lack of transparency in quotes (41%). These are also the things positive reviews praise — professionalism, punctuality, and tidiness.