What to Do If a Tiler Has Done a Bad Job

If a tiler has done a bad job, do not start by shouting or refusing to pay everything. Start by putting the problems in writing, gathering clear evidence, and giving them a fair chance to put it right. That order matters, because under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 your strongest position comes from being reasonable and documented, not from being angry. This is the sequence that actually works, written by someone who is regularly called in to assess and fix other people’s failed tiling.

Key takeaways

• Work must be done with reasonable care and skill. That is the legal standard.
• Raise defects in writing first and give a fair chance to remedy them.
• Gather dated photos, the quote, the specification, and all messages.
• An independent assessment against BS 5385 turns a complaint into a strong case.

This is what a properly set out and bonded floor looks like. When you can clearly see the standard good work meets, it becomes far easier to judge whether your own job falls short. Complex setting-out service

First, work out whether it is actually bad

Before you do anything, separate genuine defects from things that are within normal tolerance. Some unevenness is allowed for in the British Standard, and you do not want to spend energy on a complaint that does not hold up. Run the simple checks: tap for hollow or moving tiles, look in raking light for lippage, check the grout lines are even, and look at how the silicone and the floor-to-wall joints are finished.

If you are not sure where the line is, is my tiling bad? how to spot lippage and how to tell good tiling from bad tiling walk through exactly what counts as a fault and what does not. Get clear on that first, because a documented, real defect is a strong position and a vague grievance is not.

What are my rights if a tiler does a bad job?

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, any tradesperson must carry out work with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time, and for a reasonable price where one was not agreed in advance. Tiling that is poorly bonded, badly set out, not waterproofed where it should be, or finished below a competent standard does not meet that test.

When it falls short, the law gives you a clear ladder. First, the tiler should put it right at no extra cost. If they will not, or repeated attempts fail, you may be entitled to a price reduction. In serious cases you can have the work redone by someone else and recover the reasonable cost. The important thing is that you climb that ladder in order. Jumping straight to the top weakens your position.

Step by step: how to handle it

1. Put the problems in writing

A phone call commits nobody to anything. Email or message the tiler with a clear, factual list of the defects: hollow tiles in this area, lippage on this wall, grout failing in these joints, no tanking in the shower. Stick to facts, not feelings. Ask them to come and put the listed work right. Keep it civil and dated. This single step does more for your case than anything else.

2. Gather your evidence now

Take dated photographs in good light, and in low raking light for lippage and unevenness. Note which tiles sound hollow or move. Keep the original quote, any written specification, the invoice, and every message. Evidence gathered while the problem is fresh is far stronger than anything reconstructed later.

3. Give them a fair chance to remedy

The law expects you to let the tiler put their own work right before you bring in anyone else. This is also genuinely sensible. Allow a reasonable opportunity, in writing, with a realistic timeframe. If you skip this and pay another tiler straight away, you may struggle to recover that cost later.

4. Hold back a proportionate amount

If you have not paid in full, you are not obliged to pay for work that is genuinely defective. Pay for the parts done properly and hold back an amount that reflects the cost of putting the problem right. Do not withhold everything out of anger if much of the job is sound. Proportionate and documented beats blanket refusal.

5. Escalate properly if it stalls

If the tiler will not engage or their repeated attempts fail, escalate in steps. An independent assessment from a qualified tiler or surveyor against BS 5385 carries real weight, because it measures the work against the actual standard rather than opinion. If they belong to a trade body such as TrustMark or a manufacturer-backed scheme, raise it there. For unresolved disputes, the Citizens Advice consumer service can guide you, and the small claims route exists for recovering reasonable remedial costs. Keep everything in writing throughout.

A note on giving the chance to remedy

I understand the instinct to never let a poor tiler touch the job again. Sometimes that is the right call, where trust has genuinely broken down or the work is so far off that confidence is gone. But say so, in writing, and explain why, before you bring in a second tiler. A documented breakdown of trust is defensible. Silently paying someone else and then claiming the cost is much harder to stand behind.

If you need the work put right

A lot of my work is remedial: assessing tiling that has failed or fallen short, telling the homeowner honestly whether it is within tolerance or a fair case to challenge, and where needed, stripping it back and doing it properly. I cover Bromley, Beckenham, Orpington, Chislehurst, and West Wickham, across bathroom tiling and wet rooms. If you have a job you are not happy with, get in touch and I will give you a straight assessment and, if you want it, a written quote to remedy it.

See: is my tiling bad? how to spot lippage | how to tell good tiling from bad tiling | how to choose a tiler