Your kitchen fitter went bust or disappeared mid-job
It is stressful, and it feels urgent, but the right first moves protect your money and get the kitchen finished. Here is what to do, calmly and in order.
If your kitchen fitter has gone bust or vanished part-way through, act in this order. First, stop any further payments and document everything: photograph the work and gather your contract, invoices, receipts and messages. Next, check how you paid, because a credit-card payment between £100 and £30,000 is protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which makes the card provider jointly liable, and a debit-card payment may be recoverable by chargeback. Then establish whether they were a limited company or a sole trader: if it is an insolvent limited company you are an unsecured creditor and recovery from the company is unlikely, so card protection matters most; a sole trader can be pursued personally through the small claims court. Meanwhile, get two or three fitters to quote for completing the work rather than restarting it. For advice on your specific situation, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service. This is general information, not legal advice.
What to do, step by step
- Stop any further payments immediately, including standing orders or agreed instalments. Do not pay more in the hope the work resumes.
- Document everything: photograph the state of the kitchen and what has been installed, and gather your contract, quote, invoices, receipts and every message. This is the evidence for any claim.
- Check how you paid. If you used a credit card for a deposit or payment between £100 and £30,000, you may have a Section 75 claim; a debit card may allow a chargeback.
- Find out whether they were a limited company or a sole trader, as it changes how you recover money. A quick Companies House search shows if it is a limited company and whether it is in insolvency.
- Get the job finished: ask two or three fitters to quote for completing the work only, not starting again. A good fitter will assess what is done and price the remainder.
- Get help if you are unsure: the Citizens Advice consumer service can talk you through your rights for your specific situation.
If you paid by card
How you paid is often the single biggest factor in whether you get your money back. If you paid a deposit or instalment of more than £100 and up to £30,000 on a credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your card provider jointly liable with the trader, so you can claim the loss directly from the card company for work not carried out. If you paid on a debit card, or the amount was under £100, ask your bank about chargeback: it is not a legal right but is widely used, and it is time-limited, so raise it promptly. Payments by cash or bank transfer carry no such protection, which is why they are riskier for large sums.
If they were a limited company
Check Companies House to see whether the business is a limited company and whether it has entered insolvency. If it has, the company still owes you the money, but there may be little or nothing left to recover, and you would rank as an unsecured creditor behind secured lenders and staff. Register your claim with the appointed insolvency practitioner, but do not count on it; your Section 75 or chargeback route is usually the stronger one. The director is generally not personally liable for the company’s debts.
If they were a sole trader
A sole trader is personally responsible for the work and the debt, so you can pursue the individual. Send a clear letter before action setting out what you paid, what was not done, and what you want back, with a deadline. If they do not respond, you can make a claim through the small claims court, which in England and Wales handles claims up to £10,000 (limits differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Keep it proportionate: weigh the cost and effort against what you are likely to recover.
Getting the kitchen finished
Separately from recovering money, you need a working kitchen. Ask two or three fitters to quote for completing the job, not starting over, and to note anything already installed that is not right, since you may be able to include remedial work in a claim. Be wary of anyone who insists on ripping everything out without explaining why. A calm, itemised completion quote from a vetted fitter is what gets you back on track.
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Find a vetted kitchen specialistFitter went bust: common questions
What should I do first if my kitchen fitter disappears mid-job?
Stop any further payments straight away, then document everything: photograph the work, and gather your contract, invoices, receipts and messages. Check how you paid, because a credit-card payment may be protected under Section 75. Then find out whether the fitter was a limited company or a sole trader, as that changes how you recover money, and line up two or three quotes to finish the job. If you are unsure of your rights, the Citizens Advice consumer service can help.
Can I get my deposit back if the kitchen fitter goes bust?
It depends on how you paid and on the business. If you paid a deposit of over £100 on a credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the card provider jointly liable, so you can claim from them. A debit-card payment may be recoverable by chargeback through your bank, usually within a set time limit. If you paid cash or bank transfer to a limited company that is now insolvent, recovering the deposit is much harder, because you become an unsecured creditor.
Is the kitchen fitter still liable if their limited company is insolvent?
The company is liable, but if it is insolvent there may be little or nothing to recover, and you would rank as an unsecured creditor behind others. The individual director is generally not personally liable for the company’s debts, except in limited circumstances. This is exactly why card protection (Section 75 or chargeback) matters, and why a sole trader, who can be pursued personally, is a different situation.
Can I claim on my credit card if a kitchen fitter takes my money and vanishes?
Often yes. Under Section 75, if you paid any amount between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card for goods or services you did not receive, the card provider is jointly liable with the trader, so you can claim the loss from your card company. For debit cards, or amounts under £100, ask your bank about chargeback, which is not a legal right but is widely used and time-limited. Keep all your paperwork to support the claim.
This is general information for UK homeowners, not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service or a qualified adviser. Last reviewed June 2026.
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