What to Do When a Client Won't Pay an Invoice
Every tradesperson meets one eventually: the job went fine, the customer seemed happy, and now the invoice is being ignored. The good news is that most non-payers are not villains, they are disorganised, and a calm escalation ladder gets most invoices paid long before anything legal is needed. The key is to climb it one rung at a time, in writing, without skipping steps.
The escalation ladder
Start friendly. A few days after the due date, send a short reminder that assumes good faith: perhaps the invoice was missed, here it is again. Most late payments end here. If silence continues, move to a formal reminder in writing that references the invoice number, the amount, the original payment terms and the date payment was due. Keep the tone firm and factual; you are building a record, not venting. If that fails, the last resort before legal action is a formal letter before action (and, on business debts, a statutory demand is another formal option), stating the debt and your intention to pursue it through the courts if it is not settled by a stated date. That letter alone resolves a surprising share of stubborn cases.
The practical legal route for smaller sums
For the amounts most trade invoices involve, the realistic legal route in the UK is Money Claim Online, the government's service for starting a county court money claim, which typically ends up in the small claims track. It exists precisely for people without solicitors, the fees scale with the size of the claim, and a formal claim often prompts payment before any hearing. This guide is not legal advice: for anything substantial, or anything involving a dispute about the work itself, check the current process on gov.uk or speak to a solicitor before you commit.
Your paperwork is your leverage
Everything above works better when your records are clean. The accepted quote shows what was agreed. The invoice shows what was billed. Your reminders show you chased reasonably. Add photos of the finished work and any messages where the customer acknowledged the job, and you have the exact bundle that settles disputes quickly, whether across a kitchen table or in a claim. Tradespeople who keep this paperwork rarely need to use it; those who do not, need it constantly.
Prevention beats collection
The cheapest unpaid invoice is the one that never happens. Take a deposit on jobs with real material cost, use staged payments on anything running beyond a couple of weeks, and put the final balance terms in writing on the quote itself. Customers who have already paid part of a job pay the rest of it far more reliably, and anyone who balks at a modest deposit has told you something useful before you have spent a penny.
Chasing now, or invoicing next?
If you are at the chasing stage, our companion guide has ready-to-use reminder wording. If you are invoicing a new job, make it one that gets paid on time.
Read the chasing guide Open the invoice generatorUnpaid invoice FAQs
How long should I wait before chasing an unpaid invoice?
Start a few days after the due date, not weeks after. A friendly reminder at that point catches genuine oversights, which most late payments are. Waiting a month signals that the deadline was optional.
Can I charge interest on a late payment?
On business-to-business work, UK law gives you a statutory right to charge interest and fixed recovery costs on overdue invoices. On domestic, consumer work the position is different and depends on your agreed terms. Either way, mention any intention to charge interest in your formal reminder rather than springing it on the customer.
Is the small claims route worth it for a trade invoice?
For modest sums it often is. Money Claim Online is designed for people without solicitors, the fees are proportionate to the amount claimed, and many claims settle before any hearing because a formal claim focuses minds. Weigh the amount owed against the time it will take you.
What paperwork helps if a non-payer ends up in a claim?
The signed or accepted quote, the invoice itself, your reminders and any replies, photos of the finished work, and any messages where the customer acknowledged the job or the price. A clean paper trail usually decides these disputes before anyone reaches a courtroom.