Terms and Conditions for Emergency/Reactive Callout Services

1. Definitions

"Company" means DT Plumbing and Building Limited (Company No. 17094744, VAT No. 515 8660 77). "Customer" means the person who has signed the Digital Work Agreement. "Services" means the emergency or reactive plumbing work carried out by the Company.

2. Scope

These terms apply exclusively to emergency and reactive callout work. Planned or quoted work is subject to separate terms and conditions.

3. Pricing and Charges

Labour is charged per half hour, calculated in 30-minute units with a minimum charge of 30 minutes. The working-hours rate is £62.50 per half hour; the out-of-hours rate — evenings (after 6pm), before 8am, weekends, and bank holidays — is £82.50 per half hour. The applicable rate is agreed with the Customer and shown on the Digital Work Agreement before work begins. Materials are charged at cost plus a handling fee. VAT at the prevailing rate (currently 20%) applies to all charges. Charging runs from the moment the Customer signs the Digital Work Agreement, as set out in clause 4; if, on inspection and before the agreement is signed, the work cannot be carried out, no charge applies. Discounts apply only where quoted and agreed before work begins.

4. Timing

The timer begins when the Customer signs the Digital Work Agreement and ends when the Company declares the work complete. Any disputes regarding timing should be raised immediately at the point of completion.

5. Payment

Payment is required on site at the point of completion, before the Customer leaves or the Company departs. The Company accepts payment by card, bank transfer, or cash; the Customer may choose their preferred method on site. An invoice and receipt will be issued electronically via email once payment has been confirmed. Failure to pay may result in the debt being referred to a collection agency, with all associated costs added to the balance owed.

6. Materials

Where materials are required, the Company will use its professional judgement to select suitable products. The Customer will be informed of any significant material costs before they are incurred where reasonably practicable.

7. Cancellation

There is no cancellation charge for callout work. If the Customer does not wish to proceed after the Company has arrived but before the agreement is signed, no charge will apply. Once the agreement is signed, charges apply for all time worked.

8. Consumer Rights

The Customer's statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are not affected. All services will be carried out with reasonable care and skill.

9. Cooling-Off Period

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, the Customer has a 14-day cancellation period for services arranged off-premises or at a distance. By signing the Digital Work Agreement the Customer makes an express request that the Company begin work before the end of that period. The Customer acknowledges that work carried out at their request during the cancellation period is chargeable; that if the Customer cancels part-way through they remain liable for the time worked and for any materials used or already ordered; and that the right to cancel no longer applies to the service once it has been fully performed. Nothing in this clause removes the Customer's right to cancel work not yet carried out.

10. Liability

The Company holds public liability insurance of £2,000,000. Liability for any claim shall not exceed the total value of the work carried out. The Company is not liable for pre-existing defects or issues not related to the work performed.

11. Warranty

All workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months from the date of completion. This does not extend to materials which are covered by the manufacturer's warranty where applicable.

12. Access and Site Conditions

The Customer shall provide safe and reasonable access to the work area. The Company reserves the right to refuse to carry out work where conditions are unsafe. It is the Customer's responsibility to obtain any permission, permit, licence or consent required for the work — including from a freeholder, landlord, managing agent or planning authority — and to obtain permission where access over neighbouring or third-party land is necessary. The Customer shall indemnify the Company against claims by neighbouring or third-party property owners arising from the Company's presence at the property with the Customer's authority.

13. Gaining Access to the Work, and Making Good

Plumbing faults are commonly concealed. Locating and rectifying them may require the lifting of floor coverings and floorboards, and the removal of panels, units, tiles, sanitaryware or fittings, and may require walls or ceilings to be opened where pipework is routed.

The Company will explain what needs to be lifted or removed and agree it with the Customer before doing so. Making good — including plaster, brickwork, tiling, decoration and floor coverings — is the responsibility of the Customer and is not included in the callout charge. The Company will leave the work area in a reasonable and safe condition and will, on request, provide a separate quotation for reinstating finishes.

The Company is not responsible for damage to wallpaper, paintwork, tiles, carpet, flooring, furniture or furnishings arising from reasonable access to the work, nor for damage arising wholly or partly from an existing defect or weakness in the property. The Customer should move or protect valuable or fragile items in the work area before work begins. Nothing in this clause limits the Company's liability for damage caused by its own negligence.

14. Investigatory Work

Where the Services are investigatory in nature — including leak tracing, drain testing and fault diagnosis — the Customer is paying for the investigation and the Company's time, not for a guaranteed outcome. The Company will report its findings honestly, including where a cause cannot be identified with the access, equipment or conditions available. Charges apply to the time spent whether or not a cause is identified. Any further work required to establish or rectify a cause will be discussed and agreed separately.

15. Responsibility for Payment Where a Third Party Instructs the Work

Where the Services are instructed by a person or business other than the occupier — including a landlord, letting or managing agent, tenant, contractor, family member or other representative — the party who instructed the Company is responsible for payment, unless the Company has agreed otherwise in writing before work begins.

16. Attendance

The Company will advise the Customer of the expected date and time of attendance and will make reasonable efforts to keep to it. All attendance times are estimates. The Company is not liable for losses arising from late or non-attendance, or from the late or non-delivery of materials or equipment by third parties, save where such liability cannot be excluded by law.

17. Waste and Materials

The Company is a registered upper-tier waste carrier (registration CBDU646946) and can remove waste arising from the works. Removal is chargeable and is agreed separately; unless agreed, the removal and disposal of waste materials is the responsibility of the Customer.

18. Exclusions from the Guarantee

The guarantee at clause 11 does not apply to:

• parts, materials or appliances supplied by the Customer or a third party;
• systems, installations or structures not installed by the Company;
• the clearance of blockages in waste and drainage systems, which by their nature cannot be guaranteed against recurrence;
• work the Customer instructed against the Company's written or verbal advice;
• defects arising where recommended remedial work was declined or not carried out, or where the Customer was notified of related work requiring attention;
• work subsequently repaired, modified or tampered with by any other party; and
• defects arising from misuse, neglect, wilful act, or the faulty workmanship of the Customer or any third party working for the Customer.

19. Defects and Inspection

Any alleged defect must be notified to the Company promptly, verbally or in writing. The Company, and where applicable its insurers, must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect the work and the alleged defect before any remedial work is undertaken by others. Where inspection establishes that the defect did not arise from work carried out by the Company, the Company may charge for the inspection visit at its standard rate. This clause does not affect the Customer's statutory rights.

20. Data Protection

Personal data (including name, email address, phone number, and address) is collected and processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This data is shared with Xero, a cloud-based accounting platform, for the purposes of creating invoices, processing payments, and maintaining business records. The lawful basis for this processing is the performance of the contract between the Customer and the Company, and the Company's legitimate interests in maintaining accurate financial records. Data is not shared with any other third parties except where required by law. The Company is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (Application No. C1899311).

21. Complaints

Any complaint should be raised within 14 days of the work being completed by contacting the Company at info@dtplumbingandbuilding.co.uk or 07884 064809. The Company will acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 14 days.

22. Third Parties

These terms do not confer any rights on any third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

23. Governing Law

This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

24. Entire Agreement

The Digital Work Agreement and these Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between the Customer and the Company in respect of the Services.