Terms & Conditions – London Plumbers 24/7 LTD
These Terms & Conditions apply to all plumbing, heating, installation, maintenance, repair, emergency, diagnostic and associated services supplied by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD.
By booking an appointment, accepting a quotation, requesting attendance, authorising work or allowing work to commence, the customer agrees to these Terms & Conditions.
These Terms do not remove or restrict any statutory rights that cannot legally be excluded.
1. Definitions
For the purposes of these Terms & Conditions:
“Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” means London Plumbers 24/7 LTD.
“Customer”, “you” and “your” means the individual, landlord, business, company, managing agent, organisation or other party instructing us.
“Engineer” means a plumber, heating engineer, technician, specialist or authorised subcontractor attending on behalf of London Plumbers 24/7 LTD.
“Works” or “Services” means any services we have been instructed to provide.
2. Authority to Instruct Work
The person booking or instructing London Plumbers 24/7 LTD confirms that they have authority to authorise the requested work.
Where a tenant, employee, managing agent, contractor or representative instructs work on behalf of a property owner, company or other party, responsibility for payment must be agreed before or at the time the work is authorised.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the person or organisation instructing the work may be held responsible for payment.
3. Appointments
Appointments may be arranged by telephone, email, website enquiry, messaging service or another agreed method.
Appointment times and arrival windows are given in good faith.
Because emergency plumbing and heating work can be unpredictable, we cannot guarantee an exact arrival time unless specifically confirmed.
Traffic, emergencies, difficult repairs and circumstances outside our reasonable control may result in delays.
4. Emergency Call-Outs
Emergency attendance may initially be required to stop or reduce escaping water, isolate faulty equipment, make an installation safe, restore essential services where possible, diagnose an urgent fault or prevent further property damage.
A permanent repair may not always be possible during the first attendance.
Further work, additional materials or a return visit may be required.
5. Call-Out Charges
A call-out or attendance charge may apply.
The call-out charge covers attendance at the property and does not necessarily include labour, diagnostic work, materials, parts, parking or additional services unless expressly stated.
Emergency, evening, overnight, weekend and bank holiday rates may differ from normal working-hour rates.
6. Diagnostic and Fault-Finding Work
Diagnostic and fault-finding services are chargeable.
A diagnostic charge relates to the time and professional work required to investigate a fault.
Payment for diagnosis does not guarantee that the problem can be repaired during the first visit.
Some faults require additional investigation, specialist testing, dismantling, replacement parts or further attendance.
7. Labour Charges
Labour may be charged hourly, by part-hour, by day, at an agreed fixed price, under an accepted quotation or at an emergency or out-of-hours rate.
Where work is charged by time, chargeable time may include reasonable time spent inspecting, diagnosing, dismantling, repairing, installing, testing and commissioning the system.
8. Estimates
Any estimate is based on the information available at the time it is provided.
An estimate is not a guaranteed fixed price unless expressly described as such.
The final cost may change where additional faults, concealed problems, additional work or unforeseen circumstances are discovered.
9. Quotations
A fixed quotation applies only to the work specifically described within it.
Any additional work requested by the customer or required because of previously unknown conditions may be charged separately.
Where reasonably practicable, additional work will be discussed with the customer before it is carried out.
This does not prevent an Engineer from taking reasonable immediate action where necessary to protect people, property or equipment from an urgent safety risk.
10. Materials and Parts
Materials and parts required to complete work are charged in addition to labour unless they are specifically included within an agreed fixed-price quotation.
Where materials or parts are sourced, purchased or collected by our plumber or Engineer, an additional 15% handling and procurement charge will be added to their cost.
This charge covers the administration, sourcing, purchasing, collection, transportation and handling involved in supplying the required materials or parts.
Where obtaining materials requires a substantial additional journey or additional working time, reasonable additional labour or travel charges may also apply.
11. Special-Order Materials
Specialist, non-standard, customised or special-order materials may require payment in advance.
Where products have been ordered specifically for a customer and cannot reasonably be cancelled or returned, the customer may remain responsible for their cost if the work is subsequently cancelled, subject to any legal rights that apply.
12. Customer-Supplied Parts and Equipment
Where the customer provides their own equipment or materials, London Plumbers 24/7 LTD is not responsible for product defects, missing components, incorrect sizing, compatibility problems, manufacturer defects, manufacturer warranty decisions or delays caused by incorrect or unsuitable equipment.
Additional labour required because customer-supplied equipment is incorrect, defective, incomplete or unsuitable may be charged.
Our workmanship guarantee does not cover defects in products supplied by the customer.
13. Deposits
A deposit may be required before work begins.
Deposits may be required for larger installations, projects requiring substantial materials, specialist equipment or work scheduled over several days.
The required deposit will normally be confirmed before work commences.
14. Stage Payments
Larger projects may be subject to staged payments.
Where stage payments have been agreed, each payment must be made when due.
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD may suspend further non-emergency work where an agreed stage payment remains unpaid.
15. Payment
Invoices must be paid by the due date shown on the invoice.
Emergency calls, diagnostics and smaller jobs may require payment immediately following attendance or completion.
We may require advance payment for materials, equipment, deposits or specified stages of larger projects.
16. Overdue Invoices – Consumer Customers
For domestic consumers, any late-payment, cancellation, debt-recovery or similar charge will be applied only where it is lawful, fair and proportionate.
We reserve the right to recover reasonable costs genuinely incurred as a result of an unpaid account where legally recoverable.
Interest may be charged on overdue sums where this has been properly agreed and is legally enforceable.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to impose an unlawful penalty on a consumer.
17. Overdue Invoices – Business and Commercial Customers
For business and commercial customers, invoices must be paid by the agreed due date.
Where a commercial invoice remains overdue, London Plumbers 24/7 LTD reserves the right, where contractually agreed and legally enforceable, to apply an overdue-account and debt-recovery charge equal to 30% of the outstanding invoice balance.
Interest may additionally be charged on the unpaid balance at a rate based on the Bank of England base rate per annum, together with any additional contractual or statutory entitlement applicable to the debt.
Interest may continue to accrue until cleared funds are received.
Where debt collection, solicitors, court proceedings or other recovery services become necessary, reasonable legally recoverable costs may also be claimed.
Nothing in this clause allows London Plumbers 24/7 LTD to recover the same loss twice or to impose a charge prohibited by law.
18. Suspension of Services for Non-Payment
Where an invoice or agreed stage payment remains overdue, London Plumbers 24/7 LTD may suspend further non-emergency services until payment is received.
Suspension of future work does not cancel or reduce amounts already due.
19. Parking, Congestion and Other Attendance Costs
Reasonable costs incurred directly in attending the customer’s property may be charged in addition to labour where applicable.
These may include parking, congestion, toll, permit and access charges.
Customers should provide suitable parking or access arrangements where possible.
20. Access to the Property
The customer must provide safe and reasonable access to the property and the area in which work is required.
The working area should be reasonably clear and accessible before the Engineer arrives.
Where access cannot be obtained at the arranged time, an attendance, waiting or aborted-visit charge may apply.
21. Aborted Visits
A visit may be chargeable where an Engineer attends but cannot reasonably carry out the work because nobody is present to provide access, access has not been arranged, the customer cancels after attendance, the working area is inaccessible, required permissions have not been obtained, an unsafe condition prevents work or circumstances controlled by the customer prevent the work proceeding.
22. Concealed Pipework and Services
Plumbing and heating equipment may be concealed behind or beneath walls, ceilings, flooring, tiles, cupboards, fitted units, boxing and other finishes.
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD cannot guarantee the location or condition of concealed services before they are exposed or otherwise identified.
The customer should provide any plans or information they have concerning hidden services.
23. Opening Walls, Floors and Ceilings
Fault investigation or repair may sometimes require access through walls, floors, ceilings, tiles, panels, cupboards or other finishes.
We will take reasonable care to minimise unnecessary disturbance.
However, concealed plumbing cannot always be accessed without opening surrounding materials.
24. Making Good
Unless expressly included within a quotation, our plumbing and heating work does not automatically include plastering, painting, decorating, tiling, flooring, carpentry, joinery, cabinet repairs or specialist building finishes.
Where making good is required, this may need to be arranged separately.
25. Leak Detection
Leak detection is an investigative service.
Water can move through walls, ceilings, floors, cavities and other building materials before becoming visible.
A visible water mark or damp area therefore does not necessarily identify the precise location of the leak.
Investigation may require more than one method and, in some cases, physical access to concealed pipework.
No leak-detection method can guarantee that every hidden leak can be located without further investigation or opening-up work.
26. Existing Systems
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD is not responsible for faults or deterioration that already existed within the customer’s system before our work.
Existing plumbing and heating installations may contain weakened or deteriorated components that are not visible before work begins.
Where additional problems are discovered, the customer will be advised where reasonably practicable.
Additional remedial work will be separately chargeable unless included within the agreed scope.
27. Old and Deteriorated Systems
Older systems may contain fragile pipework, fittings, valves, radiators, cylinders, boilers or other equipment.
Working on one component may sometimes reveal deterioration elsewhere in the system.
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD is not responsible for the failure of unrelated existing components resulting from normal age, wear, corrosion or pre-existing deterioration.
28. Draining and Refilling Systems
Some work requires heating or water systems to be drained, refilled or repressurised.
Existing weak joints, valves or components may sometimes begin leaking after normal operating pressure is restored.
Where the fault results from the existing condition of an unrelated component rather than defective workmanship, its repair will be treated as additional work.
29. System Water Quality
Boilers, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, radiators and heating systems can be affected by sludge, scale, corrosion and poor water quality.
Where appropriate, cleaning, flushing, filtration or water treatment may be recommended.
Unless included within the agreed work, these services will be separately chargeable.
30. Water Pressure and Flow Rates
Water pressure and flow can be influenced by factors outside the work undertaken by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD.
These may include incoming supply conditions, existing pipework, restrictions, valves and building infrastructure.
We cannot guarantee a particular improvement in water pressure or flow unless achieving a specified performance forms part of the agreed scope.
31. Boilers and Heating Systems
Boiler performance depends on the complete heating system and not solely on the boiler itself.
Existing controls, heating circuits, radiators, pumps, pipework, cylinders and other equipment may affect overall performance.
Additional remedial work may be recommended where an existing system prevents new or repaired equipment from functioning correctly.
32. Boiler Plant and Commercial Heating Systems
Commercial boiler and plant room installations may require specialist design, equipment and commissioning.
Any quotation applies only to the plant and work specified.
Existing building systems outside the quoted scope remain the responsibility of the customer unless expressly included.
Additional work required because of previously unknown existing-system problems will be separately chargeable.
33. Heat Pumps
Heat pump performance is influenced by the design and condition of the complete system and property.
Existing heating distribution systems, controls and building conditions can affect operation.
Manufacturer warranty arrangements remain subject to the relevant manufacturer’s requirements.
Specialist work will only be carried out where the attending person has the appropriate competence and authorisation for that particular work.
34. Gas Work
Gas work will only be carried out where the person undertaking the work holds the legally required registration and competence for that work.
Where an unsafe situation is identified, equipment may need to be isolated, disconnected or left switched off until suitable remedial action is taken.
35. Electrical Work
Certain plumbing and heating jobs require associated electrical work.
Where electrical work falls outside the agreed scope or requires a separate specialist, this will be treated as additional work.
36. Safety
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD will not knowingly leave equipment operating where the attending Engineer reasonably considers that doing so would present an unacceptable safety risk.
Unsafe equipment may be isolated where necessary.
The customer will be advised of recommended remedial action.
37. Hazardous Materials and Unsafe Conditions
The customer must advise us of any known hazards that could affect the work.
Where asbestos, contamination, structural instability, unsafe electrical equipment or another significant hazard is identified, work may be suspended until the area can safely be worked in.
Reasonable charges may apply for attendance before the hazard was identified where the Company was not previously informed.
38. Testing and Commissioning
Where appropriate, newly installed or repaired equipment will be tested before completion.
Testing cannot guarantee that an unrelated part of an existing system will not subsequently develop a fault.
39. Workmanship
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD will carry out its services with reasonable care and skill.
Where we provide a specific workmanship guarantee, it will apply only to the work completed by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD for the period stated.
Nothing in these Terms limits statutory rights that cannot legally be excluded.
40. Manufacturer Warranties
Products supplied by us may carry a manufacturer’s warranty.
Manufacturer warranties are separate from our workmanship obligations and remain subject to the manufacturer’s own conditions.
Where registration or regular servicing is required to maintain a warranty, responsibility for complying with those requirements remains with the customer unless we have expressly agreed otherwise.
41. Workmanship Guarantee Exclusions
A voluntary workmanship guarantee does not cover problems caused by normal wear and tear, misuse, neglect, accidental damage, freezing, external damage, third-party alterations, subsequent unauthorised repairs, manufacturer defects, pre-existing faults or problems elsewhere in an existing system.
Nothing in this provision removes rights that cannot legally be excluded.
42. Third-Party Work
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD cannot accept responsibility for changes or damage caused by another contractor after completion of our work.
If another contractor alters the area of our work, any voluntary workmanship guarantee relating to that altered work may cease to apply.
43. Damage Caused by the Original Fault
Where we attend an existing water leak, flood, burst pipe, heating failure or similar problem, we are not responsible for property damage that occurred before our attendance or which is caused by the underlying original fault.
The customer remains responsible for arranging any drying, electrical inspection, decoration or building repairs that are not part of our agreed work.
44. Customer Property
Customers should remove valuable, delicate or vulnerable belongings from the work area where reasonably possible.
We will take reasonable care while working at the property.
45. Customer Responsibilities
The customer must provide accurate information relating to the reported problem and any relevant history known to them.
The customer should tell us about known hazards, previous repairs and access restrictions.
The customer is responsible for obtaining any property-owner, landlord, freeholder, managing-agent or similar permission required for work unless we have expressly agreed to arrange it.
46. Changes Requested by the Customer
Changes requested after a quotation has been accepted may result in additional charges and may affect the completion date.
Any material variation should be agreed before the additional work is carried out where reasonably practicable.
47. Cancellations
Customers should give as much notice as reasonably possible when cancelling or changing an appointment.
Where cancellation causes London Plumbers 24/7 LTD a genuine financial loss, the customer may be charged a reasonable amount reflecting losses that cannot reasonably be avoided.
This may include committed labour, non-returnable materials or attendance already undertaken.
Consumer cancellation charges will not exceed what is legally recoverable.
48. Cancellation of Larger Projects
Where a customer cancels a confirmed installation or larger project after equipment or materials have been ordered, they may be responsible for reasonable costs already committed to the project.
Any amount charged will take into account whether equipment can reasonably be returned or reused.
49. Consumer Cancellation Rights
Where a consumer has a statutory right to cancel a contract, nothing in these Terms removes that right.
Where the customer specifically asks us to begin work during any applicable cancellation period, they may be required to pay a reasonable proportion of the agreed price for work properly completed before cancellation.
Emergency repair work requested by the customer may be treated differently where applicable law provides for this.
50. Delays Outside Our Control
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD is not responsible for delays caused by circumstances genuinely outside our reasonable control.
These may include severe weather, major traffic disruption, utility interruptions, supplier delays, unavailable specialist parts or emergency restrictions.
We will make reasonable efforts to minimise disruption.
51. Availability of Parts
Some repairs depend on manufacturer-specific or specialist replacement components.
We cannot guarantee that every component will be immediately available.
Where a part needs to be ordered, a further visit may be necessary.
52. Temporary Repairs
In some emergency situations, a temporary repair may be appropriate to prevent further damage or restore limited service.
Where a repair is temporary, the customer will be advised that additional permanent work may be required.
53. Photographs and Job Records
Photographs, measurements and technical information may be recorded where reasonably necessary for diagnosis, quotation preparation, job records, evidence of existing conditions, warranty records and documentation of completed work.
Identifiable property images will not be used for advertising or marketing where consent is legally required unless appropriate permission has been obtained.
54. Subcontractors and Specialists
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD may use appropriately qualified subcontractors or specialist trades where necessary for particular work.
Where the customer has contracted directly with London Plumbers 24/7 LTD for the work, our responsibilities remain subject to these Terms and applicable law.
55. Limitation of Liability
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful.
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD will not exclude liability for matters for which liability cannot legally be excluded.
Subject to those protections, we are not responsible for losses that are too remote or were not reasonably foreseeable when the contract was entered into.
Where the customer is a business, any separately agreed commercial contract or quotation may contain additional limitations appropriate to that particular project.
56. Insurance Claims
Where work is being undertaken in connection with an insurance claim, responsibility for paying London Plumbers 24/7 LTD remains with the person or organisation that instructed us unless we have expressly agreed otherwise.
Whether an insurance company subsequently reimburses the customer does not automatically alter the customer’s payment obligations to us.
57. Landlords, Tenants and Managing Agents
Where work is instructed at a rented or managed property, the party requesting attendance must make clear who is responsible for authorising the work and paying the invoice.
Disputes between a landlord, tenant, managing agent or property owner do not cancel payment obligations already agreed with London Plumbers 24/7 LTD.
58. Commercial Customers
Where the customer is acting for business purposes, additional commercial terms contained in an accepted quotation, purchase order or project agreement may also apply.
Where specifically agreed written project terms conflict with these general Terms, the specifically agreed project terms will take precedence for that particular project.
59. Complaints and Remedial Work
If the customer believes work completed by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD is defective, they should contact us as soon as reasonably possible.
Where appropriate, the customer should allow us a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where we are responsible, rectify the issue before instructing another contractor.
This does not apply where immediate third-party action is reasonably necessary to prevent serious damage or deal with an urgent safety issue.
60. Diagnostic Attendance
Where an Engineer has attended and reasonably performed inspection or diagnostic work, the relevant attendance and diagnostic charges remain payable even if the customer decides not to proceed with the repair, replacement is recommended instead, a specialist is subsequently required or the fault cannot reasonably be repaired during the visit.
This does not affect the customer’s rights where the service itself has not been provided with reasonable care and skill.
61. Ownership of Supplied Goods Before Payment
Where legally applicable, title to removable equipment and materials supplied by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD may remain with the Company until payment has been received in full.
Nothing in this provision gives London Plumbers 24/7 LTD an automatic right to enter a property or remove installed equipment without lawful authority.
62. Communication
Notices, approvals and instructions may be communicated by telephone, email, text message, messaging application or another method used between the Company and customer.
Customers should ensure that the contact details they provide are accurate.
63. Personal Information
Customer information will be used where reasonably necessary for providing services, administering bookings, invoicing, communicating regarding work and meeting applicable legal or administrative requirements.
Any separate privacy policy published by London Plumbers 24/7 LTD will apply to the handling of personal information.
64. Changes to These Terms
The Terms applicable to a particular job will generally be the Terms provided or made available when the contract is entered into.
London Plumbers 24/7 LTD may update these standard Terms for future work.
Changes to an existing agreed contract will not automatically apply retrospectively where agreement is legally required.
65. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remainder of the Terms will continue to apply.
66. No Waiver
If London Plumbers 24/7 LTD does not immediately exercise a contractual right, this does not necessarily mean that the right has been waived.
67. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with any accepted quotation, written variation and other specifically agreed contractual documentation, form the agreement relating to the instructed work.
68. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Nothing in these Terms restricts any mandatory legal rights regarding where a consumer may bring proceedings.
69. Acceptance of Terms
By booking London Plumbers 24/7 LTD, accepting a quotation, requesting attendance, authorising an Engineer to proceed or otherwise instructing us to carry out work, the customer confirms acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
Where a written quotation or project agreement contains additional terms specifically relating to the work, those terms will also apply.