Is an email a contract?

Yes, if it sets out what is agreed and both parties accept it.

Do I need a solicitor?

For most domestic work, no. For large or unusual projects, it may be worth it.

Can I use a standard template?

Yes, just make sure the scope and exclusions are specific to your job.

What Should a Building Contract Include?

Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 15 August 2026

James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.

The short answer

You do not need a formal document. A clear written agreement, including an email, is a contract.
Cover: scope, price, payment stages, dates, variations, waste, and what happens if there is a dispute.
The most-skipped section is exclusions, what is not included, and it causes the most arguments.
Agree how changes get priced before any arise, not when the first one does.
A builder who resists putting it in writing is showing you something useful.

On this page

The sections that matter
Warning signs in a builder's own contract

The sections that matter

Scope of work. What is being done, in enough detail that a stranger could read it and know whether it had been completed.

Exclusions. What is not included, making good, decoration, disposal, fittings you are supplying. Almost every dispute about "that wasn't in the price" traces back to a missing exclusions section.

Price and VAT. The total, and whether VAT is inside or on top.

Payment stages. Each one described by the work it corresponds to, with an amount.

Dates. Start, expected finish, and what happens if it overruns.

Variations. How changes are agreed and priced. This is the clause people skip and then need.

Waste and access. Who removes what, and what the builder can use.

Dispute route. Where you both go if it goes wrong. Agreeing this while relations are good is far easier than afterwards.

Trusted Payments

We help every project succeed

Trusted Payments sits alongside you for the whole project, not just the payments.
Checked trades. Every tradesperson is vetted before they can be paid through the platform.
Payments tied to real work. You agree the stages before anything starts, and money is only released once you've signed a stage off.
The last payment comes at the end. 10% of the price isn't paid until the whole job is finished properly, snagging included.
A warranty behind the work. Three months while the work is going on, and 24 months after it finishes, underwritten by a fully authorised, A-rated insurer.
An independent ombudsman. If something goes wrong, you have 45 days to sort it out directly — then an independent decision that binds both sides.

See how it works What happens if there's a dispute?

Warning signs in a builder's own contract

Payment tied to dates instead of completed work
No exclusions section at all
Variations priced at the builder's discretion
Large up-front sums with no explanation
A trading name that does not match the company you are paying

How it works

Help your project succeed with Trusted Payments

Trusted Payments project flow: create a project, add a completion payment, manage the project in the app, pay by milestones, snagging and handover, 24-month warranty, and independent resolution if needed.

See how it works

Related guides

Common questions

Is an email a contract?: Yes, if it sets out what is agreed and both parties accept it.
Do I need a solicitor?: For most domestic work, no. For large or unusual projects, it may be worth it.
Can I use a standard template?: Yes, just make sure the scope and exclusions are specific to your job.