Analysis of Citizens Advice home maintenance and improvement complaints found that the percentage of potential scams increased from 8% in 2022 to 14% in 2025.

There were more cases flagged to the Citizens Advice in 2022, with 50,346 cases in contrast to the 38,356 in 2025, but the percentage of potential scam activity was higher.

For 2026, although only halfway through the year, 13% of the 6,427 cases already flagged are suspected of scam activity.

A separate FOI to Citizens Advice also revealed that homeowners spent £2.33m to put issues right in 2025 alone, which is the highest figure since £1.15m in 2022.

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Applying the median reported detriment cost (£1,000) across all 189,224 complaints in this period would suggest the true bill could be as high as £189.2m.

“These figures do not mean every complaint flagged as a potential scam was confirmed as fraud, but they do show why it is important to check the details before a project starts,” said David Turner, head of product at Leader Online.

“A good tradesperson should be clear about what is included in the quote, which materials will be used, how long the work should take, and when payments are due.

“If those details feel vague, rushed, or keep changing, it’s sensible to pause before handing over money.”