Construction & trades
Chase a main contractor, developer or commercial client who pays 60–90 days late — without risking the next job.
By sector
Unpaid invoice recovery,
by sector.
The same calm, pay-per-action workflow — reminder, Letter Before Action, County Court claim — written for the way late payment actually shows up in your line of work.
Direct answer
Every trade chases late invoices, but the triggers differ. The route to recover one is the same B2B, sub-£10,000, England & Wales workflow — a polite reminder, then a Letter Before Action, then a County Court claim if the debt is still unpaid. Pick the page closest to your line of work for the detail, or read debt recovery for small businesses for the general route and what each step costs. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
For what to do at each stage, read how to recover an unpaid invoice, step by step. Chasing invoices for clients rather than your own business? See debt recovery for accountants and bookkeepers.
Choose your situation
Built for
your trade.
Every page covers the same B2B, sub-£10,000, England & Wales workflow — the difference is the trigger, the tone and the fears specific to your sector.
Marketing & creative agencies
Recover a retainer or project invoice from a client who went quiet after launch, without a collector in the relationship.
Freelancers & sole traders
Chase one late client on a small invoice — too small for a solicitor, too big to write off.
IT & software contractors
Recover a day-rate or milestone invoice after the client goes quiet on delivery.
Wholesalers & suppliers
Chase a trade buyer stretching 30-day terms on goods you've already shipped.
Cleaning & facilities
Recover a recurring contract invoice without losing the contract.
Recruitment agencies
Chase a client who is slow on a placement fee or contractor margin — while the desk keeps billing.
Consultants & advisory firms
Chase an unpaid retainer or milestone from a client you would rather keep — calmly, and on the record.
Hauliers & logistics
Chase a customer sitting on freight invoices — the low-value, high-volume debt that quietly drains a thin margin.
Whatever your sector
Unpaid invoice recovery,
stage by stage.
How RobinReturn works
The three stages — reminder, Letter Before Action, County Court claim — and what you pay at each.
What a letter before action is
The formal demand a court expects to see before a claim, and the deadline it gives the debtor.
Taking an unpaid invoice to small claims
Eligibility, interest and filing the claim for an undisputed B2B invoice up to £10,000.
Small claims court fees
The HMCTS issue fee by claim value, and whether you get it back if you win.
Filling in the N1 claim form
The claim form and Particulars of Claim, including the statement of truth.
Debt collection agency alternative
Why a flat price per step can cost less than an agency's commission on what you recover.
An alternative to Chaser
Pay-per-action escalation for one overdue invoice, instead of a monthly AR-automation subscription.
All debt recovery guides
Plain-English guides to interest, time limits, evidence, CCJs and the rest of the process.
Not sure where
you fit?
The free eligibility check confirms whether RobinReturn is right for your invoice in five questions — no card, no account.