Skip to main content
For construction & trades

Unpaid invoice for
construction work?

Late payment is a fact of life on site. Recover an overdue account from a main contractor, developer or commercial client with a calm, structured escalation — built so you can chase the money without burning the relationship you need for the next job.

Direct answer

If a main contractor, developer or other business client owes you an undisputed sum up to £10,000 in England & Wales, you can recover it yourself: a polite reminder, then a Letter Before Action, then a County Court claim. RobinReturn prepares each step at a published price, takes no commission, and your client pays you directly.

TL;DR

  • Built for undisputed B2B sums up to £10,000.
  • Calm, professional tone — chase without going nuclear.
  • Pay only for the stage you reach; no commission.
  • You stay in control and the contractor pays you directly.
  • General county-court recovery — not construction-specific adjudication.
The situation

Paid late as
a matter of policy.

Late payment is a familiar problem for subcontractors and trades — and the slowest payers are often the contractors, developers and clients you most need to keep working with.

The bind is commercial, not legal: you could chase hard, but you need the next package of work, so the invoice drifts. A graduated, professional escalation lets you apply real pressure while keeping the tone measured — the reminder reads like a business chasing a business, not a threat.

RobinReturn is general England & Wales county-court recovery for an undisputed debt. It does not cover Construction Act adjudication, retentions disputes, or a contested final account — if your case turns on those, take advice. For a straightforward overdue account, the workflow does the paperwork and you stay in control.

Many overdue accounts settle at the reminder or Letter Before Action stage, once it is clear a County Court claim is the next step — though every case is different and nothing is guaranteed. Statutory interest (Bank of England reference rate plus 8%) and fixed compensation are recoverable from the debtor, and they are yours to keep.

Use the calculator below to see what you can add, or calculate late payment interest with the formula and reference rates in full.

MIN £100 · MAX £10,000
PICK A DUE DATE TO COUNT THE DAYS OVERDUE
%
DEFAULT 3.75% · RATE FIXED ON 30 JUNE 2026
What you can claim

Debt, interest & compensation

Invoice owed£5,000.00
Statutory interest (11.75% · 0 days)+ £0.00
Reference rate used3.75% + 8%
Daily interest£1.61
Fixed compensation (LPCDA s.5A)+ £70.00
Total you can claim£5,070.00

Interest accrues at the reference rate plus 8% (Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998), about £1.61 a day on this debt. Interest and compensation are recoverable from the debtor where the court agrees — RobinReturn takes no cut of either. Figures are illustrative and not legal advice.

Start free first reminder on us
FAQs

Your questions,
answered.

Who counts as a business debtor?

Any business that hired you in the course of its trade: a main contractor, a developer, a property company or another commercial client — whether it is a limited company, an LLP, a partnership or a sole trader. Work for a homeowner buying as a private individual is a consumer debt and is outside RobinReturn.

Will chasing a client cost me future work?

That is the real fear, which is why the escalation is calm and professional by default — a reminder that reads as a business chasing a business. You decide whether and when to escalate at each step; nothing is sent without you.

Can I chase several overdue accounts from the same contractor?

Each overdue invoice is set up as its own case today. There is no bulk import yet, so several debts mean several runs through the workflow — each at the same published per-action price.

Does this handle adjudication or the Construction Act?

No. RobinReturn is general county-court recovery for an undisputed B2B debt up to £10,000. Construction Act adjudication, retention disputes and contested final accounts are outside its scope — take advice for those.

Who actually sends the letter?

You do — you remain the litigant in person. RobinReturn prepares solicitor-drafted documents from your case; it is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

Next steps

The route,
step by step.

Letter before action

The formal letter that sets a payment deadline before any claim — what it should say, and when to send it.

The N1 claim form

What goes on the County Court claim form and the Particulars of Claim for an unpaid invoice.

Start the chase
for free.

Your first reminder sequence is on us. Escalate only if you need to. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

For undisputed invoices up to £10,000 owed by another business in England or Wales.

New to RobinReturn? See how RobinReturn works, why businesses choose it, who is behind it and what has changed recently.