Before you say yes: check the quote for red flags
Some features of a quote are officially listed warning signs, and some are just how the trade works. Describe the quote you were given and see what Consumer Protection (the official consumer agency) actually says about each part, with the source, verified 2026-07-17. It checks the quote, not the business: that check comes after, by name.
Describe the quote in your hand
Answer what applies. Each answer is read against what Consumer Protection (the official consumer agency) actually says, with the source. Skip anything you are unsure about.
Answer any question to see what the official guidance says about it.
Then check the business itself
A clean quote from the wrong business is still the wrong business. Check the business by name on the public evidence, line your quotes up side by side. Or browse tradespeople with public evidence.
Common questions
Is a big deposit a red flag?
At 50 percent, the ask is above the official guidance: Consumer Protection says there is no legal requirement to pay a deposit at all when you accept a quote, and that a requested deposit should not exceed 10 percent of the total cost. For building work of 30,000 dollars or more, tie the payments to the written contract the law requires.
The tradesperson knocked on my door. What are my rights?
Uninvited door to door selling has its own consumer rules in New Zealand: a written agreement, the seller's details, and the cooling off right below. The official advice is not to be pressured into buying something you do not want. An uninvited sale at your door or by cold call, over 100 dollars for personal, domestic or household use, comes with a cooling off right: you can cancel for any reason within 5 working days of receiving the written agreement and get a full refund. The seller must give you that written agreement, with what you are buying, your right to cancel and their details.
They only take cash. Is that a problem?
The official doctrine is written quotes, written agreements and receipts. A trader who will only take cash sits outside that paper trail and outside your bank's protections, which matters most exactly when something goes wrong.
Is a discount for cash a red flag?
A discount for cash is not in itself against the rules. The pattern to watch is cash ONLY, with no paper trail behind a job you may need to dispute.
This is guidance from the public rules and official consumer guidance, not legal advice. It describes the features of a quote as you entered them; it says nothing about any named business. Rules change and cooling off rights carry exclusions, so check the cited official page before you rely on any single rule.
More ways to check who to trust
Free, independent checks. No ads, no paid placement.
- Cowboy Checker
Spot the warning signs of a dishonest business before you hire.
- Compare Quotes
Enter the names from your quotes and line them up on the public evidence.
- Company Health Check
Check whether the company behind a business is active, dissolved, or in liquidation.
- Certifications
The certifications, licences and registrations we have found in public sources, and what each one means.
- Rating Reality Check
Where a rating and review count really sit against the market's full distribution.
- Check Before You Hire
The official registers that cover each trade here, with the public entries we have found for each.
- Licence Check
A licence number from a van or quote, checked against every public register included here in one search.
- Who Must Be Licensed
Can you do it yourself? Who the law requires for building, plumbing, gas and electrical work.
- Emergency: Who to Call
Gas smell, power cut, burst pipe: the official number to call first, from the official pages.