Electrical Times reports that data obtained through Freedom of Information requests, reveals that England is on course to accumulate over 30,000 cowboy builder complaints by the end of the year, with 14,000 complaints logged by the Citizens Advice Bureau already by May 2022.

There has also been a rise in the number of complaints received in recent years, with a 31 per cent increase in complaints received regarding cowboy builders between 2020-2021.

Roofing, roof sealing, and chimney repairs is responsible for 2,258 of those complaints, with window frames and doors (2,229), major renovations (1,827), fitted kitchens (1,253), and general building work (1,038) also frequent problem areas.

Most common cowboy builder complaints: 2022

-Roofing, roof sealing and chimney repairs – 2,258

-Window frames and doors (excluding electric garage doors) – 2,229

-Major renovations (including lofts, conversions and extensions) – 1,827

-Fitted Kitchens – 1,253

-Other general building work – 1,038

-Fitted Bathrooms – 976

-Plumbers and plumbing – 933

-Paving, driveways, patios and decking – 929

-Electrical services and installations – 558

-Decorator services – 378

-Insulation – 338

-Home security systems – 293

-Guttering and drains – 290

-Wall coating and rendering – 205

-Electric garage doors and electric gates – 202

-Damp Proofing – 143

-Scaffolding and skips – 103

-Fascias (including cladding) and soffits – 67

 Regional Breakdown

The South-East of England has emerged as the area hit hardest by the rogue trader crisis, with 2,298 complaints made in 2022 to date.

The South-East also had the most complaints in 2019 (5,786) and 2020 (5,387), with most complaints to date in 2022 relating to window frames and doors (367).

Conversely, the North-East of England appears to have the most trustworthy tradespeople, as only 749 complaints have been logged so far in 2022.

In fact, the North-East has had the lowest number of complaints made to the Citizens Advice Bureau every year since 2019.

The North-West had the highest number of complaints made in 2021, with 6,787.

Complaints Made by Region