Thousands of Swedes have problems with craftsmen - so you avoid becoming one of them

The Swedish Consumer Agency handled over 4,000 cases linked to handyman services in 2025 and has already received over 2,500 cases up to August this year. This often applies to craft jobs that have gone wrong or are delayed.

But there are things you as a consumer can do to avoid problems and rogue craft companies.

- Check references and ask who is doing the actual work, says Kim Söderström.

By comparing different companies and quotes, you can avoid rogue construction companies, hidden costs and ultimately save money. It can cost a lot to try to save on hiring the cheapest company, something Kim Söderström warns against.

- It is unrealistic that as a consumer you expect quality results when you pay a lower price. If the price is too good to be true, it is very rarely true, says Kim Söderström.

According to the Swedish Consumer Agency's supervisor Erika Herrlin, the most common problem is that the parties only draw up a verbal agreement. As a consumer, you should be involved in writing the agreement and read it carefully. The larger the work, the more important it is that the conditions are clearly formulated.

- It is good that you write a special agreement in addition to the quote. Everything becomes more difficult if it is not in writing when it should be ready and if there is no price, says Erika Herrlin.

Both Erika Herrlin and Kim Söderström advise against paying in advance. Delaying payment is a type of pressure. If you haven't paid, you can withhold the amount until a possible error is rectified or make a deduction in the end if they don't.

If a work does not correspond to what was agreed upon or if it is poorly executed, you must complain as soon as you discover it, for example that it is painted in a different color than in the agreement or if the floor is laid in the wrong direction.

- Do not wait in any way, because then it will be more difficult, says Erika Herrlin.

In the first place, you can demand that the craftsmen correct or complete the work. If they don't, you can get help from someone else, but the original craftsman must have had a chance to correct the problem first.

- Set clear demands and push a little. If you get extra costs because you can't live there, then you can argue for compensation for that cost, says Erika Herrlin.

According to Kim Söderström, if you hire a non-serious company, it is not certain that there is any insurance. The customer can then himself become responsible. If the errors are due to the work not being carried out professionally, or unauthorized work having taken place, it is not certain that the insurance company will cover the costs.

The problems with rogue tradesmen are connected to a larger structural problem in the construction industry. The construction industry is bifurcated. Construction companies with collective agreements and self-employed personnel are under pressure from actors who use foreign labor for low-wage competition and use long chains of subcontractors.

- It is a huge problem. These are huge sums of money and the construction industry makes up a larger part of the black economy than extortion, prostitution and drugs do, says Kim Söderström.