Mendwell

Category: Questions answered

The questions people ask us before booking, answered plainly.

  • Deposits and paying a handyman: what is normal, and how we do it

    Yes, a deposit before a handyman starts is normal, but only in one situation: when the job needs materials the trade has to buy before the day. For a small labour-only job, most reputable handymen in Warwickshire expect nothing until the work is done.

    That is the short answer. The rest of this guide covers what the UK norm looks like, the warning signs that a deposit request is really a red flag, and exactly how we handle deposits and payment at Mendwell, including the part where our own deposit is higher than the figure Citizens Advice suggests as a guide.

    When is a deposit reasonable?

    A deposit is reasonable when it covers something the trade has to pay for before they have earned anything. Materials are the obvious case. If a job needs a new door, a run of skirting, fence panels or a tap, someone has to buy those things, carry them, and be out of pocket until the job is finished. A deposit shares that risk fairly.

    It is also common on bigger jobs where a trade has blocked out several days for you. If you cancel late, they have lost that time. A modest deposit shows you are committed and protects their diary.

    What a deposit should not be is a way of collecting most of the money before any work is done. Citizens Advice puts it plainly: avoid paying up front if you can, and if a deposit is needed for materials, try to keep it to around a quarter of the total. Paying in stages, with the final payment held until you are happy, is the pattern they recommend.

    What is the normal UK deposit for a handyman?

    For most handyman work there is no deposit at all, because most handyman jobs are labour with a few small parts. Where a deposit is asked for, trade directory hiring guides describe it as usual on larger jobs or where materials have to be ordered, agreed in writing, with the payment schedule clear before work starts.

    Ranges you will commonly see:

    • Small jobs (a few hours, minor parts): nothing up front, pay on completion.
    • Jobs with bought-in materials: a deposit roughly matching the material cost, often somewhere between a quarter and half of the total depending on how material-heavy the job is.
    • Multi-day or made-to-measure jobs (ordered doors, bespoke items): a larger deposit is common because those items cannot be sent back.

    Whatever the figure, it should be a percentage of a written quote, not a round number said out loud, and you should get a receipt for it.

    How does Mendwell handle deposits?

    We ask for 40% of the quote up front only when the materials on a job come to more than £60. Below that there is no deposit, and you pay on completion.

    We want to be straight about the 40%, because it is higher than the quarter Citizens Advice suggests. Here is why it sits there. We supply and carry materials as standard, priced against Wickes as the reference point for anything they stock. On a typical handyman job, materials are a large share of the total, so a smaller deposit would leave us buying your door or your fence panels mostly at our own cost before we have earned anything. The 40% is there to cover the materials and nothing more. The labour, which is most of what you are paying for, is not paid until the job is done.

    Three things go with that:

    • The deposit is always a percentage of a written quote you already have, after a free site visit. We do not price from photos, so there is never a deposit on a job we have not seen.
    • If you would rather buy the materials yourself, you can, and then there is nothing to cover, so no deposit. We will say plainly what changes: we cannot guarantee a material we did not choose, and a wrong or short delivery becomes a lost day.
    • Taking old materials away is a priced line on the quote if you want it, never something folded into a deposit.

    How and when do I pay the rest?

    The balance is paid on completion, by bank transfer. You see the finished work, we walk through it together, and then you pay. The same applies on the rare job done on our service rate (£80), which we steer people away from because it means turning up without a plan: nothing is paid until the work is done.

    Card and bank details never go in a message. If anyone claiming to be from Mendwell asks you to send card details over WhatsApp or text, or tells you our bank details have changed, stop and call us on 07472 281 663. Our details go on the written quote and invoice and nowhere else.

    What are the warning signs around deposits?

    The clearest warning sign is a request for a large sum of cash before anything is agreed in writing. Citizens Advice says to avoid traders who only take cash or want everything up front, because it is a sign they may be dishonest or unreliable. A few more to watch for:

    • No written quote, just a figure said out loud and a deposit asked for on the spot.
    • A deposit that is most or all of the price, with no explanation of what it covers.
    • A deposit asked for before you have decided to give them the job.
    • No receipt offered, or reluctance to give one.
    • A payment that leaves no trail, such as cash to someone whose surname, address and company number you do not know.

    A good sign is the opposite of each: a written quote, a deposit tied to a clear reason, a receipt, and a bank transfer to a named business.

    What are my rights if I pay a deposit and change my mind?

    If you agreed the work in your own home, you normally have 14 days to cancel and get your money back. Work agreed away from the trader’s premises, which includes your kitchen table, comes with a 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. If you ask for work to start inside those 14 days and then cancel, you can be asked to pay for the part already done and for materials bought at your request. Made-to-measure items are the main exception.

    If work is done badly, the Consumer Rights Act says it must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and you can ask for it to be put right or for money off. The Citizens Advice consumer service can contact Trading Standards for you if it comes to that.

    Who is this for, and who is it not for?

    This applies to homeowners, landlords and letting agents across Warwickshire and the counties either side. If you are further out, ask anyway; we would rather answer honestly than leave you guessing.

    It is not a guide to gas or electrical installation. We do not do that work ourselves.

    What to do next

    The visit and the written quote are free with no obligation. Book at mendwell.co.uk/book or call 07472 281 663. More guides at mendwell.co.uk/guides.

  • How high can my garden fence be without planning permission?

    In England you can put up a garden fence up to 2 metres high without planning permission, measured from ground level, and up to 1 metre high where it runs next to a road. Those two figures cover most gardens, but a handful of exceptions catch people out, and how the height is measured is where most questions come from.

    This guide goes through the rules as the Planning Portal sets them out, then answers the questions we get asked on site across Warwickshire: does the trellis count, does the gravel board count, and what if the ground next door is higher than mine.

    What are the rules for fence height without planning permission?

    Fences, gates and garden walls are “permitted development” in England, meaning you do not need to apply, as long as all of the following are true:

    • Next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of one, the fence, wall or gate is no more than 1 metre high from ground level.
    • Anywhere else, it is no more than 2 metres high from ground level.
    • If an existing fence, wall or gate is already taller than those limits, you are not making it any taller.
    • No part of the site is a listed building or within the grounds of one, and the fence does not form a boundary with a neighbouring listed building or its grounds.
    • The right to put up or alter fences has not been removed by an article 4 direction or by a planning condition on your house.

    The legal source is Schedule 2, Part 2, Class A of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. The Planning Portal page on fences, gates and garden walls is the plain-English version.

    Does 2 metres include the trellis on top?

    Yes. The limit is the total height of the means of enclosure from the ground, so a 1.8 metre panel with a 30 centimetre trellis on top is a 2.1 metre fence and is over the limit. If you want trellis, use a shorter panel underneath it so the whole thing stays at or under 2 metres.

    The same applies to a fence built on top of a wall. A half-metre brick wall with a 1.8 metre panel on it is a 2.3 metre boundary in planning terms.

    Does the gravel board count?

    Yes. A gravel board is part of the fence. A 150 millimetre concrete gravel board under a 1.8 metre panel gives you a fence just under 2 metres, which is why that combination is so common. Put a 300 millimetre gravel board under a 1.8 metre panel and you are over. Posts count too: a post standing proud of the panel is measured to the top of the post.

    What counts as ground level if the ground is not level?

    The Order says “above ground level” and does not say which side of the fence, or what happens on a slope.

    In practice, councils usually measure from the natural ground level at the base of the fence, not from a raised patio, decking or a soil bank built up against it. Where the ground is different heights on each side of the boundary, some councils measure from the higher side and some from the side the fence is built on. If your garden is a step up or down from next door and you want to go close to 2 metres, ask your council’s planning department in writing before you buy the panels. It settles the question.

    What counts as next to a highway?

    A road used by vehicles, or the pavement alongside one. A front garden fence facing the street is nearly always caught by the 1 metre limit, and so is a side boundary that runs along a road. A footpath with no vehicle access is not a highway for this purpose.

    Do listed buildings and conservation areas change things?

    Listed buildings, yes. If your house is listed, or your fence would form a boundary with a listed neighbour, permitted development for fences does not apply and you need to apply for permission before putting anything up, whatever the height.

    Conservation areas are different. Being in one does not on its own remove your right to put up a fence up to the normal limits. What it changes is taking one down: in a conservation area you may need permission to demolish a wall, fence or gate, particularly a wall over 1 metre next to a road or over 2 metres elsewhere. Warwickshire has a lot of conservation areas, so if you are replacing a boundary in an old village centre, call the council first.

    What is an article 4 direction?

    It is a council order that removes specific permitted development rights in a defined area, often to protect the look of a street. Where one covers fences, walls and gates, you need to apply for permission even for a low fence. Your council’s website will say whether your street is covered.

    What if I want a fence taller than 2 metres?

    Apply for householder planning permission through the Planning Portal, which shows the current fee. Councils do grant taller fences, for example where a garden backs onto a busy road, but they will weigh the effect on neighbours’ light and outlook.

    If you are unsure whether your plan is permitted, a lawful development certificate is a cheaper route: the council confirms in writing that no permission is needed, which helps when you sell.

    Is planning permission the same as my neighbour agreeing?

    No. Planning permission is about the council. Who owns the fence that is already there, and whether you can build on the line, is a matter for the deeds and your neighbour. A fence can be legal in planning terms and still be on the wrong side of the line.

    What we do

    We come and look before we quote, and the visit and written quote are free with no obligation. If what you want would take the boundary over the limit we will say so and suggest a combination that stays under it. Where a fence needs the council’s say-so we will tell you, but applying is something you do as the homeowner.

    We work across Warwickshire and the counties either side from Nuneaton. If you are further out, ask anyway. Book a visit at mendwell.co.uk/book or call 07472 281 663. More plain guides are at mendwell.co.uk/guides.

  • Can You Paint Over Old Paint, or Does It Need Stripping?

    Sometimes, yes, a fresh coat over the old one is perfectly fine. But once the paint has actually failed, painting over it just buries the problem for a year or two before it comes back, usually worse.

    How do you know if it just needs a fresh coat?

    If the existing paint is still sound, no flaking, no cracking, no bubbling, no thick built-up ridges, then a light sand to key the surface and a fresh coat over the top is honest, sensible work. It’s quicker, it’s cheaper, and there’s nothing wrong with it where the surface actually supports it. Plenty of windows and doors are exactly in this state and don’t need anything more.

    What are the signs it needs stripping back to bare wood?

    A few things point the same way:

    • Paint that’s flaking, peeling or cracking, sometimes described as alligatoring
    • Bubbling or lifting paint, which usually means moisture has got in underneath
    • Thick built-up layers from years of coat after coat, rounding off crisp edges and often the reason a window or door has started sticking
    • Soft or spongy timber when you press it
    • Bare patches already showing through where the old paint has let go on its own

    Any one of these is a sign the old paint has stopped doing its job, and a fresh coat on top of it won’t hold.

    Why we don’t just paint over it

    New paint is only ever as good as what it’s sitting on. Put a fresh coat over paint that’s already failing, and the fresh coat fails with it, often within a year or two, because it’s bonded to a surface that’s already coming away from the wood underneath. Painting over bubbling paint is worse still: it seals in whatever moisture caused the bubble in the first place, so it comes back, usually bigger.

    We look at the actual condition of the wood at a free site visit before we quote. We don’t price this kind of work from a photo, because the difference between a scrape and a full strip is exactly what decides what the job actually costs.

    What does doing it properly involve?

    • Scraping and sanding back to a firm, sound edge, or fully to bare timber where the failure is widespread
    • Filling any cracks and gaps
    • Priming the exposed wood
    • Two coats over that: an undercoat, then a proper exterior top coat
    • On older joinery, checking for soft or rotten sections while it’s open, rather than painting over a problem that’s only going to get worse underneath

    If we find something beyond what was quoted once a door or window is opened up, like a splice repair or a section of rot, we tell you before doing anything about it. It’s never just added to the job quietly.

    What makes it cost more

    The amount of old paint that has to come off is the biggest factor. A light scrape and key is quick. A full strip back to bare wood on years of built-up coats takes a lot longer, and the price reflects that. Beyond that:

    • More layers, more time
    • Larger areas, more of them
    • Anything found once it’s opened up, a soft section, a previous repair, rot
    • Access, a ground floor window is a different job to a second floor one

    Who this isn’t for

    If your windows and doors are relatively new, or the last repaint was done properly and the paint is still sound, you don’t need any of this. A wash down, a light sand and a fresh coat is the honest answer, and there’s no reason to pay for a full strip you don’t need.

    If you’re comfortable doing your own woodwork, scraping back loose paint by hand, sanding to a firm edge, and using a decent exterior primer and gloss is a job most confident DIYers can manage themselves, provided the timber underneath is actually sound. A heat gun or a chemical stripper speeds up heavier build-up. Do it outside, and take care with older paint that could be lead-based, particularly on a pre-1960s property.

    We visit and quote for free, with no obligation, and we look at the wood itself before saying what it needs. Book at https://mendwell.co.uk/book/ or call 07472 281 663.

  • What a written handyman quote should include

    A written handyman quote should tell you exactly what will be done, what will not be done, what it will cost, when it will happen and who is responsible if something goes wrong. If you can read a quote and still not answer one of those questions, it is not finished yet.

    Below is a checklist you can hold any quote against, ours included. It works whether you are in Warwickshire or anywhere else, and whether the job is one door or a week of small repairs.

    Why is a one-line quote a risk to me?

    A one-line quote is a risk because everything it leaves out gets decided later, usually on the day, usually in the trade’s favour. “Fit new door, £250” does not say whether the old door goes to the tip, whether the hinges are included, whether the edges will be painted, or what happens if the frame turns out to be out of square.

    There is also a legal difference between a quote and an estimate. Citizens Advice describes a quote as a fixed price the trade cannot change without agreeing extra work with you, while an estimate is only a rough figure. A one-line “quote” with no detail behind it often behaves like an estimate in practice, because there is nothing on paper to say what the price actually covered. The detail is what makes the price fixed.

    What should the scope say?

    The scope should list the work line by line, one item per line, in plain words. A good test is whether someone who has never seen your house could read it and know what to do.

    For a door, that means: remove existing door, supply new solid core door, hang on three hinges, fit latch and handles, plane and sand edges ready for decorating. For a fence, it means how many panels, how many posts, what the posts are set in, and what happens to the old ones.

    At Mendwell every quote follows a free site visit, because we do not price from photos. The visit is what lets the scope be that specific.

    What should be listed as excluded?

    The quote should say in writing what is not included, because those are the things people fall out over. The three that cause the most arguments are waste, decorating, and making good.

    • Waste: taking old doors, fence panels, carpet and packaging away is not automatically part of a job. On our quotes it is a priced line if you want it, and never included by default. If the quote does not mention waste, ask.
    • Decorating: fitting is fitting. We fit solid core doors with edges sanded smooth and ready for decorating, and we do not paint or treat door edges. Skirting is the same: fitting is one thing, filling and decorating is a separate priced option. A quote should say which side of that line it sits on.
    • Making good: if a job involves removing something, will the holes be filled, the plaster patched, the paint touched in? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Either is fine, as long as it is written down.

    Should the materials be named?

    Yes. A quote should name the materials well enough that you could look them up yourself: the door type, the panel style, the brand of fitting where it matters.

    We price supply against Wickes as the reference point for anything they stock, and we supply and carry materials as standard. You can supply your own if you prefer, and the quote should say plainly what changes if you do: we cannot guarantee a material we did not choose, and a wrong or short delivery becomes a lost day.

    Should it give a start date and how long the job takes?

    It should give a start date or a booking process, and a realistic duration. For us, a booked day means arrival between 9 and 10, and any job that needs more than one day is started on a whole clear day, never squeezed into a half day. Whatever the trade, you want to know when they arrive, roughly how long they expect to be, and what happens if it runs over.

    What should the payment terms say?

    The payment terms should say how much is due, when, and how. Look for three things: whether there is a deposit and what it covers, when the balance is due, and the payment method.

    Our terms are simple: where materials on a job come to more than £60, we ask for 40% of the quote up front to cover them. The balance is paid on completion by bank transfer. Card and bank details never go in a message; they go on the quote and invoice only.

    Should the quote mention insurance?

    Yes. A quote should say that the trade holds public liability insurance and for how much, and a good trade will show the certificate if asked. Public liability is what covers your home if something is damaged during the work.

    We hold £2,000,000 public liability cover with Hiscox, and any contractor working on our behalf must hold at least £2,000,000 before they step on site.

    What company details should be on it?

    A quote from a limited company should carry the registered company name and number. Gov.uk guidance says a limited company must show its registered name, company number, place of registration and registered office address on business letters, order forms and its website, and a quote is a business document. A sole trader will not have a company number, but should still give a full name and a postal address.

    Mendwell is the trading name of Life Assembly Limited, company number 13828942. You can look that up on Companies House in under a minute, and you should feel free to do the same for anyone who quotes you.

    How should changes be priced?

    Changes should be priced in writing before the extra work is done, with a line added to the quote rather than a figure added to the bill. Houses hide things, and sometimes a job genuinely grows. What matters is that you agree the change and the price first.

    If you already have a quote with none of this on it, a fair question to ask is: “Can you write that up with the exclusions and the payment terms?” A good trade will not mind.

    Who is this for?

    Homeowners, landlords and letting agents across Warwickshire and the counties either side. If you are further afield, ask anyway. This checklist is for general repair and maintenance work; gas and electrical installation are not things we do, and those quotes carry their own certification details on top.

    The visit and the written quote are free with no obligation. Book at mendwell.co.uk/book or call 07472 281 663. More guides at mendwell.co.uk/guides.

    Reviewed September 2026.

  • Can I replace an internal door but keep the frame?

    Yes, in most houses you can replace an internal door and keep the frame, and it is how the great majority of internal doors get replaced. The frame, or more often the lining, only has to come out when it is rotten, badly out of square, has a damaged rebate, or has been packed and shimmed so many times there is nothing sound left to screw into.

    What is the difference between a door frame and a door lining?

    Most internal doors in UK houses hang in a lining, not a frame. A lining is three flat boards fixed into the opening, with a separate thin strip called a door stop pinned on to give the door something to close against. A frame is heavier and has the stop cut into it as a rebate, and you tend to find frames on older doors, front doors and fire doors. People say frame for both and that is fine. Either one can outlast several doors, because it just sits there while the door does the work.

    When does the frame have to be replaced too?

    The frame has to go when the timber it is made of will no longer do its job. That is rarer than people fear, but these are the cases:

    • Rot. Damp at the bottom of a lining, usually beside a bathroom or an external wall, turns the timber soft. A new door screwed into soft timber will drop within a year.
    • Badly out of square. Every old opening is a little out, and a fitter takes the door to the opening. But if the head slopes noticeably or the legs lean, the door would need to be planed into a wedge to fit, and the gaps would show. At that point a new lining set plumb and level is the honest answer.
    • A damaged rebate or stop. If the stop has been prised off and re-pinned so often it is split, or the rebate on a proper frame has been chewed out by old locks and keeps, the door will never close cleanly against it.
    • Packed and shimmed too many times. Hinge recesses that have been filled with matchsticks, card and filler over the years eventually have no fresh timber for a screw to bite into. Longer screws through to the stud behind can rescue some; others are past it.
    • You want a different size of door. Widening an opening, or going from a standard door to a taller one, means a new lining regardless.

    If none of those apply, keep the frame. It saves the architrave, the plaster either side and the decorating that follows, which is most of the cost and mess of the job.

    What does fitting a door to the existing frame involve?

    Fitting to the existing frame means making the new door fit an opening that is not quite square, and a good fitter treats it as a small piece of tailoring rather than a swap. In order:

    1. Measure the opening at the top, middle and bottom, and check it for square and plumb. A door blank is bought slightly oversize and cut down to the opening, not the other way round.
    2. Take the old door off and look at the hinge recesses and the stop. This is where the decision above gets made, and it is why we visit before we quote rather than pricing from photos.
    3. Plane the new door to the opening, taking timber off both edges so the panel or the grain stays central, and leave an even gap all round of about 2 to 3 mm.
    4. Cut in the hinges. We fit three hinges to a solid door as standard, not two, because a solid core door is heavy and the top hinge on a two-hinge door carries most of that weight. Three hinges is why our doors do not drop.
    5. Fit the latch and handle, cut the keep into the frame, and set the door stop so the door closes without rattle or bounce.
    6. Sand the planed edges smooth, ready for decorating. We do not paint or treat the door edges; that is part of decorating, and you or your decorator do it with the rest of the door.

    Old doors stay with you unless taking them away is a priced line on the quote. Fitting a new lining as well adds removing and refitting architrave, making good the plaster, and a good deal more decorating, so it is worth being sure before you go that way.

    Can I do this myself?

    You can, if you own a decent plane, a sharp chisel and a square, and you are patient. The hardest parts are planing straight and cutting the hinge recesses to the right depth, and getting either wrong shows every time the door closes. A pre-hung door set avoids the hinge cutting but means replacing the lining, with all the plaster and architrave work that brings.

    What does it cost?

    A new solid core internal door supplied and fitted into the existing frame is around £205 to £225 all in with us. Our live guide at mendwell.co.uk/internal-door-cost keeps that figure current and covers what makes a door cost more. An opening that needs a new lining is priced separately after the visit. For a general picture, trade directory guides put UK labour for hanging a door at roughly £100 to £350, with the door on top.

    We price supply against Wickes as the reference point for items they stock, and we supply and carry the doors as standard. You are welcome to supply your own door; we say plainly what changes if you do, which is that we cannot guarantee a door we did not choose, and a wrong or short delivery becomes a lost day.

    Who this is not for

    If you have one plain door to change and the tools to do it, do it yourself. This guide should get you most of the way. If the frame is rotten or the opening is badly out, it is not a door job any more but a small carpentry job with plastering after it, and a photo will not tell anyone which it is, which is why our first step is always a visit.

    We work across Warwickshire from Nuneaton and into the counties either side. If you are outside that, ask anyway.

    Our visit and written quote are free with no obligation. Book at mendwell.co.uk/book or call 07472 281 663. More guides at mendwell.co.uk/guides.

    Prices reviewed September 2026.