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Do I have a cooling-off period for trade work?

The short answer

Agreements made through unsolicited contact, such as door knocking or an uninvited phone call, carry a cooling-off period under Australian Consumer Law. A contract you sought out yourself generally does not.

TradieAnswers editorial · written in-house and sourced to the authorities listed below

Checked against 6 published sources, listed in full at the end of this page. How we source this

Australian Consumer Law treats unsolicited consumer agreements differently from ones you went looking for. If a salesperson approached you, uninvited, at your home or by phone, and the agreement is above a low value threshold, specific protections apply.

What applies to an unsolicited agreement

  • A cooling-off period during which you can cancel without penalty.
  • Restrictions on when the trader may contact you, including permitted hours.
  • A requirement that the agreement be in writing, given to you, and that it clearly sets out your cancellation rights.
  • Restrictions on supplying and on accepting payment during the cooling-off period for higher value agreements.

What does not have one

If you searched for a contractor, requested a quote and then accepted it, there is generally no statutory cooling-off period. That is not a gap in the law so much as the point of it: the protection exists because unsolicited approaches deny you the chance to compare and consider.

How to cancel

Do it in writing, within the period, and keep proof of sending. State clearly that you are cancelling the agreement. If you have paid, the trader must refund you. If they have supplied goods, they must collect them and you are not required to pay for the collection.

Sources

Every source below was fetched and its response recorded on the date shown. Where a government site blocks automated clients, that is noted rather than reported as a successful check.

  1. Consumer rights and guarantees · Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  2. Contracts · Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  3. Competition and Consumer Act 2010 · Federal Register of LegislationChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  4. NSW Fair Trading · NSW Fair TradingChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  5. Building and renovating · Consumer Affairs VictoriaChecked 2026-08-10 · responded 200 OK
  6. NT Consumer Affairs · Northern Territory GovernmentChecked 2026-08-10 · live, but blocks automated clients so the specific page could not be confirmed

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