The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 give a 14-day right to cancel distance and off-premises contracts, which include many contracts signed at your home, but they exclude goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised.

Where the right to cancel applies

Regulation 29 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 lets a consumer cancel a distance or off-premises contract within the cancellation period without giving a reason. The Regulations extend to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so the rules discussed apply UK-wide. An off-premises contract includes one concluded in the simultaneous physical presence of the trader and the consumer in a place that is not the trader’s business premises, such as your home, and certain contracts following an offer or personal approach outside business premises. A contract signed at a showroom on the trader’s premises is an on-premises contract, so this statutory right does not apply, although your contract may give its own terms.

Regulation 29 says cancelling does not make you liable for anything except under a short list of provisions, covering enhanced delivery you chose, reduced value of goods through handling, the cost of returning goods and payment for a service supplied early at your request. It also says you can withdraw an offer to enter into such a contract at any time before the contract is made, without giving a reason and without liability.

How long you have

For a service contract, regulation 30 says the cancellation period ends at the end of 14 days after the day the contract is entered into. For a sales contract, it ends 14 days after the goods come into your physical possession. A conservatory agreement often combines supplying the structure with installing it, so which rule fits your contract is worth checking before you rely on a date. If in doubt, act within 14 days of signing and take advice from Citizens Advice or your local Trading Standards service.

Regulation 30(5) adds that where goods consisting of multiple lots or pieces are delivered on different days, the period for a sales contract ends 14 days after the last piece comes into your physical possession, which is relevant to structures delivered in parts.

If you were not told about your right

Regulation 31 extends the period if the trader does not give you the required information on the right to cancel. If the trader provides the information within 12 months of the start of the 14 days, the period ends 14 days after you receive it. Otherwise it ends 12 months after the day it would normally have ended. Keep the paperwork you were given at signing and note whether it contained a clear cancellation notice.

Starting work early

Regulation 36 says a trader must not begin the supply of a service before the end of the cancellation period unless you have made an express request, and, for an off-premises contract, made that request on a durable medium. If you cancel after asking the trader to start early, you must pay an amount in proportion to what has been supplied up to the point you tell the trader, calculated on the agreed total price or, if the price is excessive, on the market value of the service. You bear no cost if the trader failed to give the required information on cancellation and payment or if the service was not supplied in response to your request. You lose the right to cancel if the service has been fully performed after your request and your acknowledgement that you would lose the right.

The personalised-goods exception

Regulation 28(1)(b) says the cancellation right does not apply to the supply of goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised. Whether that exception applies to a particular conservatory contract, which may cover bespoke components and also installation, depends on the terms and facts, so do not assume either way. Ask the trader in writing how they classify the contract and which parts are custom-made, and seek independent advice if you are told you cannot cancel. Regulation 28 also excludes contracts where you specifically requested an urgent repair visit, which is unlikely to apply to a new conservatory order.

FAQs

What if I signed in the showroom?

The statutory cancellation right applies to distance and off-premises contracts. A showroom contract is an on-premises contract, so check your written terms for any contractual right to cancel.

Do I have to give a reason for cancelling?

No. Regulation 29 says you may cancel at any time in the cancellation period without giving any reason and without liability except under specified provisions.

Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Yes. The Regulations extend to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, although court procedures differ in each nation.

Bottom line

If you signed a conservatory contract at home, note the date immediately, check what you were told about cancelling, and be careful about agreeing to an early start. Whether the personalised-goods exception applies can be contested, so take advice before assuming you are locked in. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 20 September 2026:

• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, regulation 5”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 29”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 31”
• legislation.gov.uk, “The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36”

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Compare Conservatories is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not legal or planning advice on any specific property — always confirm requirements directly with your local planning authority.