Booking a repair visit and agreeing the price

Terms used

• Presupuesto — The presupuesto is a written quote from the repairer, listing the work and the price before it starts.
• IVA — IVA is Spain's value-added tax, added to most prices.
• Factura — A factura is the official invoice you receive after the work.
• Mano de obra — Mano de obra is the labour part of a quote.
• Materiales — Materiales are the parts and materials used in the repair.
• Desplazamiento — Desplazamiento is the travel or call-out charge.
• Hoja de reclamaciones — The hoja de reclamaciones is the official complaint form that businesses must have available for consumers.
• OMIC — The OMIC is the local consumer information office, usually run by the town hall.

Key rules

• Call-out fee: A visit or diagnosis fee is only fair if you were told and accepted it before the visit.
• Arrival words: "Mañana" and "ahora voy" are not appointments, so ask for a two-time window.
• Written quote: Ask for a presupuesto that splits labour, parts and travel and says whether IVA is included.
• Emergencies: You can skip the quote in an emergency, but ask for an itemised factura afterwards.

Get the price and the time in writing

Agree the price and the time window before anyone comes, and put both in a message. A WhatsApp, email or SMS is enough. It is your best protection if the bill or the visit goes differently.

Ask about the call-out fee first

A tradesperson may charge a call-out or diagnosis fee even if no repair follows. That is allowed only if you were told the price and accepted it beforehand. The amount is not set nationally. Ask at the first contact, and keep the reply.

Some tradespeople give a free quote but charge for travel. Others charge a visit fee and deduct it if you accept the work. Ask which applies.

Decode the arrival words

Arrival words are loose. Do not treat them as appointments.

• "Mañana" means tomorrow, but it can mean soon or some day.
• "A primera hora" means early, roughly 8:00 to 9:30 the next working day. It can slip.
• "Ahora voy" means the person is on the way. That can be minutes or an hour or more.
• "Entre las 10 y las 12" is a window, often two to four hours. Arriving near the end is common.
• "Esta tarde" usually means after lunch, about 16:00 to 19:00.
• "Esta semana" is not a commitment.

Ask for a window with two times. Urgent jobs are usually kept. Scheduled ones can slip, so message the evening before or the morning of the visit to check they are still coming.

Read the presupuesto

A presupuesto is a written quote. You have the right to ask for one before work starts. It should split the cost into:

• mano de obra: labour
• materiales: parts and materials
• desplazamiento: travel, sometimes called "salida"

It should also say how long it holds (validez del presupuesto). Check whether the total is "con IVA", and whether it is a precio cerrado (fixed price) or por horas (hourly). IVA is typically 21% on repairs. A lower rate can apply to some renovation work in homes.

"Sin compromiso" means you have no obligation to accept. "A falta de ver" means the price may change once the person inspects the problem. Ask them to warn you before doing anything that changes the price.

In an emergency you can skip the written quote. Then ask for an itemised factura afterwards.

Confirm what was agreed

Send a short message with the work, the total, whether IVA is included, the date and time window, the address and what is excluded. Add access arrangements, payment method and any warranty (garantía) if they matter. A model message in Spanish:

"Buenos días, le confirmo el presupuesto: reparación de [fuga en el baño], precio total [X] euros, IVA incluido, materiales incluidos. ¿Le va bien el [jueves 23] a las [10:00]? Si surge algo que cambie el precio, ¿me avisa antes de hacerlo?"

Other useful lines: "¿Me puede confirmar por escrito el precio y la fecha?" and "¿Incluye desplazamiento y mano de obra?" End with "Le pido factura, por favor."

If there is a dispute

If you are charged a fee you never agreed, you can dispute it and ask for an itemised factura. Complaints go to the hoja de reclamaciones or your regional consumer office. Locally, that is the OMIC at your town hall.

The checklist, documents list and message templates below cover the same steps in more detail.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask for the call-out or diagnosis fee and a written presupuesto: before you book the visit

• Check the quote lists parts, labour and travel, and states how long it holds: before you accept it and before work starts

• Confirm price, IVA, date and time window in a written message: as soon as you agree

• Ask for an itemised factura: when the work is finished

Documents you need

• A written presupuesto (quote) from the repairer, before the work starts. It lists parts, labour and travel, and states how long the quote holds. For appliance repairs you get it unless you waive it in writing.

• A written or message confirmation of any call-out or diagnosis fee, sent before the visit, so you can show the fee was agreed.

• An itemised factura (invoice) after the work. It matters most when you skipped the quote in an emergency.

Checklist

• Ask for a written presupuesto that splits mano de obra (labour), materiales (parts) and desplazamiento (travel).

• Ask whether there is a call-out or diagnosis fee even if no repair follows, and get the amount in writing or by message.

• Ask for a time window such as "entre las 10 y las 12" instead of accepting "mañana" or "ahora voy".

• Ask how long the quote holds (validez del presupuesto).

• Send a message confirming the work, price, date, time window, address and what is excluded, and ask to be told before anything changes the price.

• Message the tradesperson the evening before or the morning of the visit to confirm arrival.

• Ask for a factura after the work.

What to watch out for

• A call-out fee you never agreed: A tradesperson may charge a call-out or diagnosis fee even when no repair follows, but only if you were told the price and accepted it beforehand. A surprise charge is the usual way a visit costs more than expected. Ask about the fee before the visit and get it confirmed by message. If you were charged without notice, dispute it, ask for an itemised factura and complain to your town hall's consumer office (OMIC) or ask for the hoja de reclamaciones.

• Extra work added without your say: Any work or charge you did not agree needs your consent, but it is easy to end up paying for extras if nothing was written down. Ask to be told before anything changes the price, and keep the confirming message as proof.

What if the repair person does not show or says tomorrow?

How to read vague arrival promises from Spanish tradespeople, and how to follow up, from a friendly nudge to a firm written deadline, when a repair person is late or does not show.

Treat vague timings as unconfirmed

A vague promise is not an appointment, so ask for a time and confirm it in writing. Urgent jobs are usually kept. Scheduled ones can slip. A short message the evening before or the morning of the visit is normal and not rude.

Here is what the common phrases usually mean:

• mañana means tomorrow, but often only "soon" or "some day".
• A primera hora means early, roughly 8:00 to 9:30 the next working day. It can slip.
• Ahora voy means the person is on their way. That can be ten minutes or more than an hour.
• Entre las X y las Y is a window, often two to four hours. Arriving near the end is common.
• Esta tarde usually means after lunch, about 16:00 to 19:00.
• Esta semana commits to nothing.

If the answer is vague, ask for a time: "Se indicó que vendría por la mañana. ¿Puede dar una hora aproximada?"

Follow up in steps, getting firmer each time

Use WhatsApp or another written channel, so you have a record. Keep every message.

1. Gentle: "Buenos días, ¿sigue en pie la cita de hoy a las 10?"
2. Reminder, after a miss: "Ayer se esperaba su visita y no hubo aviso. ¿Puede indicar otra fecha?"
3. Firm: "Es necesario que confirme hoy una fecha concreta. La espera comenzó el lunes."
4. Formal, with a deadline: "Si no hay respuesta antes del viernes, se buscará otro profesional o se presentará una reclamación."

Give a real deadline and then keep to it. If it passes, book someone else.

Do not pay for a visit that did not happen

If nobody came, there is nothing to pay. If the person did come, they can charge a travel or diagnosis fee only if you were told the price and accepted it beforehand. The amount is not set nationally. Without prior notice, you can dispute the charge and ask for an itemised invoice. If the dispute goes nowhere, complaints go on the hoja de reclamaciones or to your town hall's consumer office. To avoid the problem, agree any fee in writing before the visit.

Reliability and call-out practice vary by tradesperson and region, so agree the time and any fee in writing and check local rules with your town hall's consumer office.

WhatsApp messages to landlords, agents and tradespeople

Send these on WhatsApp, in text, and fill in the brackets. Each message is in Spanish, with a short note in English on when to use it.

Etiquette before you send

Start with a greeting, then say who you are and which property you mean. Use "usted" with landlords and agents unless they write to you with "tú". Tradespeople are often more informal, so you can match their tone.

Write between about 9:00 and 20:00. Avoid late nights and Sundays unless it is urgent. Reply within a day.

Voice notes are common in Spain, but type anything you are agreeing to. Written messages can serve as evidence later, so keep prices, dates and promises in text.

Report a fault to your landlord or agent

Use this for a non-urgent problem.

Buenos días, soy [nombre], el inquilino de [dirección]. Le escribo porque [la caldera no enciende]. ¿Cuándo podría venir alguien a revisarla? No corre prisa, pero le agradecería una respuesta esta semana. Gracias.

Swap the problem for one of these:

• Hay una fuga en el baño (there is a leak in the bathroom).
• Tengo una filtración del vecino de arriba (water is seeping in from the flat above).
• Hay una mancha de humedad / moho en [el dormitorio] (damp stain / mould in the bedroom).
• Ha saltado la luz y el diferencial no se queda subido (the power trips and the switch will not stay up).
• La persiana / la cerradura / el grifo no funciona (the shutter / lock / tap does not work).
• Estoy sin agua / sin luz / sin calefacción (no water / power / heating).

Report an urgent problem

Buenos días, soy [nombre], de [dirección]. Es urgente: tengo una fuga de agua y no puedo cerrar la llave. ¿Puede venir hoy, por favor? Gracias.

For a gas smell, do not wait for a reply. Leave the property, call 112, and write "huele a gas" only when you are safe.

Ask a tradesperson for a visit and a time

Hola, buenas tardes. Me llamo [nombre] y vivo en [dirección]. Tengo [un atasco en el desagüe de la cocina]. ¿Cuándo podría venir? ¿Me puede dar una hora aproximada? Gracias.

Useful follow-ups:

• ¿Cuánto tarda en llegar? (How long until you arrive?)
• ¿Cuánto tiempo se tarda en arreglarlo? (How long will the repair take?)
• ¿Incluye desplazamiento y mano de obra? (Does the price include travel and labour?)

Confirm the price and date in writing

Send this before the work starts. It should state the job, the total price, the date and what could change.

Buenos días, le confirmo el presupuesto: reparación de [fuga en el baño], precio total [X] euros, IVA incluido, materiales incluidos. ¿Le va bien el [jueves 23] a las [10:00]? Si surge algo que cambie el precio, ¿me avisa antes de hacerlo? Gracias, quedo a la espera de su confirmación.

The amount here is a placeholder, not a real price. Check that the message says whether IVA is included. Add the address, how they will get in, how you will pay and any warranty (garantía) if they matter for the job.

Other lines you can add:

• ¿Me puede confirmar por escrito el precio y la fecha?
• Quedamos entonces el [día] a las [hora].

Ask a landlord or agent to arrange a viewing

Buenas tardes, soy [nombre]. Me interesa el piso de [calle / referencia del anuncio]. ¿Sería posible verlo el [día] por la mañana o por la tarde? Quedo a su disposición. Gracias.

Say thanks and close the job

Muchas gracias por venir. Todo ha quedado bien. ¿Me puede enviar la factura por aquí, por favor?

If the problem comes back, reply in the same chat. That keeps the dates and what was agreed in one place.

Frequently asked questions

What does "ahora voy" mean when a tradesperson says it?

"Ahora voy" means the tradesperson is on the way, but the wait can be anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more. Urgent jobs are usually kept, while scheduled ones can slip. If you need to be home at a set time, ask for a window such as "entre las 10 y las 12".

Does "sin compromiso" on a quote mean I have to accept it?

No, "sin compromiso" means the quote is non-binding, so you have no obligation to accept it. Check whether a visit or assessment fee (visita de diagnóstico) applies. Some tradespeople deduct it if you go ahead.

How much IVA is added to a repair quote?

IVA, the Spanish VAT, is typically 21% on repairs in mainland Spain. Some renovation work in homes gets 10% under certain conditions. The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla have different indirect taxes. Look for "base imponible" (price before tax) and "total con IVA" (final price) on the quote.

Can I skip the written quote when the repair is an emergency?

Yes, in an emergency you can waive the written quote and let the work start straight away. Ask for an itemised invoice (factura) afterwards. If you are unhappy with it, take the complaint to your town hall's consumer office (OMIC).