Your rights when you hire a contractor
A short summary of your key consumer rights under the Lithuanian Civil Code. This is general information, not legal advice. Version of 7 October 2026.
You sign the contract with the contractor
įkurtuvės only passes on your request – we are not a party to your contract with the contractor. The contractor is responsible for the work, guarantees and invoices. Before you sign, check the company's name, code and address.
What the contractor must give you before the contract
In writing or by email: a description and scope of the work, the total price including taxes (you don't have to pay extra costs that weren't stated), payment and work deadlines, information about your right to cancel with a cancellation form, the guarantee and how disputes are handled.
14-day right to cancel
If you sign the contract in your flat (when the contractor visits) or remotely (by email or phone), you can cancel it within 14 days without giving a reason – a flat fit-out is not an exception. If the contractor didn't tell you about this right, you can still cancel for 12 months after the 14-day period ends. Exception: furniture made to your measurements or specifications (e.g. a kitchen or wardrobe) – the right to cancel doesn't apply to making it.
If you want work to start within the 14 days
The contractor may start only after receiving your clear request in writing (e.g. by email). If you cancel later, you pay proportionally for the work already done. If there was no such request, or the contractor didn't tell you about the right to cancel, you don't have to pay for work done during that period.
After the 14 days too
Until you accept the work, you can end the contract at any time by paying for the part already done. You don't have to pay for extra work that isn't in the contract. If the contractor supplies the materials, they can't raise the price because materials got more expensive after you signed. Work is paid for on handover; an advance only if you agree (except an advance for materials).
Defects
You can claim for defects within the statutory periods – usually up to 2 years, and up to 10 years from acceptance for defects in a building or installation that endanger life or health. For construction work the law sets longer guarantee periods (5 years, 10 for hidden elements). Don't agree to contract terms that shorten these periods.
Disputes
First write to the contractor. If you can't agree, contact the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (vvtat.lt) – it handles consumer–trader disputes out of court and free of charge.