Terms and conditions for a seamstress and alterations business

An alterations business is entrusted with other people's clothes, often the most expensive garment they own, on a deadline set by an event. The terms have to say who bears the risk of a fabric that behaves unpredictably, what happens when a fitting is missed, and what you may do with a garment that is not collected. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Seamstresses, tailors doing alterations, bridal alteration specialists and repair services in England and Wales, working from a studio, a shop or from home. Almost all customers are consumers, with occasional business customers such as bridal shops, dry cleaners and theatre companies who send work to you.

What matters in alterations terms

Garments in your care

You are responsible for taking reasonable care of every item while it is with you, and the terms should say what that means in practice: how items are recorded on receipt, that existing damage, weak seams and prior alterations are noted and not your responsibility, and that fabric which shrinks, marks or frays when worked is a risk of the fabric rather than a failure of your work. A written condition note at drop-off settles most disputes in advance.

Fittings, deadlines and the customer's part

Alterations depend on the customer turning up, at the agreed weight, with the shoes and underwear they will wear. The terms should make fittings the customer's responsibility, say that a missed fitting moves the completion date and may be charged, and that a change in the customer's measurements after the final fitting is new work at a new price. Wedding deadlines should be agreed in writing with a cut-off after which rush charges apply.

Bespoke work and the right to cancel

Where you make a garment to the customer's measurements, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 exclude goods made to the consumer's specification from the cancellation right, but only if the order paperwork records what was agreed. Alterations are a service, so a job booked by phone or online carries a cancellation right until work starts at the customer's express request. The terms and your order form should deal with both.

Results, refunds and the limits of the possible

Not every garment can be made to fit, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires reasonable care and skill, not a perfect outcome. The terms should say that you will advise before starting whether an alteration is achievable, that a garment altered against your advice is at the customer's risk, and that remedies for work not done with reasonable care start with putting it right. Retail fabric and haberdashery you sell carry the goods rights under the same Act.

Uncollected items, payment and business customers

Garments left for months take up space and become a liability. The terms should set a collection period, a storage charge and a notice process under section 12 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 before an item is sold or disposed of, and should make payment due on collection with the deposit taken on order. For bridal shops and other business customers, the terms should provide for invoicing, a liability cap and interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A customer's dress was damaged in my studio. What does the customer get?

If the damage was caused by a failure to take reasonable care, you are liable for the loss, and the terms cannot exclude that against a consumer. What they can do is require the customer to declare the value of high-value items in advance and to insure them, and limit what you pay for an undeclared item to a reasonable sum.

Can I charge for a fitting the customer missed?

The terms can provide for a charge where a fitting is missed without notice, provided it reflects the time lost rather than punishing the customer. A stated reschedule fee is more likely to be paid than a dispute after the event.

What if the customer changes their mind about a bespoke garment after I have cut the fabric?

Where the garment is made to the customer's measurements and the order form says so, the cancellation right does not apply and the terms can make the customer liable for the work done and materials used. The order form has to record the specification for that to hold.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a dry cleaner and laundry
• Terms and conditions for a bespoke tailor

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.