Paper sets out to detect and explore underlying causes of increasing uncertainty and lack of transparency in the home maintenance sector. The study gives an account of owner-occupiers' experience on the standards of work they encounter with small-scale domestic traders. Part one of the study focuses on the consensus ranking of 13 building maintenance standards or attributes that owner-occupiers expect from builders, whilst part two focuses on the contrast between expectations and the actual standards that owner-occupiers observe from builders. The application of nonparametric statistical techniques enabled the study to discover a concensus on what defines expectations and how these differ from observed standards. The final inventory generated on standard attributes is essential information for existing builders, new entrants in the domestic sector and can be used to inform housing regeneration professionals and agencies involved in the design and management of schemes for small scale builders. Diagrams, tables and references. [Taken from journal abstract]