Have Something Done: When Someone Else Does It For You
The structure English uses when you arrange a service rather than do the work yourself — and how it differs from the plain past.
I cut my hair and I had my hair cut describe very different afternoons. This structure is how English distinguishes them.
The form
have / get + object + past participle
I had my car serviced.
She got her passport renewed.
We're having the kitchen painted.
The person doing the work is usually not mentioned — that is the point of the structure.
Why it matters
I painted the house. (I held the brush)
I had the house painted. (I paid someone)
Using the plain active where the causative belongs claims work you did not do, which in a professional context is a real misrepresentation, not just a grammar slip.
Have or get?
They are interchangeable in most contexts. Get is slightly more informal and often implies more effort on your part to arrange it.
I need to have these documents translated. (neutral)
I finally got the boiler fixed. (after some trouble)
Across the tenses
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| present | I have my hair cut every month. |
| past | We had the roof repaired last year. |
| present perfect | She has had her eyes tested. |
| future | I'll have it delivered. |
| modal | You should have it checked. |
Questions and negatives use do as normal, which produces the slightly odd-looking but correct do you have… done:
- Where do you have your hair cut?
- We didn't have the car serviced this year.
The unpleasant meaning
The same structure describes something bad that happened to you, with no arrangement involved:
He had his wallet stolen.
They had their flight cancelled.
Context decides which reading applies: nobody arranges to have their wallet stolen.
have someone do vs have something done
I had the plumber fix the leak. (naming the person — bare infinitive)
I had the leak fixed. (not naming them — past participle)
The neighbouring structures
Four verbs all describe getting someone else to act, and they differ in how much force is involved.
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have someone do | arrange it, by authority | I had the assistant book it. |
| get someone to do | persuade them (note the to) | I got my brother to help me. |
| make someone do | force them | They made us wait an hour. |
| let someone do | allow them | She let me borrow the car. |
Only get takes to; the other three take the bare verb.
Why English bothers with all this — the causative separates who wanted it from who did it. Once you can mark that difference, you can describe a whole working life accurately: arranging, delegating, being forced, and being allowed.
The informal shortcut: need + -ing
In speech, an active -ing form often replaces the passive here:
- The car needs washing. (= needs to be washed)
- These shirts need ironing.
Sorting out a flat before guests arrive
A: Is the boiler fixed?
B: I'm having it looked at on Thursday. I got the landlord to call someone finally.
A: And the window someone broke?
B: We had that replaced last week. The carpet still needs cleaning, though.
Arrangement, persuasion, misfortune and the informal needs cleaning — all four in one exchange.
Test yourself
The quiz below checks the form and the meaning distinction.