Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor in South Africa

That's not a hiring process. That's a hope-and-EFT process.

Before you hire anyone in Johannesburg, Pretoria or Cape Town — geyser, rewire, bathroom renovation, drain unblock — you want answers in writing. Not vibes. Not "we'll sort it on site."

This is the list. Written-quote checklist. Deposit checklist. The questions that catch the job before it goes wrong. Every bad answer maps to the same fix: money follows work, in stages, in trust. That's how milestone payments work. Completo just runs that logic so you don't have to become the project manager from hell.

You stay in control.

Start here: written quote vs WhatsApp

Ask: "Will you put this in a written quote — PDF or email — with a scope, price, and dates?"

A voice note is not a quote. A "R85k bathroom" WhatsApp is not a quote. If they won't write it down, they won't stand by it.

Written-quote checklist

Your quote should show, in rands:

• Scope — rooms, fittings, what comes out, what goes in. "Renovate bathroom" is not a scope.
• Labour — what's included, what's hourly extras
• Materials — brand / spec where it matters (geyser model, tiles, sanitary ware, cable, DB gear)
• Rubble and making-good — skip, plaster, paint, cart-away. If it isn't listed, you'll pay for it later
• Certificates — electrical CoC, plumber paperwork / PIRB where it applies, waterproofing guarantee
• VAT — included or not. A R12,000 job that "excludes VAT" is R13,800
• Start date and finish date (or a window you can live with)
• Payment schedule — deposit %, each milestone, retention
• Who holds the money — their account, the supplier, or a trust / escrow arrangement
• Extras process — how variations get priced and approved before the work happens
• Snags — inspection, punch list, when the last payment moves

If three of those are missing, the quote isn't finished. Don't pay to "lock it in" while they "send the detail later."

What's actually included?

Ask: "Does this price include labour, materials, rubble, and the certificates?"

A geyser quote that is labour-only looks cheap until you buy the unit. A bathroom renovation that excludes waterproofing and skip hire is a second job wearing the first job's price.

Get it itemised. Not because you're difficult. Because "included" means different things to different bakkies.

For electrical work, the CoC belongs in the quote — see how to verify an electrician and electrician costs. For plumbing, ask about PIRB where it applies. Plumbing services are not "a guy with a wrench."

Deposit: how much, and who holds it?

Ask: "What deposit do you need, what is it for, and who holds that money until work starts?"

Deposit checklist

• Percentage — for most home services, 10–20% is a normal starting band. 50%+ before work starts is a pause, not a personality test.
• What the deposit buys — mobilisation, a specific material, a booking. "Because that's how I work" is not a reason.
• Supplier invoices — if they want more for materials, you want the invoice. Pay the merchant direct where you can. A bigger deposit into a private account "for tiles" with no invoice is still a blank cheque.
• Who holds it — contractor's personal account vs a trust / escrow arrangement. If the money is already spent, you have no leverage.
• When the rest releases — stages tied to checkable work, not "when I need cash for the next site."
• Retention — last 10–15% held until snags are closed and certificates are in.
• Refund if they don't start — get it in the quote. Hope is not a refund policy.

Cash only? Walk. No invoice, no leverage, no comeback.

Won't do milestones? Believe them. They want the risk to sit with you.

Dates, extras, snags, insurance, registration

Ask these out loud. Write the answers on the quote.

"When do you start, and when do you finish?" A window is fine. "Soon-soon" is not. Bigger renovations need a simple programme. A voice note is not one.

"How do extras work?" The honest version: you approve a written variation before the extra work. Price, days, materials. The dishonest version: every Friday a new invoice for work that "wasn't in the quote" — because the quote was "renovate bathroom."

"What happens at snag / retention?" You inspect. You list defects. The last slice stays put until the list is closed and the CoC / guarantees are in your hand. On Completo, SafePay builds in a 5-day inspection window once work is marked complete. Same mindset off-platform: don't release the last payment from the driveway.

"Do you carry public liability insurance? Can I see the schedule?" A verbal "we're covered" is not a schedule. You want the document.

"Are you registered for this trade?" Electrician: DoEL contractor letter and a registered person who can issue the CoC. Plumber: PIRB where it applies. Builder on a home: NHBRC is a different regulator — still ask. Don't accept an association logo as a substitute for the legal registration.

"Can I speak to two recent clients — same type of job?" Not their cousin. Not a Google review you can't place. A bathroom in Randburg is more useful than a five-star from nowhere.

Red flags table

If someone refuses any staged structure and wants most of the money upfront with no invoices, believe them.

SafePay is those questions, already answered

You can run this list with a spreadsheet and a spine of steel. Or you can use a system built for it.

On Completo, contractors are verified before they can quote — trade qualifications where required (electrical registration, PIRB for plumbers where that applies), references, profile. Ongoing re-checks are rolling out. Until that's fully live, the hard rule stays: credentials checked before they quote.

Then you pay into SafePay. That's escrow for home services:

• Funds sit in a TradeSafe trust account, Standard Bank as custodian
• Completo never holds or touches homeowner funds
• The contractor can see the money is secured — so they show up
• You release on approval, milestone by milestone on bigger jobs
• 5-day inspection window after work is marked complete; no action = auto-accept, so look at the taps
• Release typically within 24 hours of approval
• Dispute: freeze → Completo facilitates (non-binding) → under R20,000 Small Claims; over R20,000 AFSA

SafePay is free for homeowners. The 3.5% platform fee is built into the price you see. It works for a R1,500 drain unblock and a six-figure renovation.

Same questions as this page. You stay in control — without chasing EFTs at 9pm.

When you're ready: hire through Completo.

Related reading

• What is Completo?
• SafePay — payment protection
• How milestone payments work in South Africa
• How to verify an electrician in South Africa (CoC, DoEL & ECB)
• How to avoid contractor scams in South Africa
• Electrician costs in SA
• Plumbing services

Hiring a contractor — Frequently Asked Questions