Most building disputes do not start on site. They start at the quote, when nobody wrote down what “the job” actually meant.
You are handing someone your home, your budget and several weeks of disruption. These are the questions worth asking before you accept a quote or pay a deposit, and the answers tell you more than the number at the bottom.
Are we all quoting on the same work?
Get three quotes and they will rarely cover the same scope. One includes rubble removal, another does not. One prices for waterproofing, another assumes you knew it was extra. The cheapest quote is often just the least complete one.
Ask what is included, what is excluded, who supplies materials, who removes the rubble, and whether plumbing and electrical work are in or out.
If it is not written down, it is not agreed.
Is this a fixed quote or an estimate?
There is a large difference, and it will show up on your final invoice.
Ask directly:
- Is this fixed, or will it move?
- What specifically could change the price?
- How do you price extra work once you have started?
- Are materials, labour and finishing all in this number?
- Is VAT included?
You are entitled to plain answers. A contractor who cannot explain his own quote without getting irritated is telling you how the next three months will go.
Who is actually running the job?
The person quoting is often not the person on site. Ask who supervises daily, who you call when something is wrong, and how often you will hear from them.
Most building problems are communication problems that were left too long.
When can you start, and how long will it take?
A contractor should give you a realistic timeline before you commit, not after. Ask what could delay it, hidden damp, material lead times, plumbing changes, council approvals, and whether those risks have been allowed for.
Anyone who promises a start date without checking their current commitments is guessing, and you will pay for the guess.
How are changes handled once you have started?
Changes are normal. You will see a tile you prefer. A wall will open up and show something nobody expected.
Ask how variations get priced and approved. The answer should be: agreed in writing, before the work happens. That protects both of you.
What checks happen before you call it finished?
Ask what “complete” means to them. There should be a walk-through, a written snag list, and items closed out before handover, not a phone call saying the team has left.
At FN we complete a detailed inspection before handover and record outstanding items on a signed completion certificate, so both sides agree what was done and what still needs attention.
What happens after you leave?
Ask what is covered, what is not, and how fast they respond. Vague reassurance is worth nothing in three months.
Every FN project is handed over with a signed quality certificate listing the workmanship items we cover, and we return for a free follow-up inspection 60 days later to check the work has held up. Covered defects found at handover or at that inspection are fixed at our cost.
Can I see work like mine?
Ask for projects similar to yours. A contractor with ten maintenance jobs and no bathroom renovations is not the right fit for your bathroom.
Also ask what their role actually was. Running a full project is a different skill from being one trade on someone else’s site.
Are you registered, and can you prove it?
Ask for numbers, not assurances. NHBRC registration, a valid COIDA Letter of Good Standing, and, if there is any asbestos on site, a registered asbestos contractor certificate.
Ours are published: NHBRC 4000022154, COIDA CF Reg. 990001226194, registered asbestos contractor 2026RAC/OHS-CI069 (Type 2).
One more thing worth knowing: renovations and alterations to an existing home generally fall outside NHBRC warranty cover. That is the law as it stands, not something a contractor chooses, and most homeowners find out far too late. We explain what you are actually covered for in Your Rights When Hiring a Builder in South Africa.
Are you insured, and can I see the schedule?
Registration and insurance are different things, and one does not imply the other. There is no law requiring a building contractor to carry Contractors All Risks cover, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
Your household policy will often not cover damage that happens while your home is a building site. If something goes wrong and the contractor carries no cover, the cost of putting it right has to come from somewhere, and that is usually a dispute you did not budget for.
Ask for the schedule, check that the period of insurance is current, and ask what the limits are. A contractor who carries cover can send you the document the same day.
Read more on what builder’s insurance covers, and what it does not.
The point of all this
You are not looking for the contractor with the best answers. You are looking for the one who does not mind being asked.
Planning work in Cape Town? Book a free Project Scope & Budget Direction Visit and we will walk the property with you, before anyone talks about money.