Twelve questions to ask a contractor before you sign

Before you get to price

Most clients open with cost, which is the one question every contractor is prepared for. These are the ones that actually reveal how a project will go.

• Are you NCA registered, in what category, and for what class of work? Then verify it independently rather than accepting the answer.
• Who will actually run my site day to day, and what else are they running? A site agent split across four projects is on yours one day a week.
• How many projects do you have on site right now? Overcommitment is the most common reason good contractors deliver badly.
• Can I visit a live site of yours, unannounced? A contractor confident in how their sites are kept will say yes without hesitating.

On price and scope

• Will you price against a measured bill of quantities? If the answer is a single lump sum on one page, you cannot compare tenders and you cannot price a change fairly.
• What is explicitly excluded? Ask for the exclusions in writing. This is where cheap quotations hide.
• How will variations be priced and agreed? The right answer is: quoted in writing, approved by you before the work is done, against rates agreed at contract stage.
• What contingency have you assumed, and for what? A contractor who has thought about what might go wrong on your specific site will have a specific answer.

On programme and payment

• What is the programme, and what are the three things most likely to delay it? Vagueness here predicts vagueness later.
• How and when do you expect to be paid? Payment should follow measured work completed, typically monthly, certified by your architect or quantity surveyor. Be cautious of large upfront demands.
• What is the defects liability period, and what does it cover? There should be a defined period after handover during which the contractor returns to put defects right at their cost.
• What insurance do you carry, and can I see the policy? Contractor’s all-risk and workmen’s compensation cover, current and in the company’s name.

The signals worth walking away from

Some answers should end the conversation regardless of price:

• Reluctance to put the quotation in writing, itemised.
• A demand for a large cash payment before any work begins.
• No willingness to name a site agent or let you visit a live site.
• A price far below every other tender, with no explanation of how.
• Pressure to decide immediately, or a price described as expiring within days.
• No written contract offered, or resistance when you ask for one.