Choosing a Main Contractor: 10 Vetting Criteria That Matter

The wrong main contractor costs more than every other procurement mistake combined. Use this 10-point checklist before signing — it filters out the expensive failures.

The 10 criteria

1. CIPC check. Confirm registration, age of company, director history, accounts filed on time. Phoenix companies (re-incorporated after liquidation) are red flags.
2. Insurance certificates. Public Liability R100m minimum, Employers Liability R200m statutory, Contractors All Risks for the project value, PI if they're designing. Get copies, check dates.
3. Accreditations. CHAS, SafeContractor, CIDB, CIDB Grade 7-9, MBA (Master Builders Association), NHBRC registered for new builds.
4. References. Three recent projects similar in scope. Visit them. Talk to the actual clients, not the references the contractor selected.
5. Financial strength. Run a credit check (R200–R600). Check for CCJs, late payments, dropping turnover.
6. Sub-contractor reliance. Ask which trades they self-deliver vs sub. Heavy sub-contracting on small jobs is a risk.
7. Programme realism. A 6-week extension that the contractor says will take 12 weeks tells you they understand the work. A 6-week extension promised in 6 weeks tells you they don't.
8. Detailed itemised quote. Lump sum quotes hide risk. Each trade and material itemised allows comparison and value engineering.
9. Contract proposed. JBCC Minor Works, JBCC Minor Works, or a similar industry contract. Bespoke contractor contracts usually favour the contractor.
10. Site manager assigned. Meet them before signing. They will run your job — not the salesperson who pitched it.

Red flags

• Cash discounts or pressure to pay outside the contract
• Reluctance to provide insurance details
• Down payment exceeding 10% of project value
• No itemised quote
• Strong objection to JBCC or industry contracts
• Mobile-only contact, no fixed business address
• Reviews concentrated within a short period (potentially fake)

MCFAR works alongside vetted contractors across South Africa. Ask us for recommendations on your project type.

Frequently Asked Questions