Before you let anyone onto your property or pay a cent, check that they are registered with the right body, and know which certificates to demand when the work is done. The official databases are free to search, a legitimate contractor will show you their registration certificate on the day, and the certificates of compliance (CoCs) are your proof that regulated work was done by a licensed person. This guide shows you who to check and what to demand.
The databases to check before you hire
Each trade has its own regulator with a public register. Use these before you engage anyone:
- CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) regulates construction contractors. Check the Register of Contractors at cidb.org.za. There are also third-party lookups such as gradecheck.co.za.
- NHBRC (National Home Builders Registration Council) regulates new home builders. Search "Registered Builders" at nhbrc.org.za, or call 0800 200 824.
- PIRB (Plumbing Industry Registration Board) registers plumbers who can issue a plumbing CoC. Verify at pirb.co.za.
- SAQCC Gas (South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas) registers gas practitioners for LPG and natural gas. Search the national database at saqccgas.co.za.
- DEL (Department of Employment and Labour) registers electrical contractors and registered persons. Contact DEL via labour.gov.za.
- PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority) registers security service providers, alarm installers and locksmiths. Check psira.co.za or call 086 133 3850.
Ask the contractor to show you their registration certificate at your first meeting. A legitimate contractor will have these to hand. An NHBRC certificate is valid for 12 months, so ask to see the current renewal certificate, not an expired one.
Which CoCs to demand on completion
A certificate of compliance (CoC) is your proof that regulated work was done correctly by a licensed person. Demand the right one for the work, and insist on the original or a digital certificate, not a photocopy.
- Electrical installation: an electrical CoC under the Electrical Installation Regulations 2009 (Occupational Health and Safety Act). It must show a unique CoC number, the registered contractor and registered person licence numbers, the date of issue, the property address, and the issuing person's signature.
- Plumbing (new or altered work): a plumbing CoC, issued by a PIRB-registered licensed plumber. It is required in the City of Cape Town and many other municipalities, and is becoming standard nationally. It covers potable water, drainage and, where relevant, hot water systems.
- Gas installation: a gas CoC under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, issued digitally through the SAQCC Gas App. Since 2023 it carries a real-time QR code, plus the practitioner's SAQCC registration number and category.
- Electric fence: an EFC (Electric Fence System Certificate), issued by a DEL-registered Electric Fence System Installer. It shows the installer's registration number, the date, the property address, and references the SANS 10222-3 standard.
The EFC is separate from the electrical CoC. If your property has an electric fence, you need both.
If a contractor offers to install regulated work without issuing a CoC, or says one "is not required" when it clearly is, walk away. Without a valid CoC you can be held liable if something goes wrong, and your insurer may reject a claim.
Red flags
- Cannot or will not show a registration certificate. Delays and excuses are a warning sign.
- Says a CoC "is not needed" for electrical, plumbing, gas or an electric fence. Regulated work always needs one.
- Only offers a photocopy of a certificate, or a CoC number you cannot verify on the regulator's database.
- An expired NHBRC certificate. Registration must be current, not last year's.
Common mistakes
- Hiring on a friend's recommendation alone without checking the public register yourself.
- Accepting the work as finished before the CoCs are in your hand. Hold final payment until they are.
- Forgetting the electric fence. A property with an electric fence needs an EFC on top of the electrical CoC.
- Assuming one trade can sign off another's work. An electrician cannot issue an electric fence EFC, for example. Each certificate comes from its own registered installer.
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