"I know a guy" is the most expensive sentence in Zimbabwean construction.
We say this gently. Most of us have a relative, a former colleague, or a friend-of-a-friend who builds houses on the side. They are not always bad. Many are competent tradesmen. But hiring them as your contractor — with all the procurement, programming, and risk-management that real construction involves — turns a friendship into a financial dependency and almost always ends in tears.
This article is a checklist. Seven things you should verify before signing a contract for any build above $25,000.
1. Registration and compliance
Real contractors are registered with the relevant trade bodies and the tax authority. At minimum, ask for:
- CIFOZ membership (Construction Industry Federation of Zimbabwe). Not all good contractors are members, but membership is a baseline signal of seriousness.
- NSSA registration with current workers' compensation cover. Without this, you are exposed if a worker is injured on your site.
- ZIMRA tax clearance within the last six months. A current tax-clearance certificate is a strong signal of an above-board operation.
- NEC Construction Industry registration where applicable.
- PVC certificate if they hold one.
If any of these are vague or "in process for two years", treat that as new information.
2. The portfolio check
A real portfolio is not a WhatsApp folder of phone photos. It is:
- A document or web page with finished project photos.
- Addresses (street, suburb) for at least three of those projects.
- Names of clients you can call.
- Dates of completion. Recent matters.
Always call at least two of the referees. Ask them three questions:
- Did the contractor finish on programme?
- Were there cost overruns? If so, why?
- Would you hire them again?
A "yes" to question three from two clients is worth more than ten Instagram posts.
3. The quote check
A real construction quote is a line-item bill of quantities. Not a single number. Not "lump sum: $X". A proper quote has at least these line items:
- Preliminaries (site setup, hoarding, sanitation).
- Excavation & earthworks.
- Foundations (concrete, reinforcement, formwork, separately priced).
- Superstructure (block, brick, mortar, lintels, ring beams).
- Roof (timber, treatment, covering).
- Plumbing first fix.
- Plumbing second fix and fittings.
- Electrical first fix.
- Electrical second fix and fittings.
- Finishes (plaster, tile, paint, ceiling).
- Joinery (doors, windows, cupboards).
- External works.
- Provisional sums for items not yet specified.
- Contingency.
- VAT.
If a quote is missing any of these, you are not actually receiving a quote. You are receiving an opening offer in a negotiation that will keep being renegotiated, in your contractor's favour, for the next eighteen months.
The cheapest quote on the table is rarely the project that finishes well. Cheap quotes win because they leave things out. The things that are left out reappear later as "variations".
4. Contract terms that protect you
Your contract should have, at minimum, these clauses:
- Scope: Drawings and specification documents listed as appendices.
- Programme: A dated programme of works with phases and milestones.
- Payment milestones: Tied to certified work, not calendar dates. "30% on completion of roof" is acceptable. "30% on the 15th of June" is not.
- Retention: 5–10% held back for a defects-liability period (commonly 6 months) after practical completion.
- Defects liability period: Spell out who fixes what and within what timeframe.
- Variations process: All variations agreed in writing before being executed. Including cost.
- Dispute resolution: Arbitration or mediation clause, often through CIFOZ.
- Termination: Both for cause and for convenience, with clear handover protocols.
If your contractor pushes back on any of these, you have learned something. If they shrug because they "trust us", you have learned more.
5. Insurance
Three insurance products matter:
- Contractor's All Risks (CAR): Covers the works themselves during construction. Should be in place from site handover. Sometimes the owner takes this out; sometimes the contractor does. Negotiate which.
- Public liability: Covers third parties — passers-by, neighbours — injured by the works. Mandatory.
- Workers' compensation: Via NSSA. Covers injuries to workers on your site. Mandatory.
Get certificates of currency. Read them. The exclusions are often where the money is.
6. Payment structure
A reasonable payment structure for a residential build looks like:
- 10% on signing (mobilisation).
- 20% on completion of foundations.
- 25% on completion of superstructure to roof level.
- 25% on completion of roof and weather-tightness.
- 15% on completion of finishes.
- 5% on handover, released six months later after the defects-liability period.
Never pay more than 30% before any work has been done. Never pay against vague phrases like "for materials we are about to order". If the contractor needs more upfront cash than this, their business is undercapitalised — which means your job is funding their business. That is a risk you should be paid to take, and you are not being paid.
7. The handover checklist
When the contractor declares "practical completion", do not pay the final tranche until you have:
- As-built drawings showing what was actually built (often different to designed).
- Warranty certificates for roofing, waterproofing, appliances, fixtures.
- Certificates of occupation from local authority.
- ZESA and ZINWA connection certificates.
- Test certificates for electrical (megger), plumbing (pressure), and any specialist works.
- A signed snag list with dated commitments for each defect.
A handover without these is incomplete, no matter how nice the kitchen looks.
A short word about us
We try to meet every one of the above criteria visibly. NeftStroi Engineering is in the process of CIFOZ membership; we are NSSA-registered; we work to industry-standard contracts; we issue line-item quotes; we hold appropriate insurance; we lose pitches on price because we will not cut what shouldn't be cut.
If those qualities matter to you, we'd like to be on your shortlist.
