Ask about scope breakdown, MEP, waterproofing method, who obtains permits, the programme, who runs the site day to day, how variations are priced, the payment schedule, retention, the defects period, insurance, and what happens if it overruns. How comfortably each is answered matters as much as the answer.
On price
1. Can I have this broken down by element, with quantities? A good answer is yes, here it is. A poor one is an explanation of why that is not how they work.
2. Does this include replacing the electrical board, circuits, pipework and AC? In a property over fifteen years old, the honest answer is usually that some or all of it needs doing.
3. How are variations priced? You want: from the rates already agreed, quoted and signed before the work is done.
On method
4. Is the bathroom tanking a membrane system, and will it be flood-tested? Yes and yes, for twenty-four hours, ideally photographed.
5. Does the flooring rate include levelling and movement joints? If the answer is vague, that is where a cheaper price is coming from.
6. Where does the kitchen extract terminate? They should be able to point at it on a drawing.
On process
7. Who obtains the permits and the community NOC? It should be them, as part of the works.
8. Can I see a written programme with each trade and the critical path?
9. Who is the named site manager, and how often will I get a progress report? Weekly, in writing, with photographs, is a reasonable standard.
On risk
10. What is the payment schedule, and what triggers each payment? Progress, not dates.
11. What retention is held, and what is the defects liability period? Typically five per cent and twelve months.
12. What happens if the project overruns? A contractor who has thought about this will have an answer. One who has not will tell you it will not happen.
About the price
Is this measured, and can I see the breakdown? What is excluded, in writing? Are MEP, waterproofing and its testing, making good after first fix, protection and waste removal included? Who pays the community and authority charges?
And the one that reveals most: how will a variation be priced? A contractor with an agreed rate schedule answers immediately. One without it says it will be reasonable, which is not an answer.
About the company
Is your trade licence current, and do its activities actually cover construction or fit-out work? Are your insurances current, and can I see them? Are you registered with the authority for this district — Dubai Municipality, Trakhees, DDA or another?
That third question stops projects more often than any other. A contractor who is not registered with the right authority cannot file your permit, however good they are.
About the work
Who will actually be on site, and are they your people or a subcontractor's? Who is the site supervisor and how often are they here? What is the programme, and what are the dependencies in it?
Ask what happens when something is found behind a wall. The answer tells you whether you are dealing with someone who has thought about risk or someone who will treat every discovery as a negotiation.
About afterwards
What is the defects liability period and what does it cover? Who do I call in month eight? What certification will I receive — electrical test results, commissioning records, pressure tests?
Documentation is the part nobody asks about and the part that matters at resale, at an insurance claim, and the first time something fails. Our guide to defects liability sets out what to expect.
| Question | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| Can I see the measured breakdown? | Here it is — immediately. |
| How will variations be priced? | Against the agreed rates in the bill. |
| Are you registered with the authority here? | Yes, with evidence. |
| What is excluded? | A written list, not a shrug. |
| Who supervises, and how often? | A named person and a frequency. |
| What certification do I get? | Test results, commissioning records, O&M. |
Related Questions
What if a contractor gets defensive about these?
That is useful information in itself. These are entirely ordinary questions on any commercial construction project.
A contractor comfortable with their pricing and process answers them without difficulty. Defensiveness usually means the question has landed somewhere uncomfortable.
Should I get these answers in writing?
Yes — and the important ones belong in the contract rather than in an email thread.
Scope breakdown, variation mechanism, programme, payment schedule, retention and defects liability all belong in the signed document, where they are enforceable.
What is the single most useful question to ask a contractor?
How a variation will be priced. A contractor working from a measured bill answers immediately, because the rates already exist. One working from a lump sum says it will be reasonable, which means it will be negotiated while your house is in pieces and your leverage has gone.
How do I check a contractor is legitimate?
Ask for the trade licence and check its activities genuinely cover construction or fit-out work — not all of them do. Ask for current insurance certificates. And ask whether they are registered with the authority for your specific district, because registration with one authority confers nothing with another.
Should I ask who is actually doing the work?
Yes, and it is frequently not the company you are talking to. Subcontracting is normal and not a problem in itself; what matters is who is accountable, who supervises and how often. A named supervisor with a stated frequency is a better answer than an assurance.
What should I ask about after completion?
The defects liability period and what it covers, who to contact when something fails, and what certification you will receive. Electrical test results, AC commissioning records and pressure tests all matter at resale and to an insurer, and they are far harder to obtain afterwards.
Is it rude to ask all this?
No, and a contractor's reaction to being asked is itself informative. Anyone working properly expects these questions and has the answers ready. Someone who treats them as distrust is telling you something useful before you have paid them anything.
What should the contract itself contain?
A defined scope with the measured bill attached, the payment schedule tied to progress, the programme with key dates, the variation procedure and rates, the defects liability period, and the exclusions. A contract that is a page long is not protecting either party.
Should I ask about retention?
Yes. Retention is a percentage held back until the defects period ends, and five per cent is normal. It is the practical mechanism that gets snagging done, because a contractor with nothing outstanding has little reason to return. Agree the amount and the release conditions before signing.
What if the contractor wants changes to my terms?
Negotiating is normal; refusing all protections is not. Pushback on retention, on progress-linked payments or on written exclusions tells you where their risk appetite sits. Reasonable adjustments are fine. A contractor who will not accept any of the standard protections is describing how the project will go.
What should I ask about the people on site?
Who supervises, how often they attend, and whether the operatives are the contractor's own or a subcontractor's. Subcontracting is normal and is not a problem in itself — almost every renovation uses specialist trades. What matters is that someone is accountable for coordinating them and is physically present often enough to catch problems while they are still cheap. A named supervisor with a stated attendance frequency is a far better answer than an assurance that someone will be around. It is also worth asking who you contact when the supervisor is unavailable, because that is the arrangement you will actually rely on.