Red flags when hiring a builder in Spain

Is the quote a total with no breakdown?

A quote that reads “bathroom renovation” followed by a single figure tells you almost nothing. You cannot compare it, you cannot check what is included and you have nothing to refer to if the scope is questioned. It is the single most common feature of renovations that go wrong.

Ask for an itemised quote — por partidas — with each task, unit and quantity. A builder who cannot or will not provide one is either not planning the job in detail or prefers to keep the scope flexible in their favour. Either way, it is a reason to look elsewhere. Our contract and quote guide shows what a complete quote looks like.

Are you being asked for most of the money up front?

A deposit to secure a start date or order made-to-measure items is normal. A request for most of the total before work begins is not. It shifts all the risk to you: if the builder disappears or the job stalls, you have paid for work that has not been done.

Stage payments linked to completed phases protect both sides. Equally, be cautious about requests to pay in cash, to pay into a personal account in another name, or to skip the invoice “to save the VAT”. Apart from the legal issues, an unpaid-for invoice is also an unprovable payment if something goes wrong.

Is it unclear who the business actually is?

Before you sign, a business must tell you who it is: name, trading name, full address and telephone. In Spain that means a registered company or a self-employed trader (autónomo) with a tax ID that appears on quotes and invoices. If you cannot find a physical address, if the name on the quote differs from the name on the bank account, or if the only contact is a mobile number, ask more questions.

Ask also about insurance. A builder working in your home should hold public liability cover, which protects you and your neighbours if something is damaged during the job, for example by a leak into the flat below. It is reasonable to ask for confirmation, and a reasonable builder will provide it.

Are the electrical and gas answers vague?

Electrical and gas installations in Spain must be carried out by installers authorised for that work, who issue the documentation the installation requires. Ask any builder who will do this part of your job. Acceptable answers are “our own authorised installer” or, as in our case, “authorised partner installers who work under our coordination”.

Unacceptable answers are “our electrician does it, no paperwork needed” or a shrug. Electrical work without the right documentation can cause problems with your supply contract, your insurance and a future sale, quite apart from safety.

Is the builder clear about what they do not do?

A trustworthy builder knows the limits of their scope and says so. Ask directly: do you prepare technical projects? Do you apply for licences? Do you remove asbestos? Do you install air conditioning? There is nothing wrong with a builder who does none of these. There is something wrong with one who claims to do everything and has nobody qualified for half of it.

We are explicit about our own limits: we do not provide technical projects, licence applications, energy certificates, asbestos removal, pools, new-build work or air-conditioning installation, and we refer structural questions to an architect. Hearing that kind of clarity early is a good sign, whoever you hire.

What other warning signs are worth noticing?

• Pressure to start immediately, often with a discount that expires.
• No questions about the property: a quote from a single photo, with no interest in the services, the community or access.
• Dismissing paperwork: “nobody files anything for a bathroom”.
• No written guarantee, or a guarantee that exists only verbally.
• No exclusions: a quote that seems to include everything usually defines nothing.
• Only finished photos, never work in progress.

For a structured way to check a builder, see our builder checklist. To see how we work, our turnkey renovation page and our full renovation page set out the process and the paperwork.