Selecting the right contractor is never easy. Here is a checklist, though, that will save you both headaches and heartaches.

1. Don’t give large deposits.
2. Avoid cellular numbers only. Make sure you also have an office telephone number.
3. Has the business got a physical address? Do you know where it is? How long have they been in business?
4. Be careful of poor, shoddy or absence of signage on sites, vehicles, etc.
   Remember the old cliché:
   “ A business with no sign… is a sign of no business”
5. Unbelievable promises or guarantees which evidence from the market place fails to corroborate. That’s why they call them “Unbelievable!” (Don’t believe them!)
6. Offering of discounts if they can start straight away. What’s the rush? Whose leaving town then? If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. A little bit of planning goes a long way.
7. Do they use a ‘cost plus’ or a ‘market driven’ pricing structure? We recommend a ‘ cost plus’.
8. Have you seen their work in your area? Have you heard about them or do you see them operating, year in and year out, in your neighbourhood?
9. The credibility of the business should always be corroborated by reputable references.
10. Being a member of the “Brick Paving Institute” is a definite vote of confidence in their favour, for various obvious reasons. For more information, visit www.bpicape.co.za.

We could continue with this list by writing a book long enough to make "Gone with the wind" look like the "One minute Manager", but the above 10 points should suffice.

Construction of new PAVEMAN office block at 16 Pisces Crescent, Brackenfell Industria.
April to August 2005.