How to Choose a Construction Company in Uganda

Part of our guide to Construction Companies in Uganda

To choose a construction company in Uganda, check that it is registered, visit buildings it has built, compare detailed quotes priced from the same drawings, and agree everything in a written contract with payments tied to finished stages. This guide takes you through each step, with the questions to ask and the warning signs to watch for.

We are a construction company ourselves, so we have written this as a checklist you can use with any company, including us.

Step 1: Know what you want to build

A company can only quote for what it understands. Before you call anyone, write down the type of building, the number of floors, the size, the location, the finishes you expect and your target date. If you have drawings, keep them ready. If you do not, the first step is an architect, not a contractor. Read the order of the building process for the order of the process.

Step 2: Check the company is registered

Ask for the certificate of incorporation and confirm the company with the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). A real company will give it without hesitation. A name on a signboard or a phone number is not a registration.

Step 3: See their work

Ask to visit buildings the company has built, and finished ones as well as sites in progress. Look at the finishes: straight walls, even plaster, tight joints, a roof without stains. Speak to the owner if you can. Photos help, but a visit tells you more. You can see photos of our own building work in our projects.

Step 4: Meet the person who will run your site

The company that signs the contract and the person who manages your site are not always the same. Ask who the site manager or foreman will be, how often the company’s engineer visits, and who you call when something goes wrong.

Step 5: Compare detailed quotes

Ask two or three companies to price the same drawings in a bill of quantities (BOQ). Compare them line by line, not only the totals. Look for:

• a quantity and a rate for every item;
• the material specifications, such as the grade of cement and the type of roofing sheet;
• what is excluded, such as approvals, external works and connections;
• whether the price is labour only or labour and materials.

A very low total usually means something is missing or the specification is lower. Read the bill of quantities guide.

Step 6: Get a written contract

The contract is your protection. It should state:

• the scope of work and the drawings it refers to;
• the price and what happens if the scope changes;
• the payment stages, linked to completed work;
• the start date, the programme and the completion date;
• who handles defects after handover and for how long.

Do not start on a verbal agreement.

Step 7: Pay against progress

Pay for completed stages, such as the foundation, the slab or the roof, after you have seen the work. Avoid paying a large share up front. Keep receipts for every payment.

Warning signs

• The company cannot show a registration certificate.
• It will not give a written, itemised quote.
• It asks for a large payment before any work is done.
• It cannot show completed buildings.
• It pressures you to sign quickly.
• The price is far lower than the others, with no explanation.

For what companies should and should not promise, see construction companies in Uganda.

Frequently asked questions