Hiring tradespeople and builders

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain, including people with no local network and little Spanish. You will find reliable trades, understand what you are being quoted and charged, set up a works contract, and know what to do when something fails at once.

Start with "Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer". It shows you how to locate and check tradespeople before you need them, and the other pages build on it.

From there, go to the page that matches your situation:

• Prices and paperwork: "Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople".
• Something has just broken: "Burst pipe, power cut or lockout: what to do at once".
• A bigger job: "Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)".
• Professional roles for larger works: "Do you need an architect or technical architect (aparejador)?".

Disputes with a contractor, repair duties between landlord and tenant, and insurance claims are covered in other topics.

Key rules

• IVA on repairs: Ordinary repairs by plumbers and electricians carry 21% IVA, while renovation works on a dwelling can qualify for 10%.
• Cash limit: Cash payments to a tradesperson are limited to 1,000 euros per operation (2,500 euros if you are a non-resident without Spanish tax domicile), and splitting the payment does not avoid the limit.
• Builder liability: Builders are liable for 10 years for structural damage, 3 years for habitability defects and 1 year for finishing defects, counted from handover.
• Emergency number: Call 112 for danger to life, and use the 24-hour fault line printed on your bill for gas, electricity or water faults.
• Best source: Recommendations from neighbours, the porter, your ferretería or your administrador de fincas are more reliable than online reviews.
• Installer check: For electrical, gas or heating work, confirm the installer is active on your region's register before work starts.

Hiring tradespeople and builders: the whole process, step by step

• Check credentials and installer registration of each candidate (Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer): before you ask for quotes

• Book non-urgent work early, because many trades close for two to four weeks in August (Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer): well before summer; work not booked by July often slips into September

• Get written quotes and compare them (Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople): before you choose; most quotes state a validity of 15 to 30 days, sometimes up to 3 months for larger jobs

• Accept a quote in writing, so the price is fixed (Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople): within the validity period written on the quote

• For larger works, check whether you need an architect or aparejador before signing (Do you need an architect or technical architect (aparejador)?): before you sign a works contract

• Sign a works contract with scope, price, schedule and payment stages, including any retention of 5% to 10% (Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)): before work starts

• Handle a burst pipe, power cut or lockout at once, without waiting for quotes (Burst pipe, power cut or lockout: what to do at once): immediately; tell your insurer promptly, as many policies require notice within 7 days

• Ask for the factura and pay as agreed (Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople): when the work is finished

• Hold back the agreed retention until the handover and any defects are repaired (Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)): for the guarantee period of 6 to 12 months set in the contract

• Report building defects to the builder in writing (Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)): within 10 years for structural damage, 3 years for habitability defects and 1 year for finishing defects, counted from handover

Documents you may need

Income and work

• Proof that they are registered as self-employed — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer
• Up-to-date Social Security and tax certificates from a builder — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer

The home and the lease

• Written works contract — Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)
• Licence or permit — Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)

Payments and receipts

• A full factura from the tradesperson with an invoice number — Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople
• Itemised invoice showing labour and materials separately — Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)

Guarantees

• Civil liability insurance — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer, Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra)

Other documents

• The tradesperson's NIF or CIF — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer
• Installer authorisation — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer
• The installation certificate — Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer
• A written presupuesto from the tradesperson — Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Hiring tradespeople and builders: questions that cross several articles

Which papers should a tradesperson show me before starting work?

A tradesperson should show their tax ID, proof they are registered to trade, and civil liability insurance. For electrical, gas or heating work they also need installer authorisation from their region. Read Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer for how to check, and Do you need an architect or technical architect (aparejador)? for larger works.

Is an accepted quote binding on the tradesperson?

Yes, an accepted written quote is a binding contract, and a fixed price cannot be raised unless you agree to changes in the work. A merely estimated quote is not binding, and extras need your consent. See Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople, then Contracting a builder and paying in stages (contrato de obra) for bigger jobs.

Can I demand a factura from a tradesperson?

Yes, you can demand a factura for work done, and refusing is a tax infraction you can report to the tax agency. Without one you also lose proof for any guarantee claim. Quotes, call-out fees and invoices (factura) from tradespeople explains what it should show.

Which IVA rate will I pay on a repair or a renovation?

Ordinary repairs by plumbers and electricians carry 21% IVA, while renovation works on a dwelling can qualify for 10%. The reduced rate needs conditions such as a dwelling over 2 years old and a signed declaration to the contractor.

Can I get a plumber quickly in August?

Yes, emergency cover usually stays available in August through insurer assistance services and larger firms, but at higher prices. Non-urgent work is hard to book and may wait until September. See Burst pipe, power cut or lockout: what to do at once for urgent cases, and Finding a trustworthy plumber, electrician or builder as a newcomer for planning ahead.