How to Check a Construction Contractor in India Before You Sign: A Practical Checklist

Every contractor's brochure says "quality, safety, on time". The difference between contractors shows up in documents you can check — and most of them can be verified online in a few minutes. If a bidder hesitates to share them, that tells you something too.

This checklist is what we would want a client to ask us for. Where it helps, we have used Parag Technobuild's own registrations as examples, so you can see what a complete answer looks like.

1. Is it a registered company?

Ask for the Corporate Identification Number (CIN) and check it on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal. The record shows the company's legal name, date of incorporation, registered state and whether it is active. A private limited company also files annual returns, which gives you some confidence about continuity.

Example: Parag Technobuild Private Limited — CIN U70109UP2016PTC088568, incorporated in Uttar Pradesh in 2016.

2. Is it GST-registered where your project is?

A contractor working in your state should normally hold a GST registration there, which you can verify by searching the GSTIN on the GST portal. Registrations in several states also show that a contractor genuinely works outside its home state.

Example: PTPL holds GST registrations in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, West Bengal, Gujarat and Delhi.

3. Does it look after its workforce?

Construction is labour-intensive, and as the principal employer you can carry liability if a contractor's workers are not covered. Ask for:

• EPF registration — provident fund for eligible employees
• ESIC registration — health and accident cover for workers
• Building and other construction workers (BOCW) welfare compliance — including the construction workers' welfare cess
• A safety plan and the name of the site safety officer

4. Are the ISO certificates real and current?

ISO certificates are useful only if they are valid and cover the work you are buying. Check the certificate number, the scope and the expiry date, and confirm it with the certification body. The three that matter most for construction are:

• ISO 9001 — quality management
• ISO 14001 — environmental management
• ISO 45001 — occupational health and safety

Example: PTPL is certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018.

5. Is it Udyam-registered (if relevant)?

If your organisation has MSME purchase preferences or payment obligations, ask for the Udyam registration number and verify it on the Udyam portal. PTPL's Udyam number is UDYAM-UP-28-0044660.

6. Proof of past work — the most important check

Registrations show a company exists. Only past work shows it can build. Ask for:

• Work orders and completion or work-experience certificates on the client's letterhead, stating the scope, value and dates
• Projects similar to yours in type, size and location — a good housing contractor is not automatically a good factory contractor
• Client contacts you can actually call, and permission to visit a completed site
• Repeat orders — a client who came back is the strongest reference there is

7. Who will actually run your site?

The company you hire matters less than the team it sends. Ask for the names and experience of the project manager, site engineer and safety officer, the reporting structure back to head office, and the plant and machinery the contractor owns versus hires.

Quick checklist