Register of Construction Merchants: how to check a builder

What the Register of Construction Merchants is

The Construction Law (Būvniecības likums) provides that a company must register in the Register of Construction Merchants in order to provide construction services, and that the register is publicly available. The registration rules specify that a company providing services in section F “Construction” of NACE registers, and that the register is kept by the State Construction Control Bureau in BIS.

The register is available free of charge. For providing construction services without registration, a legal entity can be fined up to 1,000 fine units (up to €5,000).

How to check a builder

1. Find out the exact name and registration number Ask for them to be in the estimate, the contract and the invoice. If the offer has only a name and a phone number, ask for the company details in writing. You will need them too if you later have to make a claim about the quality of the work.
2. Open BIS The Register of Construction Merchants is in the Construction Information System at bis.gov.lv, and the public part is available free of charge.
3. Compare the details Check that the company found in the register is the same one you will sign the contract with: the name and the registration number.
4. Check the specialists if the work requires them Electrical installation tests are carried out by a certified electrical specialist, who can be checked in the BIS register of construction specialists. According to the explanation of the Riga municipality, a certified architect prepares the replanning plan, and a structural engineer also prepares the opening solution.
5. Note down what you saw Keep a dated screenshot together with the estimate and the contract.

When the register matters most

• Replanning: a plan of the room group, prepared by a construction company or a construction specialist and confirmed in BIS, is attached to the construction notice.
• Replacing electrical wiring: installation is done under the direction of a construction specialist, and tests are carried out by an electrical specialist.
• A larger renovation under a contract: the Construction Law defines a contractor as a construction company that builds under a written contract, or a builder.
• The benefit for adapting a home in Riga: the work is done by a company registered in the Commercial Register, and the Social Services pays the company after the work is accepted.

What the register does not tell you

An entry in the register shows that the company has registered. As for how a particular renovation will be done, judge by other things: whether the estimate has a list of work with quantities, whether materials are calculated separately, and whether the contract has a deadline and an acceptance procedure.

If after the work a non-conformity with the contract is found, the consumer can make a claim within two years of receiving the service, but no later than two months after discovering the non-conformity. First the consumer demands that the non-conformity be remedied; if that is not possible, they can demand a price reduction or a refund, and the right to compensation for losses remains. An independent expert's opinion can serve as evidence of quality. In a dispute you can ask the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) or the Consumer Disputes Resolution Commission to assess the provider's conduct. More: how to choose a renovation company.

Warning signs

• A company that offers construction work is not in the Register of Construction Merchants or cannot give a registration number.
• The estimate is a single sum with no list of work.
• A company offers to cut an opening in a load-bearing wall “without papers”: the apartment owner is responsible for that.
• A company refuses a written agreement. An oral contract can be valid, but in a dispute the customer must prove what was agreed and how much was paid.

How to put an agreement in writing: renovation contract. On payments: renovation advance payment.

Compare the price too

Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Public prices help you see whether an offer is reasonable: cosmetic renovation from €100/m², full renovation from €280/m², bathroom renovation (all work) from €3,000. All lines: prices.