How to Choose a Contractor in Cyprus — What to Check Before You Sign
Updated 16 July 2026
Verify the contractor holds a current licence from the Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, confirm any supervising architect or engineer is on the ETEK register, get a written contract with a fixed scope and a payment schedule tied to inspected milestones, and avoid paying a large sum upfront before work has started.
Key facts
- Building and civil engineering contractors must hold an annual licence from the Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors
- Any project needing a building permit must be supervised by an ETEK-registered architect or civil engineer — check the register at etek.org.cy
- A written contract should specify exact scope, materials/brands, a payment schedule tied to inspected milestones, and a defects-liability period
- Get at least three quotes for anything beyond small cosmetic work, and compare like-for-like scope rather than just the bottom-line number
- Ask for references from jobs finished at least a year ago — long enough for early defects to have surfaced
Start with registration, not reviews
Before anything else, confirm the contractor holds a current annual licence from the Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, and — if the project needs one — that a supervising architect or civil engineer is registered with ETEK. Reviews and word of mouth matter, but they don't substitute for confirming the basic legal standing to do the work.
This check takes minutes and rules out a meaningful share of problem contractors before you've spent any money.
What a proper written contract includes
A renovation contract worth signing specifies the exact scope of work (not 'renovate the bathroom' but the specific items and finishes involved), the materials and brands being used, a fixed or clearly-formulated price, and a defects-liability period after completion during which the contractor is responsible for fixing problems that emerge.
Vague contracts are where cost disputes and scope arguments start. If a contractor resists putting specifics in writing, treat that as information, not just an inconvenience.
Payment structure that protects you
Structure payments around inspected milestones — a percentage on signing, further percentages tied to specific stages actually completed and checked, not calendar dates. Keep the final payment meaningful enough that the contractor has a real incentive to come back and finish snagging items properly.
Be cautious of any contractor asking for the bulk of the payment upfront, before meaningful work is visible. It's not automatically a scam, but it removes your leverage if something goes wrong partway through.
Red flags worth walking away from
Reluctance to provide registration details, no fixed address or business registration you can verify, pressure to pay in cash with no invoice, or a price that's dramatically lower than every other quote you received are all worth treating seriously. A very low quote often means corners will be cut somewhere — materials, structural care, or the workers' own pay, which loops back to the risks covered in our guide on unpaid contractor workers.
Common questions
Is a verbal agreement with a contractor enforceable in Cyprus?
It can be, but proving its exact terms becomes difficult in a dispute. Always get scope, price, and timeline in writing before work starts.
How much should I pay upfront?
Keep upfront payments modest and tied to verifiable costs like materials the contractor can show receipts for, rather than general trust. Most of the payment should follow inspected milestones as the work actually progresses.
What's the difference between the contractor's licence and the ETEK register?
The contractor's licence, from the Council for the Registration and Control of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, covers the building/construction firm itself. The ETEK register covers the architects and engineers who design and supervise the project. Projects needing a permit typically need both to be in order.