Why vetting matters in Lagos
The home services market in Lagos is largely informal. Most contractors are found through WhatsApp forwards, roadside referrals, or estate notice boards, with no verification, no accountability, and no comeback if the job goes wrong.
Here is the checklist every Lagos homeowner should run through before hiring any contractor.
Pre-hire checklist
Identity verification
- Have you seen their NIN (National Identification Number) or any government ID?
- Does the platform or person referring them actually know who they are?
Portfolio and references
- Have they done similar jobs before? Ask to see photos.
- Can they give you contact details of 2-3 previous clients you can actually call?
Written quote
- Do you have a written, itemised quote before work starts?
- Does it separate labour from materials?
- Is the quote fixed price or hourly?
Timeline and milestones
- What is the agreed start and finish date?
- Are there milestones for larger jobs (e.g. 40% upfront, 60% on completion)?
Insurance and guarantees
- Does the contractor have public liability insurance? (For larger jobs, this matters.)
- What happens if the work is faulty? Do they come back to fix it?
The easiest way to avoid all of this
Book through a verified platform like PronearMe. Every artisan on our platform has been identity-verified, reviewed by real customers, and is accountable to a platform with dispute resolution.
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