Finding a reliable contractor in south Brussels: what to check before you sign

A signed quote becomes a contract. Homegrade, the advice centre on private housing in the Brussels-Capital Region, puts it this way in its information sheet: “once signed by both parties, it becomes a contract for works” (our translation from the French, as are all quotations from French-language sources in this guide). The checks that matter therefore happen before you sign, while you are not yet committed to anything. This guide sets them out in the order you would carry them out and, for each one, gives the official tool, what it shows and what it does not prove.

It does not name or recommend any firm: the aim is to give you a way of assessing contractors, not an address. It applies to work on houses in Uccle (Ukkel in Dutch), Forest, Ixelles and Watermael-Boitsfort, all of which fall under the Brussels-Capital Region. For the overall framework of a renovation project, see the step-by-step renovation guide.

Key points. Six checks before you sign: an active company number in the BCE; registered activities and skills that match the work; a ten-year liability insurance certificate if your project requires one; a detailed quote; a well-thought-out payment schedule and deposit; and, if the contract is signed at your home, a mention of any right of withdrawal. None of these checks guarantees the quality of the work. Together, they rule out the riskiest situations.

Check the company number in the BCE

According to the FPS Economy (“SPF Économie”), the contractor must be registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (BCE, the Belgian company register). Its brochure “La check-list du bâtisseur avisé” (the savvy builder's checklist) explains how to check: enter the contractor's company number in the search tool. The number appears on the quote and, according to the brochure, it is the same as the VAT number.

The official tool is BCE Public Search. Its English version, called CBE Public Search, is described on the site as an unofficial translation provided for information only. The tool shows the public data of registered entities whatever their status (active, identified or stopped; the English version says “published” instead of “identified”), and the page gives the date of the latest database update (02-10-2026 when we checked). An entity's record includes, among other things, the following sections.

Bear two limits in mind. First, the BCE confirms a registration, not a level of skill: Test-Achats points out that registration “does not guarantee that this is a good contractor”. Second, the FPS brochure states that a contractor without a valid company number “is not registered and is working illegally”. That is reason enough to stop there.

The same brochure also suggests using the company number to check the firm's social security and tax debts on the FPS Finance website (checkobligationderetenue.be). According to the brochure, a firm in debt, even temporarily, has financial problems, and you should “be doubly careful”.

Check access to the profession in Brussels

For construction trades, registration is not always enough: professional competence has to be demonstrated. Bruxelles Économie et Emploi (the Brussels Region's economy and employment administration) states that when certain activities are registered with the BCE, professional competence must be demonstrated. Its “Construction” page lists the activities concerned: structural work; plastering, cement rendering and screeding; tiling, marble and natural stone; roofing and waterproofing; fitting and repair of joinery and glazing; general joinery; finishing; central heating, air conditioning, gas and plumbing; electrotechnical activities; general contracting.

A recent reform can be confusing. According to Bruxelles Économie et Emploi, the requirement to prove basic business management knowledge has not applied since 15 January 2024 and, since 1 April 2024, five professions no longer have to demonstrate professional competence: wholesale butcher (“grossiste en viandes-chevillard”), dry cleaner and dyer (“dégraisseur-teinturier”), pedicurist, massage therapist and dental technician. The page states that the ways of proving competence remain the same for the construction, food, vehicle and personal care professions. The building trades are therefore not among the five abolished.

Two useful points:

• The FPS brochure notes that in Flanders the regulations on access to the profession have been repealed. Checking entrepreneurial skills therefore only applies to contractors established in Brussels or Wallonia.
• According to Homegrade's information sheet (updated in July 2025), the firm's access to the profession will also be needed to obtain grants.

Rénolution grants. As of 19 October 2026, be.brussels states that there is no government decision on any RENOLUTION grants for 2025 and/or 2026, and that no application can be submitted for final invoices dated 2025 or 2026. Do not build a budget on a grant that is not open: the guide Renovation grants in Brussels: what is left of Rénolution? gives the full picture and lists the support that is still available.

Ten-year liability insurance: the Belgian framework

The reference text is the Law of 31 May 2017 on compulsory ten-year civil liability insurance for contractors, architects and other service providers in the construction sector (“loi relative à l'assurance obligatoire de la responsabilité civile décennale des entrepreneurs, architectes et autres prestataires du secteur de la construction de travaux immobiliers”), which came into force on 1 July 2018 according to the Justice database.

What the law provides, in the wording of the text as accessed on 19-10-2026:

• Who it applies to. A “contractor” within the meaning of the law is anyone who carries out building work on homes located in Belgium for which “the involvement of an architect is compulsory” under Article 4 of the Law of 20 February 1939. Every architect, contractor or other service provider whose ten-year liability may be incurred must be covered (Article 5).
• What is covered. The insurance covers liability under Articles 1792 and 2270 of the Civil Code for ten years from acceptance of the works (“agréation des travaux”), “limited to the solidity, stability and watertightness of the enclosed structural shell of the home”, where this endangers the solidity or stability of the home. Cosmetic damage is excluded, as is damage below €2,500 (an indexed amount).
• Minimum cover. Cover per claim may not be less than €500,000 where the rebuilding value exceeds that amount, and not less than the rebuilding value otherwise (Article 6). These amounts are linked to the ABEX index, as is the €2,500 threshold.
• Proof. Before any building work starts, the contractor gives an insurance certificate to the client (“maître de l'ouvrage”) and to the architect (Article 12). The contract documents must state the insurer's name and company number and the insurance policy number. A surety can replace the insurance under conditions laid down by the King (Article 13).

The FPS Economy sums up the practical consequence: if the project requires an architect, ask for proof that the insurance has been taken out. Its brochure specifies that the obligation concerns renovation or construction of a building used as a home, with a permit issued after 1 July 2018, for which an architect is compulsory.

For small works without an architect, the law does not require this insurance. Homegrade then points to the other protections: a statutory minimum guarantee of two years on consumer goods (materials, equipment), ten-year liability for defects that endanger stability, and liability for minor defects (“vices véniels”) “for two to three years depending on the courts”. Wikifin describes the contractor's ten-year liability as running for ten years “from the final acceptance of the works” for serious defects, and distinguishes it from the architect's liability, which concerns the design and the supervision of the work. The 2017 law, for its part, speaks of “agréation des travaux”, a term it does not define: if in doubt about when the ten years start, take advice before the handover.

Whether your project requires an architect depends on the type of work and on the permit. The FPS brochure states that an architect is compulsory for major renovations that require a permit. Your municipality's planning department can tell you whether a permit is needed, and the guide to planning permits explains when an architect is not required.

Reading the quote and the contract

Homegrade lists what a quote for works must contain, at a minimum, to have legal value:

• the contractor's name or company name, address and company number;
• a detailed description and the nature of the services and supplies;
• the price, either fixed or determinable;
• the date of the quote and how long it is valid;
• an estimate of how long the work will take;
• the client's contact details and the address of the site.

In its October 2024 press release, the FPS Economy also points out that the law requires a firm to draw up a quote if the consumer asks for one and the firm is willing to provide the service.

Beyond the minimum, the same sheet recommends a quote broken down into separate items, with a quantity and unit price for each. It advises that lump-sum prices “preferably” be avoided: they make comparison harder and can lead to extra charges during the works. Its other tips include details of the material, brand or performance (for insulation, for example, the R-value and thickness), optional work, the applicable VAT, and separate prices for supply and for installation.

The FPS Economy advises asking, ideally, for two or three quotes to compare. Its brochure also warns that a dishonest firm generally offers abnormally low prices, and urges you to stay critical of offers that look too good to be true. It gives no figure as a threshold: it is up to you to compare item by item.

Before signing, Homegrade suggests reading through the general terms and conditions, often printed on the back of the quote. They set the amount of the deposit, the invoicing instalments, payment terms, the validity period, any price revision clause, the guarantees and your own obligations as the client. The sheet gives as “usual conditions” a payment term of 15 days and a quote valid for three months. It adds that you may prefer another firm rather than be bound by clauses that do not suit you, as contractors are not always willing to change their terms.

Homegrade mentions a few other points:

• the start date and duration of the works, which may come with penalties for delay;
• handover of documents relating to the works (technical data sheets, compliance reports);
• the certificates needed for grant applications;
• a photographic record of the property's condition before and after the works;
• the list of subcontractors, where applicable.

For work affecting the common parts of a building in co-ownership, the sheet reminds you to obtain the agreement of the managing agent (“syndic”) or of the co-owners.

Deposits, payments and the right of withdrawal

The deposit. Test-Achats explains, in an article dated 10-06-2026, that asking for a deposit is not prohibited by law. If the contract or order form says nothing about deposits, the organisation says you only have to pay once the work has been carried out; it adds that an invoice is not a contract, whereas an order form is. It advises against too large a deposit, because the consumer takes a risk if the contractor goes bankrupt, and recommends a staged payment schedule. As an example of how payments might be split for an installation, it cites 15% on signing, 30% on delivery of the materials, 30% on fitting and the remaining 25% on approval. This is an example, not a rule.

The sources do not agree on a single figure. Homegrade cites as a usual condition a deposit of “a maximum of 30 to 40% (exceptionally more where expensive materials are supplied)”. The FPS Economy advises avoiding advances that seem too high to you, asking for explanations, paying as the work progresses once you have received the invoices, and checking the payee's account number before each payment. Test-Achats says that the Breyne Law is the only case in which the law protects consumers against deposits: it caps the deposit at 5% of the construction price on signing, but it applies to houses built in their entirety by a general contractor or bought “turnkey” (“clé sur porte”). According to the same source, it does not apply if you sign a separate contract with each contractor. We have not checked the exact scope of this law against its text: for a large project entrusted to a single contractor, get advice before you sign, and always have the deposit written into the contract.

Paying in cash. The FPS brochure (2023) advises against paying large amounts in cash and states that, under a single contract, it is prohibited to pay more than €3,000 in cash. These limits change: check the amount in force with the FPS Economy when you pay.

The right of withdrawal. According to the FPS Economy, it lets you withdraw within 14 days from a contract concluded away from the firm's business premises (for example, through doorstep or door-to-door selling) or at a distance. The 14 calendar-day period starts on the day after the service contract is signed. You can exercise it using the form provided or by an unambiguous statement, preferably in writing. The FPS states that, in principle, there is no right of withdrawal for contracts concluded on the firm's premises, unless the firm or a specific law provides for one.

For building work, the October 2024 press release states that when a contract is concluded away from the business premises, for example at the consumer's home, the firm must provide additional information, such as the “possible” right of withdrawal. That word matters: whether the right exists depends on the case. If you sign a quote at home, look for the mention in the contract and, if in doubt, ask the FPS Economy (0800 120 33) before signing rather than after. The FPS Economy's Economic Inspection cannot resolve an individual dispute, and this guide is no substitute for legal advice.

What these checks do not guarantee, and where to turn

These checks reduce the risk; they do not remove it. Test-Achats says so itself: its advice offers no “absolute guarantee” as to the quality and soundness of the contractor. Labels are awarded by the sector itself and, according to Test-Achats, are not objective indicators of quality, and membership of a professional organisation is no absolute guarantee either. The same sources recommend references you can check: look at the contractor's website, ask for examples of work, contact clients they name and, if possible, visit one of their sites. The FPS also warns against “letterbox” companies, whose address is a business centre where no construction activity can take place.

In case of disagreement, Wikifin mentions mediation before the Commission de Conciliation Construction (a construction conciliation committee), often a quicker and cheaper solution than court proceedings, before possibly turning to a lawyer and the courts. The FPS brochure also refers to the Consumer Mediation Service (“Service de Médiation pour le Consommateur”). A report can be filed via ConsumerConnect, but the Economic Inspection does not step in to resolve an individual dispute.

Frequently asked questions

Is an active company number in the BCE enough to sign?

No. It proves registration, not quality. Also check the declared activities, access to the profession for the trades concerned, the insurance and what the quote contains.

How do I know whether my works require ten-year liability insurance?

According to the Law of 31 May 2017 and the FPS Economy brochure, the obligation covers work on homes in Belgium for which the involvement of an architect is compulsory. If you are not sure whether this applies to you, ask your municipality's planning department whether a permit is required and whether an architect is also required: some works that need a permit are exempt from the architect requirement (see the guide to planning permits). If the obligation applies, insist on the certificate before the works begin.

Has access to the profession been abolished in Brussels?

Not for the construction trades. According to Bruxelles Économie et Emploi, the 2024 abolitions concern five other professions, and the rules of proof remain unchanged for construction. Check the official page, as the rules change over time.

What deposit is “normal”?

The sources give no single figure. Homegrade cites 30 to 40% as a usual condition; Test-Achats advises against a large deposit and favours staged payments. Have the amount and the instalments written into the contract.

Can I withdraw after signing a quote at home?

Possibly: the 14-day right of withdrawal exists for contracts concluded away from the firm's premises, but for building work the FPS refers to a “possible” right. Look for the mention in the contract and ask the FPS Economy.

Where can I get help reading a quote in Brussels?

Homegrade offers an advice service on private housing in the Brussels-Capital Region and publishes “Check-list Devis” sheets (quote checklists); its contact details are on homegrade.brussels.

On 03-10-2026 the editorial team reread the Law of 31 May 2017 in the Justel database, BCE Public Search, the Bruxelles Économie et Emploi pages, the FPS Economy brochure and press releases, the Homegrade sheet and the Test-Achats and Wikifin articles. Statuses and thresholds change (payment limits, rules on access to the profession, legal texts): check with the FPS Economy, Bruxelles Économie et Emploi and your municipality's planning department before you sign.