Contractor Vetting
Every contractor on remodel.pt is verified before they see your project.
Construction licence checked against IMPIC. Insurance confirmed. References called. English capability assessed. No contractor quotes on your renovation until all four pass.
The problem
Portugal has no public contractor rating system.
In the UK, you check Trustpilot. In the Netherlands, Bouwgarant. In Portugal, the construction market is opaque by design. Foreign owners rely on Facebook group recommendations, unverified Google reviews, or whoever the estate agent suggests. There is no standardised way to verify whether a contractor is licensed, insured, or has finished a project on time.
remodel.pt exists because that gap costs foreign property owners money, time, and trust. We built a verification layer that contractors must clear before they see a single project brief.
Verification requirements
Four checks. No exceptions.
Construction licence (alvará)
Every contractor holds a valid alvará, verified directly against IMPIC records. The alvará is graded by class and category, confirming the contractor is legally authorised for the scope and scale of work.
Liability insurance (seguro de responsabilidade civil)
Current professional liability insurance confirmed in writing. Covers property damage, third-party claims, and worker injury during the renovation.
Verifiable project references
A minimum of completed projects with verifiable owner references. We contact previous clients directly and review photographic evidence of finished work.
English communication capability
The contractor or their designated project manager can communicate in English. Quotes, timelines, and milestone updates are delivered in English as standard.
What is IMPIC
The regulator behind every alvará.
IMPIC (Instituto dos Mercados Públicos, do Imobiliário e da Construção) is the Portuguese public authority that regulates the construction market.
Every construction company operating in Portugal must hold an alvará issued and renewed by IMPIC.
An alvará is classified by category (type of work) and class (project value threshold). remodel.pt verifies the contractor's class covers the value of your project.
IMPIC maintains a public registry. We cross-reference contractor claims against this registry before any contractor joins the platform.
What a verified profile looks like
Real credentials. Not a logo wall.
Construções Almeida & Filhos, Lda.
General Construction · Interior Renovation
Region
Cascais · Sintra · Lisboa
Experience
18 years
Languages
PT · EN · FR
Alvará
Class 3 · Category 1
Quote benchmarking
Competitive quotes compared against regional medians.
Every project on remodel.pt receives competitive written quotes from pre-vetted contractors, each pricing the same scope of work. We compare those quotes against our rolling median for that project type and region, so you can see whether a figure is competitive, average, or above market before committing.
| Project type | Region | Median quote | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen refit | Greater Lisbon | €34,200 | €28,000 – €52,000 |
| Bathroom rebuild | Cascais / Sintra | €16,800 | €12,000 – €24,000 |
| Full renovation | Algarve | €112,000 | €85,000 – €180,000 |
Benchmark data from Q2 2026 remodel.pt project median. Ranges vary by specification and finish level.
How it works
From scope to staged payment. Four steps, no gaps.
01
Scope
Photos, dimensions, finishes. English form, English support.
02
Competitive quotes
We match you with personally vetted local contractors and get you competitive quotes to compare, completely for free.
03
Independent inspection
Condition report establishes baseline before work begins.
04
Staged payment
Milestones signed off by you and the inspector before each release.
Vetted contractors. Competitive quotes. No surprises.
Submit your renovation scope and receive competitive written quotes from alvará-verified contractors, benchmarked against regional medians.
Scope Your Project