How to choose a general contractor for your project

18 August 2026 · 1 min read · Sarh Bawabat Al-Imar

Choosing the contractor is the most important decision in a project, and the one most often made quickly. Most disputes that surface mid-construction trace back to questions nobody asked at the start.

1. Ask for a detailed bill of quantities, not a lump sum

A lump sum with no breakdown means every missing item later becomes "additional work". Ask for a bill of quantities listing the item, unit, quantity and unit rate. A serious contractor already has one.

2. Ask about the programme, and who carries the delay

Ask for a schedule with clear milestones. Ask as well what happens contractually if the contractor causes a delay. If you get an evasive answer on that point, weigh it.

3. Verify materials before they reach the site

Specify the key materials in the contract: steel, cement, block, insulation. Require compliance testing on them. The price gap between a compliant material and a non-compliant one is small, and the difference it makes to the life of the building is large.

4. Ask to see completed work

Photographs on their own are not enough. Visit the site if you can, and speak to the previous owner about whether the contractor handed the project over on the agreed date.

5. Agree how variations get documented

Any change during construction should be recorded in writing, with its price, before it is carried out. Without that mechanism you discover the real cost in the final invoice.

6. Ask about site safety

A contractor with no clear answer about site safety usually has no clear system anywhere else either.

If you have a project in Mosul and want an initial view before you start, get in touch. We answer preliminary enquiries with no obligation.