fixbg.uk is a transparency-first platform. We do not pre-verify, certify, insure, or guarantee any tradesperson on the site. The point of the platform is to make the process more visible, not to replace your own due diligence. Below is the checklist we would use ourselves before hiring a tradesperson in Bulgaria. It applies to anyone you hire, whether you found them here, on Facebook, or through a friend.
Do not commit on the first conversation. Get the same job priced by three different traders so you can recognise outliers. The cheapest is rarely the best value, but the most expensive is rarely the best either; the middle quote, with the clearest scope, usually is.
Not "we will give you the number of someone we did a job for last month". Three names, three phone numbers, three completed jobs at least sixty days ago. Phone every one. Ask: did the work match the quote? Did the trader stick to the timeline? Was there a dispute? Would you hire them again? If they hesitate, ask them why.
A trader who refuses to give you three references is telling you something. Listen.
Anything spoken on the phone or quoted at the door becomes “I never said that” the moment a dispute starts. The written quote should cover: materials (brand, quantity, where bought), labour (rate, hours expected, who is on site), timeline (start date, milestones, completion), payment schedule, and what is included versus excluded.
WhatsApp threads count, as long as they are clear. Email is better. Printed and signed is best, especially over €500.
Bank transfer, not cash. SEPA EUR transfers between Bulgarian accounts are free or nearly free, and they leave a record neither party can deny. If you must pay cash (some traders simply will not accept transfers), get a signed and dated receipt with the amount in writing for every payment, on paper, in your hand, with their full name printed below the signature.
A trader who insists on cash with no receipt is either undeclared (their problem) or planning to deny the payment if anything goes wrong (your problem either way).
The typical Bulgarian schedule is 30 percent on start (so the trader can buy materials), 40 percent at an agreed milestone (often when the rough work is done and signed off), 30 percent on snag-free completion (after you have walked round, listed any defects, agreed they are fixed). Not 100 percent upfront. Not 80 percent upfront and we will sort the rest later. Stage it.
If a trader insists on more than 50 percent upfront, ask why. There is sometimes a legitimate reason (specialist materials with a long lead time). Mostly there is not.
Every legitimate Bulgarian business has an EIK number (a nine-digit identifier). Look it up free at portal.registryagency.bg. Confirm:
The company exists. Search returns a result that matches the name they gave you.
It is currently trading. Status is “active”, not “in liquidation” or struck off.
The registered scope of activity matches. If they claim to be electricians, the scope should include electrical work, not just “wholesale trade in textiles”.
Sole traders without an EIK exist legitimately (called “samoosiguryavasht se”), but they pay tax differently, and you will not get a VAT-able invoice. Knowing whether you are dealing with an EIK-registered business or a sole trader changes what is realistic to expect.
KZP is the Bulgarian Commission for Consumer Protection (kzp.bg). Their public records are not fully searchable per-trader, but their press releases and quarterly bulletins do name persistent offenders. Search the company name and EIK there.
Bulgarian consumer forums (especially bg-mamma.com) tend to be where stories of bad jobs surface. A search by company name or EIK on bg-mamma will turn up complaints if there are any. Bulgarian-language results, but Google Translate handles them well.
An absence of complaints is not proof of competence. A presence of complaints, especially repeated, is a warning.
If the trader claims to have public liability insurance, trade-licensed insurance, or any other form of cover, ask for the certificate (Bulgarian: застрахователна полица). Then phone the insurer directly using the contact details on the insurer’s own website (not whatever number is on the certificate the trader gave you) to confirm the policy is current and covers the work in question.
Many smaller Bulgarian sole-traders carry no public liability voluntarily. That is not necessarily a deal-breaker for low-risk work, but it does mean a structural collapse or fire that traces back to their workmanship leaves you with no realistic route to recover from them.
Dated phone photos taken before the trader starts, at each milestone (rough work complete, first fix complete, second fix complete, before final payment), and at the moment of handover protect both sides if a dispute later arises. The metadata in the photo file (EXIF date and time) is often the deciding evidence.
If the trader is comfortable with photos at every stage, that is a good sign. If they get prickly about it, that is also a sign.
On the largest single source of Bulgarian renovation disputes (was material X delivered, in quantity Y, at the price quoted?), the simplest fix is to take that variable off the table. For jobs over €3,000, buy the materials yourself, take delivery yourself, photograph the delivery, and have the trader install what is on site. You pay for labour, you control materials.
On smaller jobs the trader buying is fine, but ask for the receipt when they invoice you for materials.
None of the following is automatic disqualification, but stack two or more and the risk gets real:
Pressure to decide quickly. “The price is only valid until tomorrow”, “I have a slot opening up next week if you sign now”.
Refusing to put anything in writing. “Trust is between people, paper is for lawyers.” No.
Cash only, no receipts. Possible legitimate reasons; mostly tax avoidance plus deniability.
Demanding more than 50 percent upfront. See rule 05.
No fixed address you can visit. Anyone running a real Bulgarian trade business has a yard, a workshop, or at least a registered address.
Reluctance to give references or EIK. See rule 02 and rule 06.
Different person turning up than the person quoting. Subcontracting happens, but you should know about it before signing.
Quotes that are dramatically lower than the other two. Either they are missing something on scope, or they will charge you for it later.
A simple one-page Bulgarian contract (договор за изработка / dogovor za izrabotka) signed by both parties is enforceable in Bulgarian civil court. Templates are widely available online for free. The contract should reference the written quote, set the payment schedule, and name the date of expected completion. For jobs over €5,000, an advokat reviewing the contract before you sign is €50 to €150 well spent.