How we vet water installers

When you're about to spend anywhere from R20,000 to R150,000 with a company you've never heard of, "vetted" needs to mean something specific. Here's exactly what we check before a company can quote you through WaterQuotes — and, just as importantly, what our vetting does and doesn't cover.

What we check before a company can quote you

Every applicant is reviewed before they receive a single request. We look at:

• Company identity — that the business is real, contactable, and who it says it is.
• Time operating — how long the company has been doing this work.
• Track record and references — past work and, where available, references we can follow up.
• Public review history — what customers say across public platforms.
• Relevant technical credentials — trade qualifications or accreditations appropriate to the service.
• Insurance — appropriate cover, where relevant to the work.
• Workmanship and equipment warranties — what the company stands behind after the job.
• Quote clarity — whether they quote transparently, with inclusions and exclusions spelled out.
• Responsiveness and conduct — how they treat customers, including how quickly and professionally they make contact.

A company is only shown to you as a vetted partner once that review is complete. If an applicant can't satisfy it, they don't get your request.

Vetting is ongoing, not a one-time badge

We keep watching. Customer feedback, response behaviour and complaints all feed back into whether a partner stays on the platform. A company that earns your trust today has to keep earning it — partners who let customers down are removed.

What vetting does — and doesn't — guarantee

We're honest about the limits. Vetting meaningfully reduces the risk of hiring a fly-by-night operator, but WaterQuotes does not perform the installation and does not guarantee any installer's work. Your contract is with the installer you choose, and the quote, the workmanship and the warranty are theirs. What we guarantee is the part we control: that the companies reaching you have been checked, that no more than three receive your request, and that your details are never sold beyond those three.

If a partner falls short, tell us

"Vetted" only means something if it's backed by consequences. If one of our partners doesn't contact you professionally, pressures you, changes the scope or price unexpectedly, or gives you any reason for concern, we want to know.

Let us know through our contact page and we'll look into it. Persistent or serious problems affect whether a company stays a WaterQuotes partner — that feedback loop is exactly how we keep the panel worth trusting.