TradeStraight answers, before you spend the money
What jobs really cost in South Africa, what the law actually requires, and how to check a tradie is who they say they are. Every legal and price claim on these pages is sourced — and we show you the source.
Electrical CoC explained
When you legally need an electrical CoC in South Africa, who may issue one, what it costs, why the "valid for two years" thing is misunderstood, and how to check your electrician is really registered.
What an electrician costs
Real 2026 South African electrician prices — call-out fees, hourly rates, what common jobs cost, what drives the price up, and the five things that stop you being overcharged.
How to vet a tradie
The checks that actually protect you: CIPC registration, the statutory credential (CoC, PIRB, SAQCC Gas), public-liability insurance, deposits, getting it in writing — and the red flags worth walking away from.
What a plumber costs (+ PIRB)
2026 SA plumber prices — call-outs, hourly rates, geysers, leaks, blocked drains — plus PIRB explained, how to verify a plumbing CoC, and the Cape Town certificate that stops property transfers.
We'd rather show our working
Most South African home-services content is written to rank, not to help — invented prices, half-remembered law, and a phone number at the bottom. We do it the other way round: if we quote a regulation, we give you the regulation number. If we quote a price, we tell you where it came from and that it is an indicative range, not a quote. If we can't verify something, we leave it out.
Describe your job — Whizz takes it from there
Free for homeowners. You choose who to contact, and nothing moves until you've agreed it in writing.
