What to put in your request
A supplier can only price what they can see. Answer these and the quotes come back for the same job, which is the only way they can be compared.
- Buy or hire, and for how long if hiring. A hired unit is a rental, usually quoted monthly, plus delivery and collection.
- The size you need (a 6 m or 12 m container, or floor area for a modular unit) and how many units.
- What it is for: storage, office, ablutions, sleeping quarters, a classroom. It decides insulation, ventilation and finishes.
- Conversion details: doors, windows, burglar bars, insulation, air conditioning, flooring, partitions.
- Electrics and plumbing, if any: plug points, lights, a distribution board, water and drainage connections.
- The delivery address and the access to it. A crane truck needs room to reach and set down, and a tight site changes the price.
- Who prepares the ground. The unit needs a level, firm base, and the quote should say whose job that is.
- When you need it on site. A unit from stock and a conversion built to order are different lead times.
What to compare when the quotes come back
The lowest total is where comparing starts, not where it ends.
- What is included in the total: delivery, offloading, setting level, connecting services, collection at the end of a hire.
- New or used, and for a used container its grade and condition. Ask for photographs of the actual unit.
- The lead time from deposit to delivery, and whether it depends on the unit being in stock.
- The deposit, and what happens to it if the delivery date slips.
- Warranty on the conversion work (roof, joins, doors, electrics), separate from the unit itself.
- For a hire: the minimum period, the damage terms, and who insures the unit while it is on your site.
On SupScope every quote arrives with the same three figures: the total, the lead time and the deposit. The first comparison is done before you open anything. The rest of this list is what to read in each supplier's notes and documents.
Paperwork worth asking for
- An electrical certificate of compliance, if the unit is wired
- An electrical installation needs a certificate of compliance from a registered electrical contractor, and a unit that arrives wired is no exception.
- An Agrément certificate, for a building system rather than a plain container
- Non-standard building systems prove they are fit for purpose with an Agrément South Africa certificate, which municipalities accept in place of their own assessment.
- Clarity on building approval
- A container or modular unit bought to stand as a permanent building generally needs approved plans under the National Building Regulations. Site offices and other units hired for a project are treated as rentals, on site only while the job runs. Rules vary by municipality, so ask yours before you order.
- Proof of insurance for work on your site
- Offloading and installation happen on your premises. Ask for public liability cover and a COIDA letter of good standing for the crew.
And from any supplier
- A SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN
- It replaced the old tax clearance certificate. Checking it on eFiling shows the supplier's status on the day you check, not the day it was issued.
- A B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit
- Only if your own scorecard counts it. Small suppliers (turnover up to R10 million) may use an affidavit instead of a verified certificate.
- Company registration and a bank confirmation letter
- Worth having before the first payment, so the account you pay is the company you chose.
General guidance, not legal advice. Regulations change, and some depend on your municipality or the job, so confirm anything you rely on with the authority concerned.
How this works on SupScope
- Step 1
Post it once
Describe the job and choose Modular Buildings & Containers and your province.
- Step 2
It reaches the right suppliers
Only suppliers who work in this trade and cover your province see it.
- Step 3
Compare and award
Quotes arrive side by side. Accept one and the others are told.