Short answer: why the address matters so much
If a contractor has no address you can verify, you have nowhere to send a formal claim and nowhere to sue them when a defect shows up a year after the works. A mobile can be switched off and a social media profile deleted; a registered address stays on file.
In Spain most formal steps between client and contractor are tied to an address. A claim by burofax goes to the company’s registered office. A court claim needs the defendant’s address. If that address is fake, every step turns into a search, and time works against you.
Where to find the address and how to cross-check it
A company (SL, SA, SLU) has a registered office recorded in the Registro Mercantil. You can order a nota simple extract online for a small fee, and changes of address are published in the BORME, which is free to consult. A self-employed tradesperson (autónomo) has a tax address, which must appear on their invoices.
Then cross-check. The address on the contract, the quote, the invoice and the register should match, as should the name and NIF. If one firm signs the quote, another the contract, and you are asked to pay a third, stop there. Checking the NIF and whether the company exists has its own article; this one is about the address.
Self-employed, virtual office or shell company
A small, honest autónomo is often registered at their home address. That is fine if the address is real, the details match and they give them without hesitation.
Many companies use a domiciliation service: the registered office sits in a business centre or at a gestor’s office. That is legal. In that case, ask where the firm actually operates from: a warehouse, workshop or office you can visit. The warning sign is not size, it is not being able to tell who you are dealing with: the address leads to a mailbox, hundreds of companies are registered there, and questions about the warehouse get vague answers.
A half-hour check
Take the address from the quote and look it up on a map with street view. See what is there: a residential block, an office, a warehouse or an empty lot. Search the address online together with the company name: a real business shows up in directories, on its website and in job ads.
If the renovation runs to tens of thousands of euros, feel free to visit the address or ask to meet at the office. Ask how long the company has been there. An evasive answer to such a simple question tells you as much as the address itself.
Look at the company’s website too. If there is only a contact form and a mobile number, with no legal name or NIF in the footer, ask for the details directly. Firms working in construction as contractors or subcontractors register in the REA, the register of accredited construction companies, which also shows their address.
Why it matters after the works are finished
Most renovation problems are not visible on handover day. A crack in the screed, a leak in a concealed pipe or a tile coming loose appear months later. Spain’s building act, the LOE, makes the parties to construction liable for defects after handover too, but that only helps if you can find whoever is responsible.
Keep the contract, the quote, the invoices and the handover records with the company’s details. If it changes address, that will show in the register and you can send your claim to the new one.
What a serious contractor shows without being asked
A serious company does not wait to be asked about its address. Its full name, NIF and registered office appear on the quote, the contract and every invoice, and they match the register. You can meet them where they actually work.
BCN YARD is BCNYARD, SLU, based in Castelldefels. Our details are on the quote and the contract, payments go in contract stages to the company’s account, and each project has one person in charge. If in doubt, check our details in the register just as you would with any other contractor.