How to Find a Reliable Contractor in Istanbul: 10 Criteria That Separate the Best (2026)
- Turkey has no official "best contractor" ranking; rankings on listing sites are based on ads and user reviews.
- The soundest way to judge reliability is verifiable data: a valid licence, completed projects with occupancy permits, institutional clients, continuity over the years and guarantees.
- Since 2 December 2019 every permitted building must be built under a valid contractor licence number, which can be checked on e-Government.
- In urban transformation projects, the contractor must provide building completion insurance or a guarantee before the permit.
"Who is the best contractor in Istanbul?" has no official answer: Turkey publishes no state ranking of contractors, and online lists are usually ordered by ads, response time and user reviews. The right approach is to compare contractors on measurable, verifiable criteria.
10 criteria for a reliable contractor
| # | Criterion | How to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valid contractor licence | e-Government contractor information service |
| 2 | Completed projects with occupancy permits | Visit the buildings; verify iskân with the municipality |
| 3 | Years in business | Founding date in the Trade Registry Gazette; projects spread over years |
| 4 | Institutional clients | Schools, universities and institutions you can contact |
| 5 | Comparable experience | Projects similar in size to yours |
| 6 | Financial strength | Company type, ownership, status of ongoing work |
| 7 | Guarantees and insurance | Completion insurance or guarantee before the permit |
| 8 | Transparent feasibility | Area, cost and sales assumptions in writing |
| 9 | Contract discipline | Notarised contract, staged payments, delay penalties, staged title transfer |
| 10 | Accessibility | Real address, landline, corporate website with project data |
Licence: required but not sufficient
Under the regulation of 2 March 2019, since 2 December 2019 every permitted building must be built under a valid contractor licence number (groups A–H). e-Government shows validity and group, but not financial strength, abandoned sites or complaints — so combine it with the other criteria.
Urban transformation specifics
Also check command of the majority decision procedure, a payment plan compatible with Yarısı Bizden, completion insurance and written rent and delivery schedules. See our detailed contractor checklist and how to evaluate payment requests.
Worked example: how does ÇET Yapı score?
To show how to apply the criteria, here is our own verifiable data (all on our project pages):
| Criterion | ÇET Yapı |
|---|---|
| Legal name and founding | ÇET Yapı Turizm A.Ş., founded in Istanbul in 1993 |
| Completed volume | 28 buildings, 206,084 m² of construction |
| Institutional clients | TED, Doğa College, Bahçeşehir College, Okyanus College, Vega Schools, Dokuz Eylül University |
| Large project | TED Üsküdar College Campus: 19,232.92 m², 2018–2022 |
| Residential project | Çet Merter İnsaya Residences: 10,494 m², 40 homes, 2015–2017 |
| Urban transformation | Yeşilköy Ateş Residence: 2,340 m², completed in 20 months |
| Building contractor licence | Group E, licence no. 0034211566204056 (active) |
| Trade registry | Istanbul Trade Registry no. 818550-0 · MERSİS no. 0242051074500011 |
| Contact | Office in Yenibosna, Bahçelievler; +90 212 662 3000 |
You can check our licence on e-Government by our legal name and visit our sites; all projects are on our projects page and projects map.
Red flags
- Reluctance to give a licence number,
- No completed projects with occupancy permits,
- Large upfront lump-sum payments,
- Refusal to sign a notarised contract,
- No delivery date or delay penalty,
- No feasibility shared.
Talk to ÇET Yapı
To evaluate ÇET Yapı against these criteria for your project, fill in our pre-application form or contact us.
This article is general information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best contractors in Istanbul?
There is no official ranking. Assess a contractor on its valid licence, completed projects with occupancy permits, institutional clients, years in business, and its approach to guarantees and contracts. The 10 criteria in this article let you compare.
How can I tell if a contractor is reliable?
Check the licence on e-Government, visit several completed buildings with occupancy permits, talk to former clients, verify the founding date in the Trade Registry Gazette and check that the contract includes staged payments, guarantees and delay penalties.
How do I check a contractor licence in Turkey?
On e-Government's contractor information service, enter the contractor's tax number, ID number or licence number to see whether the licence is valid and its group. A valid licence alone does not prove reliability.
How do I choose an urban transformation contractor?
Also look for a transparent feasibility study, payments tied to progress, building completion insurance, written rent and delivery schedules, and command of Law No. 6306 procedures.
Sources
Talk to us about your project
We are ready to share the experience we have gained since 1993 in educational buildings, housing, urban transformation and restoration projects.
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