In this guide
To compare quotes in Caaguazú, send the same written request to two or three providers and ask each one to spell out the price including taxes, the materials, the payment terms and how long the quote is valid. Law 1334/98 (opens in a new tab) requires service providers to give you all of that. Then add what changes the total in Caaguazú: delivery to your house or farm and, if the job uses timber, a price from a local sawmill.
What should a quote include?
Article 15 of Law 1334/98 requires a service provider to state, unless the nature of the job makes it unnecessary:
- the provider's name and address;
- a description of the service and its quality;
- the materials, equipment and technology to be used;
- the price including taxes, its breakdown where relevant, and the payment method;
- how long the quote and the service are valid;
- any health or safety risks;
- the scope and length of any warranty offered.
Build your request around that list. If a quote comes back as one round figure, send it back and ask for the breakdown: without line items you can't compare.
How do you really compare two quotes?
- Same request, same date: send everyone the same text, with measurements, photos and your deadline.
- Line by line: put the quotes side by side and compare item by item. The cheapest one is often the one that left something out.
- Validity: check how long each one holds. If you'll take a month to decide, ask whether the price stays the same.
- Extras: the law says any extra work or cost that turns up during the job and couldn't be foreseen must be communicated before it is done, unless stopping would cause harm or affect quality (Law 1334/98, art. 16 (opens in a new tab)). Put in writing that every extra is approved first.
- Warranty: if offered, it must be in writing, with its term, coverage and where to claim it (Law 1334/98, art. 11 (opens in a new tab)).
What changes the price in Caaguazú?
- Delivery: the city sits on Route PY02, 180 km from Asunción and 144 km from Ciudad del Este (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), and is linked by routes 2, 8 and 13 (InfoNegocios, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). If you compare with a supplier in the capital or Ciudad del Este, add transport. If you live out in a rural compañía, ask for delivery to your door as a separate line.
- Timber: Caaguazú was the country's leading timber producer and exporter from the 1970s (La Nación, 2021 (opens in a new tab)), and sawmills and carpentry shops still operate there (InfoNegocios, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). For roofing, beams or doors and windows, get a sawmill price too and compare it with the contractor's.
- Electricity connection: if the job needs a new meter, ANDE charges for the connection separately. In September 2024 a single-phase connection (1x10 breaker) cost G. 89,745 and a three-phase one (3x60) G. 1,818,852, and the request is signed by an ANDE-registered electrician (ABC Color, 2024 (opens in a new tab)). Ask whether the electrician included it or whether you pay it.
- Weather: summer highs reach about 42 °C and winter can drop to 0 °C (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)). Ask how that affects the schedule, especially for roofing or concrete work.
How do you check a provider before paying?
- Tax ID (RUC): on the DNIT tax authority's site, under "Servicios online sin clave de acceso", the "Perfil del contribuyente. Datos del RUC" service shows whether the RUC exists and whose name it is in (DNIT (opens in a new tab)).
- Invoice: "Consulta de timbrado. Validez de documento" lets you check that the invoice's timbrado (authorisation number) is valid (DNIT (opens in a new tab)). Every sale must come with an invoice (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)), and you'll need it for any complaint.
- For businesses: if you're hiring for your company, the same portal lets you validate the tax compliance certificate a provider gives you (DNIT (opens in a new tab)).
How do you pay without exposing yourself?
- Pay in stages tied to concrete progress (for example: materials on site, structure finished, final handover), not everything up front.
- Prefer bank transfer or QR. QR already accounts for 68.1% of electronic payments in Paraguay (ABC Color, 2026 (opens in a new tab)) and leaves a record of every payment.
- Keep the signed quote, the messages approving extras and the invoices together in one folder.
What if the total isn't respected?
Go back to the signed quote. If extras appeared that nobody told you about beforehand, the law is on your side (art. 16). Raise the complaint in writing with the provider and, if it isn't settled, you can turn to Sedeco, the consumer protection secretariat (ABC Color (opens in a new tab)).
FAQ
What must a quote include in Paraguay?
Under art. 15 of Law 1334/98: the provider's details, a description of the service, materials, the price with taxes and payment method, the quote's validity, risks, and any warranty offered.
Is the cheapest quote the best one in Caaguazú?
Not always. Compare item by item and add delivery: the cheapest quote is often the one that left something out.
Can a provider charge extras that weren't in the quote?
Unforeseen extra costs must be communicated before the work is done, unless stopping would cause harm (art. 16 of Law 1334/98). Put in writing that every extra needs your approval first.
How do I check a provider's RUC?
On the DNIT website, under "Servicios online sin clave de acceso", use "Perfil del contribuyente. Datos del RUC", and for the invoice, "Consulta de timbrado. Validez de documento".
