The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) keeps a national Register of Contractors. If you do construction or civil work for government, you must be registered — and the grade you hold determines which tenders you're allowed to bid on. This guide covers the full grading table, what every class of work code means, and how to read a CIDB requirement on a tender.
The CIDB grading table (grades 1 to 9)
Contractors are graded from 1 (smallest) to 9 (largest). The grade reflects your financial capability and track record, and it sets a ceiling on the contract value you can tender for. These are the current maximum tender values per grade:
| CIDB grade | Maximum tender value |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Entry level — no financial qualifying criteria (smallest contracts) |
| Grade 2 | Up to R1 000 000 |
| Grade 3 | Up to R3 000 000 |
| Grade 4 | Up to R6 000 000 |
| Grade 5 | Up to R10 000 000 |
| Grade 6 | Up to R20 000 000 |
| Grade 7 | Up to R60 000 000 |
| Grade 8 | Up to R200 000 000 |
| Grade 9 | No limit |
Tender value ranges are set by the CIDB and revised periodically to keep pace with inflation, so always confirm the latest figures on the CIDB Register of Contractors. New and smaller contractors can often register with a Potentially Emerging (PE) status, which lets you tender one grade above your own on contracts flagged for development, with support to grow into the higher grade.
CIDB classes of work explained
A grade always goes together with a class of work. You're registered per class, and each class carries its own grade. These are the codes you'll see on tenders:
| Code | Class of work |
|---|---|
| GB | General Building |
| CE | Civil Engineering (roads, water, sewer, bridges) |
| EB | Electrical Engineering — Buildings |
| EP | Electrical Engineering — Infrastructure |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering |
| SO | Water supply and drainage for buildings (wet services / plumbing) |
| SB | Asphalt works (supply and lay) |
| SG | Glazing, curtain walls and shop fronts |
| SJ | Piling and lateral support |
| SL | Structural steelwork |
| SN | Waterproofing |
| SH | Landscaping and irrigation |
There are further specialist classes on the Register; the full list is on cidb.org.za. Each class you hold is graded independently, so you can be, for example, a Grade 6 CE contractor and a Grade 3 GB contractor at the same time.
How to read a CIDB requirement
Tenders combine the grade and class into a single code. A requirement written as "6CE" means Grade 6 in the Civil Engineering class. So:
- 7GB — Grade 7 General Building
- 4EB — Grade 4 Electrical Engineering (Buildings)
- 3SO — Grade 3 wet services / plumbing
A tender might state "CIDB Grade 6 CE or higher". If you're a Grade 4 GB contractor, you don't qualify, no matter how good your price is — it's a hard, pass-or-fail requirement.
Why it matters for every construction bid
Construction tenders state the required grade and class up front, and you can't be awarded work above your grade. This is the most common reason construction SMEs waste time on bids they can never win. When you set up a TargetTenders profile with your grade and classes, we only show you the construction tenders you're actually eligible for. You can also browse construction tenders by province directly.
New to tendering? Start with our guide on how to find and win government tenders, and make sure your CSD registration is active.