Before you start
Practical lessons from Indian sites, for people building their own house.
- Have a lawyer verify plot title, mutation and land use before you pay anything.
- Commission a soil test — it decides the foundation type and can save lakhs.
- Hire an architect and a structural engineer; structural drawings are not optional.
- Get building permission from your local body before digging. Unapproved work can be sealed or fined.
- Prepare a bill of quantities (BOQ). It becomes the base for every quote and payment.
- Keep 10–15% of the budget as contingency — almost every project overruns.