Hiring contractors
Practical lessons from Indian sites, for people building their own house.
- Labour-only contracts give you control over material quality; turnkey contracts save your time. Choose knowingly.
- Visit two houses each contractor has built and talk to those owners.
- Sign a written agreement covering scope, specifications, brands, timeline and delay penalties.
- Pay against completed stages — plinth, each slab, plaster — never large advances.
- Hold back about 5% until a few months after handover to cover defects.
- Use specialists for waterproofing, electrical and plumbing, with separate warranties.