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House construction budget
What the house will really cost, how to pay the contractor and the approvals you need first
Owner: [OWNER'S NAME]
House: [ADDRESS / LAND, TOWN]
Building starts: [DATE]
Budget
Item Sq ft / how many Rate / price Total
Construction — floor area (sq ft) × rate per sq ft [SQ FT] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
House plan, architect or draughtsman, structural drawings 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Survey plan, building approval and local authority fees 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Site clearing, soil test, boundary wall and gate 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Water and electricity connections 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Not in the rate: pantry, wardrobes, tiling or fittings upgrades 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Contingency for price rises and changes 1 Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT]
Total Rs. [TOTAL]
All-in cost: Rs. [AMOUNT] a sq ft, everything included.
Money: Rs. [AMOUNT] already (savings and loan); Rs. [AMOUNT] a month from [FIRST DATE] to [LAST DATE] — [N] deposits.
Monthly plan
Date Deposit Set aside by then Done
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
[DATE] Rs. [AMOUNT] Rs. [AMOUNT] ☐
Paying the contractor by stage
Stage Share Amount Paid on Done
Foundation and plinth 15% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Columns, beams and walls 25% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Roof or slab 20% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Electrical and plumbing 10% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Plaster, floors and tiling 15% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Doors, windows, painting and handover 15% Rs. [AMOUNT] [DATE] ☐
Construction total 100% Rs. [AMOUNT]
Example shares — write in the ones from your agreement. Pay each stage only when the work is done and checked; keep every receipt.
Before you build
☐ Deed and survey plan in your name (or the owner's consent letter)
☐ Street line and building line from the local authority, if needed
☐ House plan drawn and signed by a qualified person
☐ Building application to the local authority (UDA in its declared areas) with deed, survey plan and location map
☐ Development Permit received before any work starts
☐ Written agreement with the contractor: price per sq ft, what it includes, stages and payments
☐ Water and electricity connection applications
☐ Certificate of Conformity (COC) after completion — needed for loans, sale and some connections
What to put in the contractor agreement
The drawings and the floor area the price is for — and what happens if the area changes.
The rate per sq ft and exactly what it includes (foundation depth, roof, doors and windows, tiles, sanitary fittings, wiring, painting).
The stages, the payment for each, and a retention until defects are fixed.
Start and finish dates, and what happens if work stops.
Who buys the materials, and how price rises are shared.
All rates and amounts are the owner's own: the examples are not market prices. Approvals: Urban Development Authority, «Approval Process and Applications» — outside UDA areas, apply to your local authority. Monthly amounts are rounded up to the rupee; the last one evens out.