Guides to building
and contracting.
Practical notes on having construction work done — how it is priced, what to check, and what to settle before anyone starts. Written to be useful whoever you hire.
01 — Guides
Five things worth
knowing first.
How Construction Is Priced: Labour Rate, Item Rate, Lump Sum
Labour rate, item rate and lump sum move the risk to different people. Which one suits you depends on how complete your drawings are.
02 — 8 min readWhat to Check Before a Concrete Pour - and Why It Cannot Wait
Everything under a pour becomes permanent the moment it starts. A short checklist for the hour before, when it still costs nothing to fix.
03 — 9 min readReading a Construction Quotation: What Is and Is Not in the Price
Quotes for the same building routinely differ by half, usually because they cover different scopes. How to find out what a price excludes.
04 — 8 min readWhy Buildings Leak: Where Waterproofing Actually Has to Go
Leaks come from a short, predictable list of locations. Each one has a moment in the programme when it is cheap, and afterwards it is not.
05 — 8 min readRCC or Pre-Engineered Steel for a Shed or Warehouse?
Pre-engineered steel and RCC suit different sheds. Clear span, speed and future change usually decide it - not cost per square foot.
06 — 9 min readAAC Blocks or Red Bricks: Choosing the Walls of a Building
In a framed building the walls are infill, so the choice is about weight, heat, cracking at the frame and the skill on site - not strength.
07 — 8 min readBuilding on Black Cotton Soil: Foundations That Do Not Crack
Black cotton soil swells when wet and shrinks when dry. The foundation has to reach below that movement or be kept clear of it - decided before digging.
08 — 8 min readTMT Steel: Fe 500 or Fe 500D, and What to Check on Site
Fe 500 and Fe 500D have the same strength; the D grade has to stretch further before it breaks. How to read the grade, and what to check on delivery.
02 — Enquiry
Tell us about
the project.
Location, rough size and the stage you are at is enough to begin. We will come back with what we would need to quote it properly.
Surat, Gujarat