Grades and thicknesses are written down, not just brands
Why — act while you have leverage
A quote can name an expensive cement and still not say what strength the concrete will be. Brand is what you are sold; grade is what holds the house up. This was the single most common gap.
What to look at
- A concrete grade against every concrete item, not only the slab
- A steel grade, not just a steel brand
- Slab thickness stated as a number
- External wall thickness stated, and matching the block size named in the same line
How to check it yourself
Read the quote for four numbers: the concrete grade for each element (footing, column, beam, slab), the steel grade, the slab thickness, and the external wall thickness. If a brand is named but the grade beside it is not, ask for the grade in writing before you sign - afterwards it is a variation, and variations are priced by the person doing the work.
Where this comes from: IS 456:2000 for concrete and steel grades; IS 875 for design loads (indian standard or building code)
More construction quotation and boq checks
- Identical tender pack sent to 2+ contractors
- Quote comparison and conflicts pass done
- Negotiation round held on the comparison verdicts
- Waterproofing is scoped everywhere water goes
- How the work will be measured is agreed before it is priced
- The things you cannot occupy without are in the price
- The electrical safety layer is named, not assumed
- What the quote leaves out, in writing