The things you cannot occupy without are in the price
Why — act while you have leverage
A house is not liveable without somewhere for the water to come from and the waste to go. Septic tanks, soak pits, sumps and overhead tanks were missing from quotations often enough that their absence should be assumed until you find them.
What to look at
- Septic tank and soak pit, both named
- Overhead tank capacity stated as a number of litres
- The drain run from the house to the septic tank, not just the tank
- Staircase, compound wall and gate - each either in scope or explicitly excluded
How to check it yourself
Go through the quote looking for each of: septic tank, soak pit, underground sump, overhead tank and its capacity, external drainage to the septic tank, and rainwater harvesting where the rules require it. Anything absent is money you will spend later, at a worse moment, while living on site.
Where this comes from: Kolo review of Kerala construction quotations and agreements (established trade practice)
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
- Grades and thicknesses are written down, not just brands
- Waterproofing is scoped everywhere water goes
- How the work will be measured is agreed before it is priced
- The electrical safety layer is named, not assumed
- What the quote leaves out, in writing