CHOOSING A BUILDER
How to choose a home builder in Bengaluru: nine things to get in writing
A friendly meeting tells you little. A written scope, a named engineer and past projects you can visit tell you more.
Learning how to choose a home builder in Bengaluru mostly comes down to one habit: accept nothing you cannot see on paper or on a site. A friendly meeting and a low rate per square foot tell you very little. You want a builder whose answers are specific, written down and checkable. The nine items below are how you get there.
Builder or contractor: what is the difference?
The words get used loosely, so ask what the person is actually offering. A contractor usually does a defined piece of work, often labour only, while you buy the materials, hire the engineer and coordinate the other trades. A builder offering turnkey construction takes the whole job: coordination, materials, labour, supervision and handover for one agreed rate.
Neither is wrong. Labour-only can suit an owner who has time and knows materials. Turnkey construction suits an owner with a full-time job who wants one party responsible. What goes wrong is when you think you bought turnkey and the contract says labour. That is why the best way to choose a contractor or builder is to read what is written, not what was said.
1. Get the scope of work in writing
Ask for a written scope that lists what is included, floor by floor and room by room. It should cover the structure, brickwork, plastering, electrical and plumbing points, flooring, kitchen platform, doors, windows, painting and the external work. If something matters to you, such as the number of bathrooms or the staircase, it should appear by name. Anything not written down is something you will argue about later.
2. Ask for specifications by brand and grade
"Good steel" and "branded cement" are not specifications. Ask for the steel grade and make, the cement type, the tile make and size, the wire and switch make, the sanitaryware and the paint with the number of coats. Then compare two quotes line by line. Two builders can quote the same rate per sq.ft and mean very different houses. Our guide on how to compare house construction quotes shows how to do this, and the note on cement types and grades helps with one common line item.
3. Who is the site engineer?
Ask for a name, not a title. Is the engineer on your site every day, or covering four sites across the city? Who inspects the reinforcement before each pour, and who signs it off? Ask to meet that person before you sign. In Bengaluru, ask also what the plan is for water in an open foundation pit during the monsoon. A vague answer here is a real answer.
4. How will you see progress?
If your only update is a phone call, you are trusting. Ask for dated photos or video, how often they arrive and where they are kept. Many owners live in another city or work long hours and cannot visit the site often. At Buildryt, the app carries daily photo and video updates, and the work goes through 360+ quality checks. Whoever you pick, ask what they show you and how often.
5. Check the payment structure
Payments should follow finished work, not the calendar, and the first payment should be small. Ask for each stage and the amount against it in writing. We have covered this in detail in our guide to stage wise payment for house construction. At Buildryt, a stage is released only after you review and approve it.
6. What is excluded from the price?
This is where a low rate usually hides. Ask for the exclusions as a list. Typical questions: Is the sump or septic tank included? The borewell? The compound wall and gate? A lift? Appliances, curtains, furniture, landscaping? Who pays for the plan sanction, Khata work and utility deposits? At Buildryt, plan sanction fees, Khata work and utility deposits are not included in the package rate, and the packages page lists other items that are separate. Good builders list exclusions without being asked twice.
7. Get warranty terms in writing
A warranty is only as good as the paper it is on. Ask what is covered, for how long, in which areas, and whether it comes on stamp paper. Buildryt gives a 10-year structural warranty, a 1-year construction guarantee, and a 10-year waterproofing warranty with a 5-year term on terraces, bathrooms and balconies and 10 years elsewhere. Conditions apply, as the agreement states. Read the waterproofing terms closely, because that is where problems often start: see our note on waterproofing for homes in Bengaluru.
8. Visit past projects you can walk through
Ask for addresses of finished houses and at least one under construction. Speak to the owner without the builder present. Look at ceiling corners for cracks, bathroom floor slopes toward the drain, door and window alignment, and the level of the kitchen platform. A house under construction shows you what is normally hidden. Take our site-visit checklist with you.
9. How are changes priced?
Changes will happen. Moving a wall after plastering costs far more than moving it on the drawing. Ask how a change is priced, who approves it, and whether it is written down with the cost before the work starts. Ask for the rate for extra points and extra work in the agreement. Also ask whether the rate per sq.ft can rise during the build. At Buildryt, your rate per sq.ft is locked the day you sign.
Questions to ask a builder before you sign
- Who is my site engineer? Ask for the name and how many sites they cover.
- What is not included? Ask for the list in writing.
- When do I pay, and against what? Each stage, each amount.
- Which houses can I visit? Finished and under construction.
- What does the warranty cover? And where is it written?
If you want to see how one builder answers them, start with our packages and published rates or the cost estimator. Buildryt was founded in 2019 and builds only in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and the rate is published per sq.ft, including GST. Whoever you choose, hold them to the same nine items.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to choose a contractor for house construction?
Compare builders on written facts, not impressions. Ask each for the same things: a written scope, specifications by brand and grade, the site engineer's name, a payment schedule, exclusions and warranty terms. Visit a finished house and one under construction. The builder who answers clearly and in writing is usually the safer choice.
What is the difference between a builder and a contractor?
A contractor usually carries out a defined piece of work, often labour only, and you arrange materials and supervision. A builder offering turnkey construction takes the whole job, from materials and labour to supervision and handover. Always check which one your agreement describes, because the responsibility differs.
What questions should I ask a builder before signing?
Ask who the site engineer is, what the specifications are by brand and grade, what is excluded, when each payment falls due, how progress is shown, what the warranty covers and how changes are priced. Also ask to visit past projects. Get every answer in writing before you pay.
What is turnkey construction?
Turnkey construction means one company delivers the finished house for an agreed rate, handling materials, labour, supervision and handover. You still approve the plan and the specifications. Read the inclusions and exclusions closely, because a turnkey price covers only what the agreement lists.
How do I check a builder's past work?
Ask for addresses of finished houses and one under construction, then visit and talk to the owners without the builder present. Look for cracks, uneven floors, door alignment and damp. A builder with good work will usually welcome the visit. If the answer is evasive, treat that as information.
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