Choosing the right contractor for your house
A good builder is open about how they work. Ask who will be on site every day, who supervises the mistri teams and how often an engineer visits. A contractor who runs several sites at once should be able to name the site in-charge for yours.
Look at finished homes and, more usefully, homes still under construction. A running site shows you the quality of shuttering, the spacing of sariya, the cleanliness of the site and how materials are stored. These details tell you more than photos on a phone.
- Ask for addresses of recent projects in your society or nearby
- Check whether they have built to your plot size before
- Confirm they are comfortable working with your architect's drawings
- Ask how they handle changes requested during construction
Contracts, stages and payments
Most house builds in Lahore follow one of three models: grey structure only, turnkey (structure plus finishing), or labour rate where the owner supplies materials. Each suits a different owner. If you have time to visit the site and buy materials, labour rate gives control. If you want one point of responsibility, turnkey is simpler.
Whatever the model, payments should be linked to completed stages such as foundations, each slab, brickwork and plaster, not to dates on a calendar. Keep a written record of every payment and every change in scope. The contract should name the drawings it is based on, the material specifications and who is responsible for approvals, water, electricity and site security.
Site supervision and quality checks
Even with a trusted thekedar, independent checks protect your investment. Many owners hire a site engineer or ask their architect for periodic visits at key moments: before concrete is poured, after brickwork reaches lintel level and before plaster covers pipes and wiring.
Simple checks go a long way. Make sure concrete is cured properly, that sariya has the cover shown in the drawings, that walls are in plumb and that pipes are pressure tested before they are closed. Photos at each stage make later repairs much easier to trace.
- Check sariya size and spacing against the structural drawings before each pour
- Ask for cube tests on slab concrete where practical
- Inspect damp-proof course and termite treatment at plinth level
- Test water and drainage lines before tiling