Choosing a grey structure contractor
Visit a site the contractor is building right now. Look at the shuttering, the straightness of columns, the spacing of sariya and how bricks are soaked before laying. A tidy site with materials stored off the ground is usually a good sign.
Ask who mixes and pours concrete, whether ready-mix or site-mixed concrete is planned for slabs and how curing will be done. Ask, too, how the contractor handles the society's inspections.
- Running site you can inspect
- Named site in-charge for your house
- Clear plan for concrete and curing
- Familiarity with your society's building rules
Contracts and payment stages
Grey structure contracts are usually priced per square foot of covered area or as a lump sum for the drawings. Either way, the contract should list cement, steel, brick and sand specifications, slab thickness and the concrete mix ratio set by your engineer.
Tie payments to finished stages such as excavation and foundations, each slab, brickwork and the roof. Avoid large advances, and keep a written record of every payment and every agreed change.
Site checks that protect your structure
The key moments are before each concrete pour. Check that the sariya size, number and spacing match the structural drawings, that cover blocks are in place and that shuttering is firm and clean.
After pouring, curing matters as much as mixing. Slabs and columns need to be kept wet for the period your engineer advises. Brickwork should be in line and plumb, with joints filled properly. Photograph every stage before it is covered.
- Steel checked against drawings before every pour
- Concrete cubes taken for slabs where practical
- Proper curing after each pour
- Conduit and pipe routes photographed before plaster