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KANZ Constructions

THE KANZ LEARNING ROOM

A better home starts
with better questions.

Short, useful reads for the decisions ahead. Understand the things that change your cost, your comfort and the way your home is built.

Try the budget planner & quotation checklist →

01

Your plot size is not your construction area

Separate land, building area and the space you can use.

Get one floor-by-floor area schedule before comparing prices.

A 30 × 50 ft plot contains 1,500 sq ft of land. Adding floors does not change that land area. Built-up area describes the construction, but you still need its measurement rule. A contractor’s pricing area and an authority’s approval calculation can treat particular spaces differently.

Ask for a marked plan showing each floor, external walls, covered stairs, balconies, parking, voids and the open terrace. Identify which areas attract the main building rate and which are separately measured. Also ask how much usable room space remains after walls, circulation and services.

Multiplying plot area by four does not establish an approved G+3 building. Your architect must check the applicable planning rules and actual site. A useful early budget therefore starts with a survey and an area schedule, then records which figures are assumptions and which are supported by drawings.

Ask these questions

  • Which areas enter the quoted total?
  • Are stairs or balconies counted twice?
  • Which layout assumptions remain unapproved?

Further reading: BDA: RMP 2015 zoning framework, read with applicable amendments

02

Compare the basket, not just the square-foot rate

Two attractive prices can cover very different homes.

Match quantities, complete installations and tax before comparing totals.

Start by giving each contractor the same drawings and area schedule. Then compare the number of bathrooms, kitchens, doors, windows and electrical points. A bathroom allowance “per bathroom” is different from one “per 1,000 sq ft”; the same headline amount can buy a different quantity.

Read each allowance as a complete purchase. Does the tile amount cover only supply, or also preparation, adhesive, grout, cutting and laying? Does a window include its frame, reinforcement, appropriate glass, hardware, mesh and installation? Naming a familiar brand does not answer these questions.

Ask each bidder to mark every item included, excluded or provisional and state whether GST is included. Compare the total for that matched scope, including owner-paid items. Finally, agree how upgraded selections are priced and how omitted or cheaper selections receive credits. A clear comparison should explain the remaining differences, not hide them in a package name.

Ask these questions

  • What exactly does each allowance buy?
  • Which costs will I pay separately?
  • How are additions and credits recorded?

Further reading: Fenesta: window assembly components and design considerations

03

The most valuable site photos may show unfinished work

Ask for evidence before concrete, plaster or tiles hide it.

A photograph supports an inspection; it does not replace testing.

A finished bathroom can look excellent while concealing a poorly installed pipe joint. Before plaster or tiles cover the work, there is a useful opportunity to inspect it, complete the specified tests and record the result. Afterwards, finding the same defect can mean opening finished surfaces.

Ask the engineer which activities need a formal hold before the next trade proceeds. Typical examples include reinforcement and sleeves before a concrete pour, water lines before concealment, and waterproofing before its protective covering. The approved drawings, system instructions and inspection plan determine what must be checked.

For each release, keep the location, drawing revision, date, test result and reviewer’s name, supported by clear photographs. A picture of pipes alone does not show that a pressure test passed. If a critical check fails, the affected work needs correction and an authorised recheck before it is covered.

Ask these questions

  • What must pass before concealment?
  • Can I see the test record?
  • Who authorises the next stage?

Further reading: Astral CPVC PRO: installation and acceptance testing · Dr. Fixit Pidifin 2K: system instructions and technical resources

04

Choose the things that other trades are waiting for

Some small selections control several later tasks.

Make decisions against a need-by date and a drawing revision.

The kitchen sink model can determine a worktop cut-out. The bed position affects switches and sockets. A bathroom fitting can change concealed pipe positions. These decisions deserve attention before the relevant work starts, even if paint colours can comfortably wait until later.

Keep a short selection register: item, exact model or approved sample, quantity, decision owner and need-by date. Ask the site team to connect that date to procurement and installation. Coordinate tile format and layout with substrate preparation and the chosen installation system, rather than approving a tile photograph in isolation.

When you change your mind, ask for one written note showing the drawing change, additions, omitted work, net price and programme effect. Approve it before ordering or altered work. Use a weekly review to clear the decisions that could hold up the next activities. This creates a shared record of what everyone is building.

Ask these questions

  • Which decisions are due next week?
  • What other work depends on them?
  • Which approved drawing has changed?

Further reading: SikaCeram-255 Large Tile: substrate and application considerations

05

A quiet site day can still be part of the plan

Progress depends on readiness as well as visible activity.

Ask what releases the next stage, not only its date.

Home construction usually moves from site investigation and design to foundations, the structural frame, walls and concealed services, then waterproofing, finishes, testing and handover. Some activities overlap under an agreed work plan. Others need an inspection, a completed dependency or suitable material conditions before they can proceed.

Concrete curing maintains conditions that support cement hydration and strength development; it is not simply waiting for concrete to look dry. The method and duration depend on the approved specification, materials and site conditions. Formwork removal, loading and the next construction stage also need the engineer’s release criteria.

Request a programme that shows these dependencies, inspection holds and material-specific waiting periods. Ask how weather, delayed selections or a failed test will affect the next activities. A calendar promise alone cannot establish that work is ready. The useful update explains what is complete, what is being protected or checked, and what happens next.

Ask these questions

  • What is the current release condition?
  • How is curing recorded on site?
  • What could change the next date?

Further reading: NPTEL, IIT Delhi: Concrete Technology, including compaction and curing · NPTEL: explanation of curing and cement hydration

06

Plan the route before buying the gadget

Useful provisions make future choices easier to define.

A spare conduit is not a complete working system.

Future readiness starts with a short list of likely needs: an EV charger, rooftop solar, backup power, air-conditioning, data cabling or a water-treatment unit. For each, distinguish the equipment from the space, access and service routes it may eventually require.

Ask the relevant designer to assess electrical load, distribution-board space, safe cable routes, drainage and any structural supports. An empty conduit with a draw wire does not include a charger, cable, protective device or commissioning. A roof reserved for solar still needs a suitable structural and waterproofing arrangement before installation.

Record which provisions are included now, their locations and what remains to be designed or purchased later. Keep labelled photographs and the final drawings so a future installer can find the routes. Prioritise provisions that suit your expected use; a long list of undefined “smart” features is much less useful than a few coordinated, accessible and documented choices.

Ask these questions

  • Is this equipment or only provision?
  • Has the required capacity been assessed?
  • Will the route remain accessible?

Further reading: NITI Aayog: handbook on EV charging infrastructure planning

General homeowner education, reviewed 11 September 2026. Technical criteria and approvals are set by your appointed professionals for the actual building. Manufacturer guidance applies to the specified product/system.

TAKE THIS TO YOUR NEXT MEETING

Before you sign.
Eight things to make clear.

A practical checklist to use with any contractor. No contact details needed to download it.

Download the checklist ↓
  1. Use the same drawings and floor-by-floor area schedule for every bidder.
  2. List units, kitchens, bathrooms, doors, windows and electrical points.
  3. Record exact material models and what each supply allowance buys.
  4. Separate complete installation from equipment or provision-only work.
  5. Identify taxes, authority charges, abnormal site work and exclusions.
  6. Agree selection credits and approve changes with cost and time effects.
  7. Identify the engineer, inspection holds and evidence for payment claims.
  8. Review the programme, handover records and written defect responsibilities.