32 ✓ Contract Checklist
Checklist: clauses to put in your contract BEFORE you sign
Based on everything above, here is a practical checklist. Go through it line by line with your contractor and get every point written into the contract — not promised verbally.
unwrittenclause.com/en/checklist
⬇ PDF · Contract Checklist- 01Exact road level and plot level measured and noted, with the final plinth height fixed and included in the base rate (not billed as 'extra' above 2-3 feet).
- 02Chhajja, balcony and gallery drainage pipes/slopes marked on the plan and installed with the plinth beam and slab — not added afterward.
- 03Car ramp length fixed at minimum 10 feet with maximum slope specified, decided before the plinth beam is cast — with the granite length and width for the ramp written in the contract.
- 04Underground water tank and soak-pit (sokhta) size fixed as an exact figure based on your family's needs, not left open-ended.
- 05Lift shaft electrical work (heavy wiring + lighting) listed as its own line item with a qualified electrician.
- 06Slab levelling defects to be corrected by the contractor before handover; false ceiling treated as your design choice, not a defect cover-up.
- 07Name of the actual execution sub-contractor disclosed, with your payments linked to written, dated milestones.
- 08Payment schedule tied to verifiable finishing stages, with 25-30% held back until after finishing work (paint, stone, woodwork) is complete.
- 09Waterproofing ('jhaap') priced separately and explicitly, not bundled at the slab rate.
- 10Boundary wall / parapet / railing rates for every floor confirmed in writing — included or separate.
- 11Kitchen false ceiling included from the start to conceal the exhaust duct.
- 12Material and finish (MS or steel) specified for every grill, railing and gate, with rate fixed per kg or per running foot.
- 13Inflation-sharing clause added for tiles, granite, paint and other finishing materials bought months after signing.
- 14Front gate and staircase railing inclusion/exclusion confirmed explicitly; if excluded, budgeted at 304-grade steel rates (about ₹500/kg) and independently quoted.
- 15Paint or polish (enamel paint, melamine or PU polish, with brand/grade) specified explicitly for every door, window and wood surface.
- 16Sub-contractor names and payment responsibility documented, so their payment delays aren't used as an excuse for delaying your work.
- 17AC piping, drain points and wall sleeves included in the electrical/plumbing scope from the start.
- 18Premium-grade cement specified by name for slab (lenter) work.
- 19Column, beam and plinth-beam steel (saria) sized for the maximum number of floors you might eventually add — not just the floor being built now — confirmed with a structural engineer and written into the contract/drawing.
- 20Sunken slab (a proper recessed RCC pour, not rubble fill) specified for every bathroom on every floor.
- 21Light-point layout, designer wall design and wall/staircase moulding design finalized and attached to the contract before signing.
- 22Cantilever beam design and steel specification approved by a structural engineer before casting.
- 23Plinth beams confirmed as one interconnected frame at every junction, not separate disconnected segments — priced into the contract upfront.
- 24Curing beds built with a proper 4-6 inch brick boundary and cement-slurry lining, kept filled with water for at least 21 days with no other roof work during that time; staircase cast the same day or next day as the main slab.
- 25Every visible item (stairs, ramp, doors, windows, grills, sink, toilets, gate, railings) listed with exact size, material, grade and model — assume anything unwritten will be the cheapest version.
- 26Staircase granite specified: single or double layer, edge moulding, granite type/colour and thickness, and risers.
- 27Wood type (solid teak/other hardwood/flush), thickness and finish written for every door and frame.
- 28Each window specified: single or double shutter, mesh + glass, glass type and thickness, frame material.
- 29Roof grill design fixed upfront (plain pipe, CNC jaali, MS iron or steel) with a design reference and rate.
- 30Kitchen sink specified as 304-grade stainless steel, with size, bowl/drainboard type, brand and model, plus tap model.
- 31Brand AND model number written for every WC, wash basin, tap, shower and flush in each bathroom.
- 32Payments never ahead of completed work; a written abandonment clause (remaining work measured and handed to another contractor at his cost); every extra approved in writing with a rate before it's done; photos and payment records kept.