The full clause checklist
All 34 clauses below. Tick the ones your draft already covers, and ask for the rest in writing before you sign anything.
1 · Scope and drawings
- The drawing set that forms part of the contract is listed by number and date
- The BOQ is attached and named as the governing document for scope
- Everything excluded is listed explicitly, not left to inference
- Who supplies loose furniture, appliances and curtains is stated
- Civil work, if any, is defined with its own scope and limits
2 · Specification
- Plywood grade named per zone, with the brand and the IS marking
- Laminate, veneer and paint named by brand, code and finish
- Hardware named by brand and series, not as 'imported' or 'branded'
- Countertop material, thickness and edge profile stated
- Any permitted substitution requires your written approval first
3 · Price and payment
- Contract value stated ex-GST with the GST rate shown separately
- Payment milestones tied to verifiable events, not to calendar dates
- The final payment is at least 10 per cent and follows snag closure
- Rate for extra work is fixed now, per unit, not negotiated later
- Escalation, if any, is capped and its trigger defined
4 · Programme
- Start date, completion date and the total working days are stated
- Society working hours are acknowledged in the programme
- Delay attributable to the contractor carries a stated consequence
- Client-caused delay — late approvals, late selections — is defined too
- Force majeure is defined and does not swallow ordinary monsoon delay
5 · Quality, warranty and defects
- Warranty period stated separately for joinery, hardware and finishes
- Waterproofing warranty is specific, with its own duration
- Defects liability period and the response time for a call-out
- Retention amount and the date it becomes payable
- What voids the warranty is listed, and is reasonable
6 · Conduct and risk
- Insurance for workers and for third-party damage is the contractor's obligation
- Damage to common property is the contractor's liability
- Site protection, daily cleaning and debris removal are included
- Material stored on site is at the contractor's risk until handover
- Photography and portfolio use of your home requires your consent
7 · Exit
- Termination rights for both sides, with notice periods
- How work in progress is valued if the contract ends early
- Drawings and design ownership after termination
- Dispute resolution seat and process stated
How to use it on a draft contract
- Read the contract with the sheet beside it and mark each clause present, partial or absent.
- Push hardest on the specification group. A contract that names brands and series is worth more than one that promises quality.
- Fix the extra-work rate now. It is the one number that is never negotiable at the same level once work has started.
- Check that the exclusions are written down. What is not excluded in writing will be argued about in person.
Three disputes it prevents
- “That was always extra.” A named BOQ and an explicit exclusions list removes the ambiguity that makes this possible.
- A milestone claimed on a date rather than on progress. Group three ties payment to verifiable events.
- A warranty that quietly covers nothing. Group five requires durations per element and a defined list of what voids cover.
Download the checklist (PDF) →
Pair it with the agreement template and our pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important clause?+
The one that names the BOQ and drawing set as part of the contract, by number and date. Without it, scope is whatever each party remembers. With it, every later disagreement has a document to refer to.
How should payment milestones be defined?+
Against verifiable site events: design freeze with written approvals, first fix complete and photographed, joinery installed, snag closure. Never against calendar dates. A date-based schedule pays for time rather than for progress, and on a delayed project that is exactly the wrong incentive.
Should there be a penalty for delay?+
Something, yes, but make it workable. A liquidated damages clause of 0.5 per cent per week capped at 5 per cent is common and enforceable. An extension of the warranty period is an alternative that contractors accept more readily. What matters more is that client-caused delay is also defined, or the clause is unusable.
Who should carry the insurance?+
The contractor, for workmen's compensation and third-party liability, with certificates lodged before mobilisation. Damage to common property should be their liability too. Your own home insurance should be updated for the works period, and for the new contents value afterwards.
Do I need a lawyer to review it?+
For a contract above roughly Rs 15 lakh, it is money well spent. Below that, reading it carefully against this checklist catches most of what matters. What a lawyer adds is the termination, dispute and liability language, which is exactly the part nobody reads until it is needed.