How to Choose a Construction Contractor in Nepal: 9 Questions to Ask First
Nine questions that separate a reliable construction contractor from a risky one in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur — and the answers you should expect.
Choosing a contractor is mostly a judgement about how someone will behave when something goes wrong — because on a build lasting a year, something will. These are the questions that tell you that before you commit, and they work whether you are talking to us or to anyone else.
1. Can I see a site you are working on right now?
Not a finished photo — a live site. A finished house tells you about the photographer. An active site tells you how they stack material, whether the steel is off the ground, whether there is any safety provision, and whether the place is organised or chaotic. A contractor who is reluctant to show you a running site is telling you something.
2. Is the quotation itemised?
A lump sum hides everything. An itemised quotation shows quantity and rate per item, which means you can compare two contractors honestly and see which line to adjust if the total is too high. If a contractor will not itemise, you cannot tell whether they are cheaper or simply including less.
3. What is the payment schedule?
Payment should follow completed work — foundation, each slab, blockwork, plaster, finishing, handover. Be careful with any contractor who wants a large payment before meaningful work has started. A modest mobilisation advance is normal; most of the money going out early is not.
4. Who is on site every day?
Ask for a name. On many jobs the person who sells the contract is not the person who runs the site, and problems start when nobody is clearly accountable day to day. You want to know who you call when something looks wrong at four in the afternoon.
5. What happens if it takes longer than agreed?
Delays happen — monsoon, material, approvals. What matters is whether the contract says anything about them. A contractor willing to put a completion timeline and a delay clause in writing is a contractor who intends to meet it.
6. Is this a registered company?
A registered company with a PAN can issue a proper bill and can be held to a written contract. It also means there is a legal entity behind the work if something needs to be resolved later. Ask, and ask to see it.
7. Who buys the material, and who decides the brand?
Both models work. What causes disputes is ambiguity. If the contractor buys, the quotation should name brands and grades — cement, steel, sanitary ware — not just "good quality". If you buy, be clear about who is responsible when material arrives late and the site stands idle.
8. Will you build to the approved drawings?
It sounds obvious. On site, drawings get "adjusted" for convenience more often than owners realise — a column shifted, a beam reduced, reinforcement spaced wider. Ask the question directly, and ask what happens if they disagree with something on the drawing.
9. What is covered after handover?
Ask what happens if a tap leaks or a crack appears three months later, and get the answer in the contract. Workmanship cover for a defined period after handover is normal and reasonable to expect. A contractor who has not thought about it has not thought about the long term.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a contractor or manage construction myself?
Managing it yourself can save the contractor's margin, but it means you are personally sourcing material, scheduling six or seven trades and being on site most days for a year. Most people who try it part-way through a full house end up handing it over. If you have the time and some construction knowledge it is viable; if you have a full-time job it usually is not.
How do I check if a contractor's past work is really theirs?
Ask for the address of a completed project and the owner's contact, then speak to the owner directly. Ask them about delays and about how problems were handled, not just whether they are happy. Photographs can come from anywhere; a phone call to a previous client cannot be faked.