Where to look for fraud in the construction estimate

More and more people are seeking individual housing. If a large construction begins, then you need to draw up a detailed estimate indicating all possible costs. It will be difficult to do this on your own for a person far from the construction industry. Therefore, costing and specialized organizations involved. But how to understand the many numbers if you do not work every day as a foreman at a construction site?

Often unscrupulous builders take advantage of the inexperience of the client and add non-existent items to the estimate. As a result, the final price of a house can increase by 20-30%. Such hidden fraud is very common today. Avoid cheating will help independent detailed analysis of all items of the estimate. It is important to ask builders to write down all the expenses in the most detail. Then it will be easier to identify postscripts.

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In this case, special attention should be paid to such items of design estimates:

1. The cost of building materials and raw materials. There are great opportunities for fraud. It is necessary to check whether the brick that is stated in the estimate is really used. And didn’t they put Russian instead of Italian tiles? See if the brand of the product matches. The estimate may include cement, costing 600 rubles per bag. But, if there is no name, the contractor will buy for 300. Used materials may be used instead of new materials.
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2. Overstatement of the cost of work. The contractor, for example, prescribes the manual batch of the solution in the estimate, and does it with the help of a concrete mixer. Or one type of work is divided into stages, each with a separate cost. They offer to perform unnecessary work - to level the walls or floors, which are already even.
3. Additional expenses. As a rule, it is easiest to write off fraud for unforeseen expenses. Builders often include in this item costs that are already specified in other items.
4. Exclusion of required work from the list. Builders can take the trick and, in order to reduce the cost of work, remove some items at all. However, at the end of the construction, it turns out that the installation of doors in the building was not included in the total amount and you need to pay separately for this.

To avoid fraud, the customer should carefully study and recount all items of the estimate, armed with a calculator. You can ask to help friends or acquaintances, more knowledgeable in the construction business. Or contact an expert organization. Although this will take more time, it will save your money and not pay for air.