How to Build Your House in Nigeria Without Being Cheated
1. Never pay 100% upfront.
Stage your payments. A reasonable structure: 30–40% mobilisation, then instalments tied to completed milestones (foundation done, lintel level, roofing done). Money paid in full upfront removes the contractor's motivation to deliver.
2. Write a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) before you start.
A BOQ lists every material needed — blocks, cement, iron rods, roofing sheets — with quantities and estimated costs. Without it, you cannot verify if what was quoted is what was used. Any quantity surveyor can prepare one.
3. Specify materials in your contract.
Don't write "cement." Write "Dangote or BUA 42.5R cement." Don't write "iron rods." Write "12mm Fe500 TMT bars." Vague specs allow substitution with inferior materials. Specificity closes that door.
4. Buy key materials yourself — or supervise buying.
Cement, iron rods, roofing materials, tiles — buy these directly or have a trusted person on-site when they're purchased. A dishonest contractor can invoice you for 200 bags of cement and use 150. The difference goes into his pocket.
5. Hire an independent site supervisor.
Separate from your contractor. This person works for you — checking work quality, monitoring material usage, flagging shortcuts. Even visiting once or twice a week changes behaviour on site.
6. Get a structural engineer to review drawings.
Not just an architect. A structural engineer specifies column sizes, reinforcement, and foundation depth. Without this, a contractor can build what looks good but will crack, shift, or collapse over time.
7. Do a soil test before foundation work begins.
The contractor cannot tell you what foundation type is appropriate without knowing the soil. A geotechnical report costs a small fraction of what the wrong foundation will cost to fix later.
8. Count and confirm materials on delivery.
When cement arrives, count the bags. When blocks arrive, count them. When iron rods arrive, count and measure them. Discrepancies between what was invoiced and what arrived are common. Catch it at delivery, not later.
9. Take weekly photos and keep a site diary.
Document progress visually. If there's a dispute over what was done or what materials were used, photos with timestamps are evidence. A site diary noting what was delivered, what was completed, and who was on site protects you legally.
10. Know the going rate for labour and materials.
Before you engage any contractor, price materials at the market yourself. Know what a bag of cement costs, what a block costs, what daily labour rates are in your area. Ignorance is what gets exploited. Knowledge is negotiating power.
11. Put everything in a signed contract.
Scope of work. Materials specification. Payment schedule. Timeline. Penalties for delay. Dispute resolution process. A handshake agreement is worthless when money is involved and trust breaks down.
12. Beware the "I'll manage it" contractor.
Any contractor who responds to quality concerns with "I go manage am" or "e go still hold" is telling you he is cutting corners. Standards are not negotiable. Walk away or escalate before it's too late to fix.
Contact BSAT Properties for land banking and construction services
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