What does a construction cost per square foot not include?

1 min readReviewed 2026-10-31House Construction

The short answer

Usually land, architect fees, approvals, compound wall, borewell, solar, interiors and landscaping are outside the quoted rate.

Typical exclusions are the land itself, professional fees, statutory approval charges, compound walls and gates, water and sewer connections, borewell, solar and rainwater systems, lifts, landscaping and interior fit-out.

Ask for a written inclusion and exclusion list with the quotation. Most budget overruns on houses come from items everyone assumed were included, such as bathroom fittings, electrical points or external painting.

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