Five questions to ask before signing an interior fit-out contract

Most disputes that show up between a client and an interior contractor are not about the finished room — they're about expectations that diverged somewhere in the contract. After two decades on enough projects to be on the wrong side of this a few times ourselves, we have a short list of questions every client should ask before signing. None of these are exclusive to Flamingo; they apply to any reputable contractor in the country.

1. Who specifically holds the project end-to-end?

The most common failure mode in fit-out projects is the relay handoff — designer briefs sales, sales briefs project manager, project manager briefs the floor, floor disagrees with the spec, designer never hears about it. Ask for a single named project manager who owns the brief from sketch to handover and is contactable directly. Get them in the contract. If the contractor pushes back on naming the PM, that's a signal.

At Flamingo, every project has one PM whose phone number is in the contract. That number stays the same from sketch to twelve months post-handover.

2. What does the change-order process actually look like?

Changes are inevitable. The question is whether the contractor handles them with discipline or whether they accumulate as verbal asks that surface as line items at the end of the project. Insist on a written change-order process: every change documented, costed, and signed off before work proceeds. The first verbal change that gets executed without paperwork sets the precedent for the rest of the project.

3. What's the materials sign-off process?

Materials look different on a sample swatch than they do on a wall. Ask whether the contractor will sample on site, in your light, before locking specifications. Ask how many revisions are included. Ask what happens if the installed material doesn't match the sample. A reputable contractor expects one to three rounds of material sign-off; one that says "the sample is the final" is not someone you want laying eight thousand square feet of stone.

4. What's covered after handover, and for how long?

Joinery loosens. Polish needs touch-up. Drapes pull at the seams. These are normal; what matters is whether the contractor commits to fixing them. Ask for a written aftercare programme — minimum twelve months — that covers tightening of joinery, polish touch-ups, drape steam-cleaning, and a snag-list visit at three months. Also ask what happens at month thirteen: rate-card-based service, ad-hoc, or no service at all. The answer reveals how the contractor thinks about the long view.

• Three-month check-in visit — included
• Twelve-month aftercare programme — included
• Rate-card for repairs and re-upholstery beyond twelve months
• Direct line to the project PM for the first twelve months

5. Who buys the materials, and on whose paperwork?

On larger fit-outs, materials run forty to sixty percent of the project cost. Ask: does the contractor purchase materials on their paperwork (and bill you), or do you purchase materials on yours (and have the contractor install them)? Both are valid models — the first concentrates risk and accountability with the contractor, the second gives you direct relationships with material suppliers but removes one accountability layer. Pick one and put it in writing.

There's a third option some Indian contractors offer — they buy materials on the side, in cash, off-spec — that you should refuse. It's how most material substitution disputes start, and it's not legal.

What a good contract looks like

A good fit-out contract is between thirty and sixty pages. It includes: scope of work with a line-item breakdown; named project manager with contact details; payment schedule tied to phase-gates (not calendar dates); change-order process; material specification with sample-approval requirements; lead times with penalty terms; aftercare programme; and dispute-resolution clause. Anything significantly shorter is missing protection for both sides.

If you're evaluating contractors, our construction & civil service page has more detail on how Flamingo structures fit-out engagements. Or talk to our Bengaluru studio directly — we're happy to walk through a sample contract structure even if you're not engaging us.