The buying calendar of a plot rebuild
| Trade | Specified | Purchased |
|---|---|---|
| Building materials | months 0 to 1 | months 1 to 8 |
| Equipment and machinery | no specification stage | months 0 to 9 |
| Site services and compliance | no specification stage | months 0 to 4 |
| MEP and building systems | months 0 to 3 | months 5 to 12 |
| Hardware and fittings | months 0 to 3 | months 7 to 14 |
| Woodwork and joinery | months 1 to 4 | months 7 to 15 |
| Interiors and finishes | months 2 to 7 | months 10 to 17 |
A large share of construction in Delhi is the rebuilding of individual plots, often as a stilt-plus-four residential building. These projects follow a fairly predictable sequence, and every trade has a window when it is chosen and a window when it is bought. The timings below are indicative for a build of roughly 12 to 18 months. They come from our own site programmes, and every site differs.
Mobilisation (month 0 to 1)
The site is cleared and set up. Soil testing, anti-termite treatment, dust-control measures and site equipment are arranged now. Equipment rental and site services sell here. The hoist, the mixer and the first scaffolding arrive before the first bag of cement.
Foundation and basement (months 1 to 3)
Excavation, footings and the first concrete pours. Cement, ready-mix, steel and aggregates are booked in volume, usually by the contractor, to grades set by the structural engineer. Waterproofing goes into the basement before the backfill does.
Structure (months 3 to 7)
Columns, beams and slabs, floor by floor. Bulk materials and shuttering keep flowing. Lifts and major building systems need to be settled by now, because they shape the structure: the shaft, the pit, the plant room.
Masonry and services (months 7 to 10)
Walls go up and plumbing, electrical and fire lines are laid inside them. Pipes, wires and concealed fittings are bought. Door and window frames start to arrive. Blocks, bricks and plaster are consumed fast; a site can run dry in a day.
Finishing (months 10 to 16)
Tiles, stone, paint, sanitaryware, fittings, doors, windows, kitchens and lighting. This is the longest buying window and involves the most decision makers: the architect, often an interior designer, and the owner.
Handover (months 16 to 18)
Final fit-out, snagging and connections. Last-minute purchases and replacements.
The key pattern: specification comes before purchase. Finishes and fittings are often chosen at the drawing stage, months before anyone buys. Suppliers who reach the architect early compete on specification instead of price.
Turning the calendar into a pipeline
Because Supercrete Intelligence shows how long ago each project was first seen, you can time outreach to your window. A tile supplier might work projects six to twelve months in. A scaffolding company wants projects from this week. Saved searches use project age to keep each team on the sites that are about to buy.
Questions
Do commercial projects follow the same calendar?
The sequence is similar; the durations are longer, and systems such as HVAC and fire are decided earlier and are larger.
Is construction stage tracked on site?
No. Project age is the signal we show. The calendar helps you read it.