House Construction Payment Schedule Calculator
Turn a contractor's contract amount into a safe, milestone-based payment schedule with a mobilization advance and retention — in NPR and your home currency — so you pay against verified progress, not in one lump sum.
Milestone payment schedule
| milestone | percent | gross | retention | netRelease | send (USD) | cumulativePaid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilization advance | 15.0% | NPR 7,50,000 | NPR 0 | NPR 7,50,000 | $4,934 | NPR 7,50,000 |
| Foundation & DPC complete | 12.8% | NPR 6,37,500 | NPR 31,875 | NPR 6,05,625 | $3,984 | NPR 13,55,625 |
| Superstructure (columns, beams, slabs) | 21.3% | NPR 10,62,500 | NPR 53,125 | NPR 10,09,375 | $6,641 | NPR 23,65,000 |
| Brick masonry & partitions | 10.2% | NPR 5,10,000 | NPR 25,500 | NPR 4,84,500 | $3,188 | NPR 28,49,500 |
| Plastering complete | 6.8% | NPR 3,40,000 | NPR 17,000 | NPR 3,23,000 | $2,125 | NPR 31,72,500 |
| Roofing & waterproofing | 4.3% | NPR 2,12,500 | NPR 10,625 | NPR 2,01,875 | $1,328 | NPR 33,74,375 |
| Electrical & plumbing rough-in | 6.8% | NPR 3,40,000 | NPR 17,000 | NPR 3,23,000 | $2,125 | NPR 36,97,375 |
| Flooring & tiling | 8.5% | NPR 4,25,000 | NPR 21,250 | NPR 4,03,750 | $2,656 | NPR 41,01,125 |
| Doors, windows & joinery | 6.0% | NPR 2,97,500 | NPR 14,875 | NPR 2,82,625 | $1,859 | NPR 43,83,750 |
| Painting & finishing | 6.0% | NPR 2,97,500 | NPR 14,875 | NPR 2,82,625 | $1,859 | NPR 46,66,375 |
| Handover & cleanup | 2.5% | NPR 1,27,500 | NPR 6,375 | NPR 1,21,125 | $797 | NPR 47,87,500 |
| Retention release (after defect-liability period) | 0.0% | NPR 2,12,500 | NPR 0 | NPR 2,12,500 | $1,398 | NPR 50,00,000 |
How this works
Each milestone bills a share of the contract; retention is withheld from every bill and released at the end:
advance = contract × advance% / 100
milestones = scaled to fill the remaining (100 − advance%)
gross = contract × milestone% / 100
retention = gross × retention% / 100
netRelease = gross − retention
final row = release of all withheld retentionPick your country to see how much to send at each milestone in your home currency at the live rate.
Worked example
A contract of NPR 50,00,000 with a 15% advance and 5% retention:
- Mobilization advance = NPR 7,50,000
- Each milestone withholds 5% until handover
- Total retention (≈ NPR 2,12,500) released after the defect-liability period
Sources
- Standard milestone / retention practice for residential contracts.
FAQ
How should I pay a contractor when building a house in Nepal?
Pay in stages against verified completion, not in one lump sum. A typical structure is a small mobilization advance, milestone payments released as each stage (foundation, structure, masonry, finishing) is verified, and a retention amount held back from each bill and released only after a defect-liability period. This calculator builds exactly that schedule for your contract amount.
What is a mobilization advance and how much is reasonable?
A mobilization advance is an upfront payment that lets the contractor start — buy initial materials, set up the site. Keep it small, usually 10–20% of the contract. A large advance removes your leverage and increases your loss if work stalls, which is a serious risk when you are building from abroad.
What is retention money?
Retention is a percentage (often 5%) withheld from each milestone payment and released only after the work is complete and a defect-liability period has passed with no problems. It gives the contractor a strong incentive to fix snags and finish properly. This tool withholds retention from each bill and shows the total released at the end.
Do the payments add up to the full contract amount?
Yes. The advance, every net milestone release, and the final retention release always sum to exactly the contract amount you enter. The schedule simply changes the timing of when the money leaves your hands, tying each release to verified progress.
Can I use this if I am living abroad?
Yes — it is especially useful then. Tie each release to a stage you have verified through photos, video, and independent measurement before sending money through a formal channel. Pair it with the Remittance Cost Calculator to see the true transfer cost and the Contractor Quote Checker to sanity-check the quote first.