Established builders in Kolkata: who to look at and how to check them

General information, not advice or an endorsement. This list is in alphabetical order, not a ranking, and it is not complete. No builder paid to be on it. Names, projects and their records change, so check each builder yourself before you pay anything.

When you buy a new home, you are also choosing the builder. In Kolkata the same few names come up again and again, which makes it easy to assume a familiar name is a safe one. It is not a substitute for checking. This guide lists developers active in Kolkata, with a line on where each is based and what it builds, and then shows you how to check any builder, on this list or not.

Developers active in Kolkata

• Ambuja Neotia: Kolkata-based; residential and commercial developments.
• Bengal Peerless: Kolkata-based; residential developments.
• Godrej Properties: Mumbai-headquartered national developer with projects in Kolkata.
• Merlin Group: Kolkata-based; residential and commercial projects.
• PS Group: Kolkata-based; residential and commercial projects.
• Shrachi Group: Kolkata-based; residential and commercial projects.
• Siddha Group: Kolkata-based; residential projects.
• Srijan Realty: Kolkata-based; residential and commercial projects.
• Tata Housing: Mumbai-based developer with residential projects in Kolkata.
• Unimark Group: Kolkata-based; residential projects.

A builder appearing here says only that it builds homes in the city. It says nothing about the quality of any one project, how it treats buyers, or whether a particular project is registered or approved. Those are things you check project by project.

How to check a builder in Kolkata

1. Ask for the registration number of the exact project, and search it on West Bengal's real estate regulatory authority (WBRERA). Match the promoter's name, the project name and address, and the completion date with what you were told. See RERA explained.
2. Look at the builder's earlier projects on the same website. Compare the completion date it promised with the one it reported, and see how many ran late.
3. Check whether the authority has recorded complaints or orders against the builder or the project.
4. Visit a finished project by the same builder. Speak to residents or the owners' association about the quality of the work, the maintenance and whether promised facilities were delivered.
5. Ask for the approvals and read them against the approvals and documents checklist.
6. Ask which stage the project is at and what that means for you. See which construction stage to buy from.
7. Have a lawyer read the agreement for sale before you sign or pay a booking amount.

What is specific to Kolkata

In Kolkata, ask which civic body sanctioned the building plan and ask to see the sanction, along with the land records. Many older properties and redevelopments have a long chain of ownership, so have a lawyer read the title papers.

Questions to ask any builder

• What is the project's registration number, and which phase or tower does it cover?
• Which approvals do you hold, and can I see the documents?
• What is the promised handover date, and what happens if it slips?
• Is the price quoted on carpet area, and what else will I pay beyond it?
• What is the payment schedule, and is each payment tied to a stage of construction?
• Who maintains the building after handover, and how are the charges set?

Ready to look at homes? Browse homes in Kolkata on Bhavano, and use the home loan EMI calculator to see what a loan would cost before you talk to a builder.