We don't publish a price list.
We publish how we price.
Two houses on the same street can differ by thousands, because the ground, the span, the finishes and what is already standing are never the same. A rate card would be a guess dressed up as a number.
So we cost every project from a professional Bill of Quantities, and we are completely open about the part we can publish: what you pay to start, and how the balance is spread.
What is fixed and published
- Deposit percentages, tiered by project size — from 50% down to 30%
- Balance spread over 12–24 months, in stages linked to progress
- Every quotation itemised, so you see what each line costs
- A signed contract before any work starts
Three steps between your enquiry and a real number.
Nobody can price your project over the phone. What we can do is get you to a properly costed figure quickly, and charge you nothing for the quotation itself.
Site visit & assessment
We walk the site, measure what is there and establish the real scope of work — including the things that only show up in person.
Site visit fee applies
Deducted from your project cost once you confirm.
Bill of Quantities
Our Quantity Surveyor measures every item of work and materials, and prices it. This is the document a real cost is built on.
Prepared by our QS
Yours to keep, and to compare against other builders.
Itemised quotation
You get a clear, line-by-line quotation with the deposit and payment schedule set out, before anything is signed.
No obligation
Take it away and think about it.
The bigger the project, the smaller the deposit.
That runs opposite to what most people expect, and it is deliberate. A large project carries enough structure — stages, inspections, a long contract — that we can carry more of it with you. A small job is over before a payment plan would mean anything.
We confirm which band your project falls into when the Bill of Quantities is priced, so you are never guessing which row applies to you.
| Project Size | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Small projects | 50% |
| Medium projects | 40% |
| Large projects | 30–35% |
| Residential durawall | 30% |
Then the balance.
Payable over 12–24 months, structured in stages tied to progress on site — so what you pay tracks what has actually been built. The schedule is set out in your contract before you sign.
See what starting would cost.
If you have a budget or a figure from another builder, put it in. This applies our published deposit percentages to your number — it does not estimate what your project costs. Only a Bill of Quantities can do that.
Your figure, not ours — a budget, or a quotation you are comparing.
We confirm your band at BOQ stage.
Enter a project value to see the deposit and how the balance breaks down.
The monthly figure is the balance divided evenly, shown to give you a feel for the commitment. Real payments are stage payments tied to progress on site, so they will not all be the same size. An admin and documentation fee applies at contract stage and is confirmed in your quotation.
This calculator is not a quotation and creates no agreement. It applies published deposit percentages to a figure you supply. Your actual project cost, deposit band and payment schedule are confirmed in writing after a site visit and Bill of Quantities.
Why two similar-looking jobs quote differently.
Worth knowing before you compare quotations — from us or anyone else.
Scope and size
Floor area, number of rooms, spans and storeys. The single biggest driver, and the one most people underestimate.
Ground and site conditions
Rock, poor soil, slope or drainage problems can change foundation costs substantially. This is what a site visit is really for.
Materials and finishes
The same house in different tiles, roofing and fittings is a different price. Your BOQ prices the specification you actually choose.
What is already standing
On an incomplete house, the condition of existing work decides how much can be built on and how much has to be corrected first.
Access and location
How easily materials and people reach the site, and how far it is from Bulawayo. Travel is priced into the quotation, not sprung on you later.
Approvals and documentation
Plans, project registration and the paperwork a compliant build needs. We handle it; the cost of it appears as its own line.
Two charges that are not part of the build.
Both are confirmed in writing before you pay anything. Neither is a surprise on an invoice.
Site visit fee
Charged per visit, and it covers our time and travel to come and assess your site properly rather than guess from a phone call.
Deducted from your project cost once you confirm the project — so if you proceed with us, it costs you nothing in the end.
Admin & documentation fee
Applies at contract stage and covers preparing the agreement, the project documentation and registration.
Set out in your quotation before signature, so you see it alongside everything else.
We confirm both amounts when you enquire — they depend on where your site is and the scale of the contract. .
Marketing
Priced against the brief rather than a deposit tier — a campaign, a retainer or a one-off piece of work are three different shapes of cost. Tell us the outcome you need and we will scope it.
See what Marketing doesSentinel Group
Quoted on cover: what needs protecting, over what hours, for how long. A single event and an ongoing premises arrangement are priced quite differently.
See what Sentinel doesThe things people ask before they commit.
Still unsure about something? — we would rather answer it now than after you have signed.
Why won't you just tell me a price per square metre?
Because a rate per square metre hides everything that actually varies — foundations, finishes, access, what is already built. A number given over the phone is either padded to be safe or too low to hold, and both end badly. The BOQ exists so you get a figure that survives contact with the site.
Is the quotation free?
The quotation itself is, and comes with no obligation. The site visit that makes it possible carries a fee, which is deducted from your project cost when you confirm the project — so if you build with us, you are not out of pocket for it.
Can I supply my own materials?
Often yes, and the BOQ separates labour from materials so you can see exactly what you would be taking on. Raise it at site visit stage and we will price it both ways, so you can compare.
What happens if the scope changes mid-project?
Changes are priced and agreed in writing before the work is done, against the original BOQ. You will not find out about extra cost after the fact — that is the point of working from an itemised document.
Do you price for tenders and public projects?
Yes. We are registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe under category SC006 — Construction and Civil Works — so we can be engaged on public procurement work, and we prepare BOQs and tender pricing for other contractors as a service in its own right.
Can I get just the BOQ, without you doing the build?
Yes — quantity surveying and BOQ preparation is a service we sell on its own, priced as a professional fee. Plenty of clients use it to sanity-check quotations they have received elsewhere.
Get a real number.
Tell us what you are building and where. We will arrange the site visit, price the Bill of Quantities and come back with an itemised quotation you can actually plan around.