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The ARC PEM Blog

Field notes on BOQ, GST and contractor billing

Worked examples and practical guides for Indian architects, builders and contractors — the same rigour as our free tools, in article form.

Invoice and calculator representing TDS deduction on contractor payments under Section 194C
Featured

TDS on Contractor Payments: Section 194C Explained for Builders (Now Section 393)

1% or 2%? ₹30,000 or ₹1,00,000? Section 194C TDS on contractor payments explained — plus what changed now that it's Section 393 from April 2026.

ARC PEM Team·25 Aug 2026·6 min read
Split comparison of an Excel spreadsheet and construction expense tracking software dashboardProduct Guides
Construction Expense Tracking in Excel vs Software: Which Is Actually Better for Indian Firms?
Excel works fine until it doesn't. Here's an honest comparison of Excel vs construction expense software — and exactly when the switch actually pays off.
ARC PEM Team·21 Sept 2026·6 min read
Stacked cement bags at a construction site for calculating house construction material quantityBOQ & Cost Estimation
How Many Cement Bags Do I Need for My House? (Quick Answer + Size-Wise Table)
A 1,000 sq ft house needs roughly 95–400 bags of cement depending on what's included. Here's the quick answer, size-wise table, and exact calculator.
ARC PEM Team·21 Sept 2026·5 min read
City skyline representing construction cost per square foot comparison across Indian citiesBOQ & Cost Estimation
Construction Cost Per Sq Ft in India (2026): City-Wise Breakdown
Construction cost per sq ft varies 2-3x across Indian cities. Here's a realistic 2026 city-wise breakdown by quality tier, plus what actually moves the number.
ARC PEM Team·24 Aug 2026·5 min read
Steel Wastage in Construction: How Much Is "Normal" and How to Control ItBOQ & Cost Estimation
Steel Wastage in Construction: How Much Is "Normal" and How to Control It
Steel wastage above 3% is quietly eating your budget. Here's what actually causes it, what's normal, and how to cut it back using an accurate BBS.
ARC PEM Team·17 Aug 2026·5 min read
Diagram showing bar bending schedule mechanics — bend deduction at a stirrup corner and bond stress along a reinforcement barCase Studies
Bar Bending Schedule (BBS) Explained: The Real Engineering Behind 2D, 3D and Bend Deduction Formulas
--BBS formulas like 2D and D²/162 aren't rules to memorize — they're derived from force diagrams, bend geometry, and bond stress. Here's how
ARC PEM Team·04 Aug 2026·8 min read
GST 2.0 Rate Cut on Cement & Building Materials: What It Means for Your Project BudgetGST & Compliance
GST 2.0 Rate Cut on Cement & Building Materials: What It Means for Your Project Budget
Cement GST is down from 28% to 18%, and tiles, bricks, marble and granite from 12% to 5%. Here's how to re-cost your BOQ, renegotiate vendor rates, and update your budget-vs-actual tracker before the next billing cycle.
ARC PEM Team·30 Jul 2026·3 min read
From BOQ to Bill: How ARC PEM Tracks a Project's Money End to EndProduct Guides
From BOQ to Bill: How ARC PEM Tracks a Project's Money End to End
A walkthrough of how a single construction project's finances move through ARC PEM — from the original BOQ to the final GST purchase register — and where each of the other guides on this blog fits in.
ARC PEM Team·09 Jun 2026·5 min read
How to Raise a GST-Compliant RA Bill for Construction ContractsGST & Compliance
How to Raise a GST-Compliant RA Bill for Construction Contracts
A complete walkthrough of raising a running account bill on an active construction contract — measurement to payment, with a full worked example.
ARC PEM Team·04 May 2026·5 min read
Built-up Area vs Carpet Area: What Actually Goes Into a Construction EstimateBOQ & Cost Estimation
Built-up Area vs Carpet Area: What Actually Goes Into a Construction Estimate
Why construction is quoted per built-up area, not carpet area, and how mixing the two up leads to budgets that are wrong before the first brick is laid.
ARC PEM Team·18 Apr 2026·4 min read
M20 vs M25 Concrete: A Site Engineer's Guide to Choosing the Right MixBOQ & Cost Estimation
M20 vs M25 Concrete: A Site Engineer's Guide to Choosing the Right Mix
When M20 is enough, when you actually need M25, and what the difference costs — a practical grade-selection guide, not just a strength table.
ARC PEM Team·22 Mar 2026·5 min read
Retention Money, Advances and TDS: The Deductions Every Contractor Bill NeedsVendor & Contractor Management
Retention Money, Advances and TDS: The Deductions Every Contractor Bill Needs
Why the amount a contractor actually receives is always less than the bill value — and how to track retention, advance recovery and TDS so nothing gets lost across a long project.
ARC PEM Team·11 Feb 2026·5 min read
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