Every charge on top of the base price, explained
What do I actually pay on top of the quoted price of a flat?
The advertised rate covers the base price of the apartment. On top of it a typical cost sheet adds floor rise, preferred-location charges, car parking, club membership, a refundable maintenance deposit, advance maintenance, and sometimes infrastructure or utility deposits — and then statutory costs: GST on an under-construction purchase, stamp duty and the registration fee. The all-in figure is what leaves your account, and it is the only number worth comparing between projects.
Why this matters more than the rate per square foot
Two projects can quote the same rate per square foot and end up thousands of rupees per square foot apart on the all-in number, because the components sitting on top of the base price differ in kind and in size. A project with no floor rise and free covered parking is cheaper than one advertising a slightly lower rate and charging for both.
This is why Pinly shows the all-in price on every project. Every mandatory component is added up so that the number on the card is the number you would write a cheque for. The individual figures on Pinly come from prototype data, but the structure — which heads exist and how they stack — is the real structure of an Indian cost sheet.
The developer's heads
- Base price — Rate per square foot multiplied by the area. Check whether the area quoted is carpet or super built-up — RERA requires the sale to be on carpet area, but cost sheets still sometimes present super built-up figures.
- Floor rise — A premium per floor above a threshold, on the theory that higher floors are more desirable. Sometimes charged per square foot per floor, sometimes as a slab. Very often negotiable.
- Preferred location charge (PLC) — For corner units, park-facing units, or specific facings. Also frequently negotiable, and the first thing to challenge if the 'preference' is marginal.
- Car parking — Charged as a lump sum, and priced differently for open, covered and stacked spaces. Ask what type you are being sold and whether it is allotted or assigned.
- Club or amenity membership — A one-time charge for access to the clubhouse and facilities. Ask whether it transfers to a buyer on resale.
- Maintenance deposit / IFMS — A corpus held for the future association. Usually refundable in the sense that it belongs to the association, not the developer — ask who holds it, where, and when it is handed over.
- Advance maintenance — Several months or years of maintenance collected upfront. Multiply the per-square-foot rate by your area and by the number of months to see the real figure.
- Infrastructure and utility deposits — Electricity and water connection deposits, generator or power backup charges, and sometimes a development charge. Names vary widely between developers.
- Legal and documentation charges — Charged for preparing the agreement and the deed. Ask what it covers, and note that the developer's lawyer is not your lawyer.
The statutory heads
The illustrative price break-ups in this app apply five per cent GST, five per cent stamp duty and one per cent registration to the agreement value so that the all-in arithmetic is visible and internally consistent. Those are illustrative prototype figures, not a quote, and rates vary by state, by property value and over time. Verify before you transact.
- GST — Applies to under-construction purchases. A completed property with an occupancy certificate is treated differently. The rates and conditions have changed more than once, so confirm the rate applicable to your specific purchase with a chartered accountant.
- Stamp duty — Set by the state, charged on the instrument value, and commonly tiered by property value with cess and surcharge on top. Karnataka's rates are slab-based and change with state budgets — verify the current figure with the sub-registrar or the state portal.
- Registration fee — A separate state charge for registering the document, distinct from stamp duty.
- TDS on the purchase — Above a prescribed consideration threshold, the buyer must deduct tax at source from the payment to the seller, deposit it, and give the seller a certificate. The threshold, rate and form come from tax rules that change — confirm the current position with a chartered accountant.
Reading a cost sheet properly
- Ask for the cost sheet in writing, by email, with every head named. A verbal all-in number is not a cost sheet.
- Check the area basis for the base price, and get the carpet area stated separately.
- Add up everything marked mandatory. That total, not the base price, is what you are comparing against other projects.
- Divide that total by the carpet area. This is the number that makes projects genuinely comparable.
- Identify which heads are optional and confirm in writing that you can decline them.
- Ask which heads the developer will waive or reduce — floor rise, PLC, club and parking are the usual candidates.
- Ask what is not on the sheet: registration charges, khata fees, association joining costs, and anything payable at handover.
The recurring costs nobody puts on the sheet
- Monthly maintenance, per square foot, forever. On a large flat in an amenity-heavy project this is a serious ongoing number.
- Property tax, annually, once the khata is in your name.
- Home insurance, and any contents cover you take.
- Sinking fund contributions once the association is running.
- For an under-construction purchase: rent plus loan interest running together until possession.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between base price and all-in price?
Base price is the rate multiplied by the area. All-in price adds every mandatory component — floor rise, PLC, parking, club, maintenance deposit — plus GST, stamp duty and registration. All-in is the money that leaves your account.
Are floor rise and PLC negotiable?
Frequently, yes, and often more movable than the base rate. A waiver on these heads is worth more than a token cut per square foot on a large flat.
Is the maintenance deposit refundable?
It is normally a corpus that belongs to the owners' association rather than the developer, and it is handed over when the association is formed. Ask who holds it, in what account, and when the handover happens.
Is car parking included in the price of a flat?
It depends on the developer and the type of parking. Ask specifically whether it is charged separately, whether it is open, covered or stacked, and whether it is allotted to your unit.
How much is stamp duty in Karnataka?
Karnataka charges stamp duty in slabs based on property value, with cess and surcharge on top, plus a separate registration fee. Rates change with state budgets — confirm the current figure with the sub-registrar or the state portal before you transfer funds.