The engineer
behind ZILA.
Fighting contractor fraud with code. Building the tools I wish existed when my family was quoted 3× the real cost.
Er. Angel Mainali
B.E. CivilI'm a registered civil engineer specializing in hydropower projects. After watching my family get deceived by inflated contractor quotes with no way to verify costs, I built ZILA — Nepal's most detailed preliminary construction cost estimator — so that ordinary families can know what their home actually costs before pouring their life savings into it.
The Mission
Know your numbers before you pour your savings.
In Nepal, the construction industry runs on information asymmetry. Contractors quote wildly inflated prices because homeowners have no benchmark. A Rs. 60 lakh house becomes Rs. 1 crore on paper.
ZILA gives you a detailed Preliminary BOQ — a phase-by-phase breakdown of what your house should actually cost, built on real district-level material and labor rates, and enforcing NBC 105:2025 seismic standards. Walk into your contractor meeting informed.
Every Rs. 199 report funds server costs, data verification, and keeps this tool free to explore. You're not buying software — you're funding transparency for every Nepali family building a home.
Journey
Started Civil Engineering career
Joined hydropower sector, worked on penstock design and anchor block analysis.
Witnessed contractor fraud firsthand
Family received wildly inflated construction quotes. Decided to build a solution.
Built ZILA from scratch
Learned Next.js, built a 50-district preliminary cost database, launched first version.
Improving data, expanding districts
Continuously improving the pricing matrix with field-verified data from active hydropower and infrastructure projects.
Support the mission
Keep ZILA alive & free.
ZILA's core estimator is free to use forever. Your support covers server costs, data updates, and the engineering hours that go into keeping the numbers accurate.
Support Internationally
Monthly or one-time support for those outside Nepal. Cancel anytime.
Support from Nepal
Direct eSewa or bank transfer. Every rupee goes to building better, more accurate tools.
Have a construction project in mind?
I consult on structural engineering, hydropower design, and construction cost planning.
© 2026 ZILA · Built with ♥ in Kathmandu