a few basic costs

[alz55]

Gday people would anyone know roughly how much for house plan and secondly average price for building team on home costing about 2 mill baht cheers

[nookiebear]

Welcome,,,,,,,,,you need to give more details..........looks like you are ready to get ripped off!

[alz55]

the home i want to build is 3 bedroom 2 bathroom about 150 to 160 square meters single storey had a fella round today and one said it was  going to cost 6 hundred thou for twam and about 1 hundred thou for the plan thats 700 thou before they build the home dont sound right to me

[toffo]

I always thought that it was about 1/3 of the money is for labour so that maybe is correct

[DeputyDavid]

I am interested in contacting local builder (wife will do of course as she is local resident) for home to be built on our property (ok her property).  I clicked on the ad above but site is down.  Any experiences - suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[JimNasium]

Pre-approved plans are available from the Muang offices (?Chief obotto) at around 10,000 Baht depending on what you're looking for. I can confirm what toffo says: 1/3 of building costs is for labour.

[DeputyDavid]

Thank you all for the responses, most helpful!!!

[urleft]

Have done some "winging it" with local builders, told them what we wanted and they did it, have been 90-95% satisfied. Found 2 basic types, those that provide all and you pay them, and those that provide the labor and you provide the materials.   

I lean towards the 2nd as you get the look/materials you want.  However, is it all Thai Engineering which can leave a lot to be desired.  But if you are there every day, supervise, monitor, and see what is happening, I would do it again. 

In the states, Building inspectors and planning boards would sh$t a brick at this approach, but from a cost standpoint, I have been very pleased.   

My advice (I have also built a home in the US) is:

1.  If you are flexible, can monitor the building, use the village contractor (and pay for materials yourself). 

2.  If you cannot be there, got with a certified contractor that signs you up for what you need to start with.   


I am about to build again here on land my TG owns, and expect to do option 1. However, I have already made mistakes with both so I feel I know better what to look for. 
 


 

[Nobby]

I am interested in contacting local builder (wife will do of course as she is local resident) for home to be built on our property (ok her property).  I clicked on the ad above but site is down.  Any experiences - suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Local Builder =  Rice farmer with nothing else to do OR someone the Thai lady knows and she will get 'brownie points' (face) if she recomends them.

Please remember the following here in Thailand.....

1. You can double check understanding until you are blue in the face and even when the answer is affirmative (yes) , that means nothing as it is seen as a failing to question or not understand anything.
2. Good Quality.
Thai perspective = cheap.
Farang perspective = an indication of  good standard/service.
3. Expect your team to disappear if they have one or any of the folllowing.....

A) money
B) chance of a party/festival
C) Alcohol (free)
D) chance of a better offer, especially from a non-foreigner.
E) Call from 'the family' to come home.
F) no one is supervising or holding thier hand.

[Starman]

I am interested in contacting local builder (wife will do of course as she is local resident) for home to be built on our property (ok her property).  I clicked on the ad above but site is down.  Any experiences - suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Local Builder =  Rice farmer with nothing else to do OR someone the Thai lady knows and she will get 'brownie points' (face) if she recomends them.

Please remember the following here in Thailand.....

1. You can double check understanding until you are blue in the face and even when the answer is affirmative (yes) , that means nothing as it is seen as a failing to question or not understand anything.
2. Good Quality.
Thai perspective = cheap.
Farang perspective = an indication of  good standard/service.
3. Expect your team to disappear if they have one or any of the folllowing.....

A) money
B) chance of a party/festival
C) Alcohol (free)
D) chance of a better offer, especially from a non-foreigner.
E) Call from 'the family' to come home.
F) no one is supervising or holding thier hand.

Yet another sweeping generalisation.

[Nobby]

Yet another sweeping generalisation.

Its just one persons personal first hand experiences, thats all. So no generalisation involved as all these things happened to me and for-warned is for-armed. No where do i say ALL Thai builders are crap but I do believe it is difficult to find a good one.

The guy was asking for advice from experiences, so I gave it.

[Starman]

Yet another sweeping generalisation.

Its just one persons personal first hand experiences, thats all. So no generalisation involved as all these things happened to me and for-warned is for-armed. No where do i say ALL Thai builders are crap but I do believe it is difficult to find a good one.

The guy was asking for advice from experiences, so I gave it.

No mention at all of personal experience. To say "local builder = rice farmer", without the use of any grammatical articles would suggest "all".

"Please remember the following here in Thailand.....", that would suggest the whole of Thailand too.

There are many good builders out there. If there weren't then how would all of the building that goes on get done? There are many locals having great houses built by local builders.

Like anywhere, including the UK, there are dodgy builders. The question is would you trust your wife's advice on building work in the UK or would you look around and get a few quotes?

In my experience common sense prevails.

[candy]

                         

[dimple joe]

Local Builder =  Rice farmer with nothing else to do OR someone the Thai lady knows and she will get 'brownie points' (face) if she recomends them.

Please remember the following here in Thailand.....

1. You can double check understanding until you are blue in the face and even when the answer is affirmative (yes) , that means nothing as it is seen as a failing to question or not understand anything.
2. Good Quality.
Thai perspective = cheap.
Farang perspective = an indication of  good standard/service.
3. Expect your team to disappear if they have one or any of the folllowing.....

A) money
B) chance of a party/festival
C) Alcohol (free)
D) chance of a better offer, especially from a non-foreigner.
E) Call from 'the family' to come home.
F) no one is supervising or holding their hand.

I think Nobby is absolutely spot on with his assessment of builders here in Issan and D/D would do well to take note.

[Starman]

Local Builder =  Rice farmer with nothing else to do OR someone the Thai lady knows and she will get 'brownie points' (face) if she recomends them.

Please remember the following here in Thailand.....

1. You can double check understanding until you are blue in the face and even when the answer is affirmative (yes) , that means nothing as it is seen as a failing to question or not understand anything.
2. Good Quality.
Thai perspective = cheap.
Farang perspective = an indication of  good standard/service.
3. Expect your team to disappear if they have one or any of the folllowing.....

A) money
B) chance of a party/festival
C) Alcohol (free)
D) chance of a better offer, especially from a non-foreigner.
E) Call from 'the family' to come home.
F) no one is supervising or holding their hand.

I think Nobby is absolutely spot on with his assessment of builders here in Issan and D/D would do well to take note.

Builders or part time rice farmers?

Like anything that people gripe about here. There are good stories and bad stories. I just think it is unfair to generalise, that is all.. I know of 2 very good "local" builders, within a short distance from where I live, that I would recommend to anyone.