Contractor Success Story - Bangkok House Addition

[sstuff3]

I must admit after reading countless threads on this forum over the past 12+ years, that I was a bit (VERY) nervous when my wife asked to add an addition to the house.  I have read all types of horror stories about contractors running off mid-job, taking advance money and disappearing, using substandard materials, etc., the list could go on for infinity.

 

My wife found a contractor, through the recommendation of some friends and neighbors and we decided to go ahead with a 36sqm addition to the side and back of the house.  We sat with the contractor and drew out the basic plan for the addition and he priced it and told us it would take 45 days to complete, not including the piling that needed to be done first, which took one week.  Once we agreed on the price and completion date, we drew up a contract and included a penalty of “10,000 baht per week or part thereof” if they went beyond the agreed deadline.

 

Work started the first week of Sept after the pilings were completed and I am happy to report they finished the job on schedule, used quality materials, and the workmanship is outstanding, even by western standards.  The workers were here every day (Mon-Sat) and were very professional at all times and cleaned up the area at the end of each day before they departed.  We were never asked for more money than was originally quoted except for the “extras” the missus decided to have done, like changing the front door to the house to a solid wood decorative door and some other odds and ends.

 

The contractor delivered on his promise to do a quality job and was on-site every day to supervise and work together with his team.  We have decided when the time comes to add-on to the other side of the house and build a detached garage, we will definitely use the same contractor and would recommend him to anyone else considering building a house or addition.

 

I just wanted to share a success story for a change.  The forum is full of horror stories related to house construction and remodeling.  It was refreshing, and a huge relief to me, to see that there are still very good and honorable contractors available who are extremely capable of delivering high quality results and follow the agreed terms of the contract. 

[trogers]

Location?

[Oxx]

Give it time. 

 

I had a kitchen extension built.  It was a matter of a few weeks before it started pulling away from the house, even though I'd paid extra for what was supposed to be over-the-top piling.  There's now a 1 1/2 cm gap from ceiling to floor on one side.

 

In this moobaan, almost every house has had at least one extension.  There's only one that hasn't pulled away from the house, and that was a garage extension that pulled the front of the house off as it subsided.

[sstuff3]

Location?

Bangkok

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[sstuff3]

Give it time. 
 
I had a kitchen extension built.  It was a matter of a few weeks before it started pulling away from the house, even though I'd paid extra for what was supposed to be over-the-top piling.  There's now a 1 1/2 cm gap from ceiling to floor on one side.
 
In this moobaan, almost every house has had at least one extension.  There's only one that hasn't pulled away from the house, and that was a garage extension that pulled the front of the house off as it subsided.

Sounds like the pilings weren't deep enough. Our pilings are 18 meters deep. I watched them put them in and they couldn't go any deeper. I doubt we will have that problem.

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[trogers]

1 minute ago, sstuff3 said:

 

Bangkok

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Most horror stories are in the provinces where a couple of tradesmen return to their village and purport to be a contractor.

[sstuff3]

Most horror stories are in the provinces where a couple of tradesmen return to their village and purport to be a contractor.

Probably true but a friend of mine in Bangkok had a contractor disappear halfway through a garage build. He had to find another to get it completed.


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[irlguy1]

I spent over a year looking for a decent builder. Visited houses built by many of them and it was a nightmare but like the op I eventually found a great company owned by an English guy and got a great house built for a great price.

It takes a lot of research to find someone trustworthy but it is possible. My builder actually had references , testimonials and a real website with photos and video from his projects not one with stock photos from google that were not his (which I found to be the case with a few builders)

House is built a year now and no issues.

Can't say the same for one of my neighbors that built their house a year before mine with a company that were supposed to be decent.

They now have a lovely crack running from floor to ceiling and a floor with tiles popping up.

The builder is not interested in fixing it either.

 

 

 

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[H508]

On ‎12‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 8:51 PM, irlguy1 said:

I spent over a year looking for a decent builder. Visited houses built by many of them and it was a nightmare but like the op I eventually found a great company owned by an English guy and got a great house built for a great price.

Name? Location? - nevermind; found it in another thread.

Edited December 19, 2017 by H508

[irlguy1]

Name? Location? - nevermind; found it in another thread.

Hi, just saw your question now,
The company is
Together Construction Thailand
they build all over Thailand.



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[smutcakes]

Not many responses to this thread. People like to read about horror stories on TVF not success. If your title was about awful experience you would have hundreds of replies such is the joy of old bitter farangs in seeing others getting shafted.

 

As you prove it is possible to have good experiences dealing with Thai contractors etc as much as many on here would have you believe not.