Builder recommendations/House construction cost

[Travelighlty]

 What are good ways to research architect/ builders available in Chiang Mai? What sq. meter cost range is there amongst house builders in and around Chiang Mai?

[eyecatcher]

This is a massive subject and your question can only be answered after you decide what size, quality you want.

possibly get better replies on the diy housing forum but I will start you off with a ballpark cost range

1k/m2..a carport!

5k/m2 ...Thai style/dorm style chalet

10k/m2 cheap and cheerful

15k/m2 cheap but very acceptable

20k/m2 Average Western standard

25k/m2 Good standard, quality and finishings

[NotEinstein]

There is a ridiculous number of 'builders' here, but it is not easy to find a 'real' one.

 

From personal experience, we used a guy in our village to build our house, and although he had built many houses in and around Chiang Mai, we were not impressed with what we ended up with.

 

When we built the guesthouse, we were lucky to find a younger guy who was a properly qualified structural engineer that could speak enough English.

 

I have recommended him to some that have asked.

 

For smaller jobs, such as extra rooms, we have used guys in the village with mixed results, although the last one did a good job, if slow, he concentrating on quality, while his wife played with her phone all day.....

 

To sum up, you either need luck, or a recommendation from someone you trust.

[jimmym40]

I sent you a PM (private message) on this subject.

[irlguy1]

If anyone is in need of a very reliable English and Thai speaking Construction Company drop me a pm.
They have a proven track record and actually employ builders not farmers [emoji4]


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[irlguy1]

Pm sent to OP

[uffe123]

My suggestion: Dont buy or build anything in Thailand because you cant own it. It could possibly be confiscated by the military.

Advice from someone who has been here 20 years and have seen it all.

Anyway good luck, you will need it.

[irlguy1]

My suggestion: Dont buy or build anything in Thailand because you cant own it. It could possibly be confiscated by the military.
Advice from someone who has been here 20 years and have seen it all.
Anyway good luck, you will need it.

Typical comment from the doom and gloom brigade. You obviously haven't seen it all. I know at least 50 expats that all have built or bought houses here and have been here for decades.
I have never met any expat that has lost his house and if you have half a brain it's easy to protect your assets. For the record you actually can own your house you just can't technically own the land but you can lease it which is the same thing or you can have your wife own the land.
Now before you go off on a rant that your wife will kill you in your sleep or steal everything from you well that's yet another overly exaggerated piece of sensationalism spewed by drama queens.
Just like anywhere else in the world yes you can end up splitting from your wife and getting into a battle over assets it's got nothing to do with Thailand and the same rules apply. Get a pre nup, do a will and use common sense.
I know far more Americans and brits that have lost everything at home than I ever met here. So take your misery elsewhere


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[opalred]

if you find a falang behind a building project forget it

after14yrs here have seen it all 

the wife and i built a house paying day labor 

if they did the wrong thing get new people  like you would anywhere in world 

[irlguy1]

if you find a falang behind a building project forget it

after14yrs here have seen it all 

the wife and i built a house paying day labor 

if they did the wrong thing get new people  like you would anywhere in world 

 

Again another person that's seen it all but seems to know very little.

My house was built by a Farang company? My friends was built by the same builder,

He then built a work colleagues swimming pool and each time the projects were done to perfection and on time and on budget.

My home actually came in under budget and after a year of researching builders I wouldn't have touched any of the day labour farmers to go anywhere near my house.

Half of them don't even know how to mix cement correctly or know anything about setting out the foundation to avoid concrete cancer and other issues. Then their is the electrics [emoji23][emoji23] god help you on that one.

Without being mean I would almost bet I could find a dozen things wrong with your home and half of them you wouldn't even know existed.

The fact that you are willing to accept them doing it wrong and then looking for a replacement says it all really.

 

 

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[opalred]

to mr know  all /now retired before was a civil engineer and  had a building company with open building licence 

and employed 1000s in my life time in developments? 

[opalred]

i do have to add 

how do falang have a building  licence here?

and working visa / when you cannot take work away from local people

[irlguy1]

to mr know  all /now retired before was a civil engineer and  had a building company with open building licence 
and employed 1000s in my life time in developments? 

Yet you insult Farang building companies here and make stupid comments about them [emoji23]
Arnt you a Farang builder?
I guess everyone should run from any of your builds.
For the record the owner of Together Construction is also a civil engineer and has built thousands of developments.
So I guess he is as qualified as you, unless of course your just full of crap like your comment.



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[irlguy1]

i do have to add 
how do falang have a building  licence here?
and working visa / when you cannot take work away from local people

Funny you should mention that as i asked him the same question.

1. A Farang can own a Construction Company and consult for it and receive a work permit to do that.
2. If they have a specialised skill they can also use that for the company.
3. They can employ Thais to work in the company,
4. They can set up a specialised training programme for those workers.
5. They can ensure those workers are carrying out their work to a high standard.
6. They can take on a Thai partner that speaks both English and Thai and teach them the art of European building standards and high quality construction.
7. They can give a middle finger to people like you that intentionally try to be a smart ass and cause trouble for farangs in Thailand.

I hate bitter old expats that have nothing better to do than troll and try to bad mouth or belittle farangs here.


Facts are I have had my house built by them as have many other people both Thai and Farang so while I am not a know it all it's fairly obvious I am a know more than you.

Have a nice day.


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[Bill97]

My daddy can beat up your daddy.


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[irlguy1]

My daddy can beat up your daddy.


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Possibly but can he build a house properly [emoji848][emoji23]


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[opalred]

it seems i have  upset a illegal falang builder here

i always like someone that knows more than me

[Bill97]

Possibly but can he build a house properly [emoji848][emoji23]


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Sure he built thousands and here too. Would you like his contact information so he can get your house sorted?


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[irlguy1]

Sure he built thousands and here too. Would you like his contact information so he can get your house sorted?


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No thanks mine is perfect, not sure about the other guy though [emoji848]


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[irlguy1]

it seems i have  upset a illegal falang builder here
i always like someone that knows more than me

You must like a lot of people then [emoji6]


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[Greenside]

To the OP :

 

Now you know why people send you private messages with advice about builders on this forum....  

[JAZZDOG]

On ‎10‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 10:40 AM, irlguy1 said:

 

Funny you should mention that as i asked him the same question.

1. A Farang can own a Construction Company and consult for it and receive a work permit to do that.
2. If they have a specialised skill they can also use that for the company.
3. They can employ Thais to work in the company,
4. They can set up a specialised training programme for those workers.
5. They can ensure those workers are carrying out their work to a high standard.
6. They can take on a Thai partner that speaks both English and Thai and teach them the art of European building standards and high quality construction.
7. They can give a middle finger to people like you that intentionally try to be a smart ass and cause trouble for farangs in Thailand.

I hate bitter old expats that have nothing better to do than troll and try to bad mouth or belittle farangs here.


Facts are I have had my house built by them as have many other people both Thai and Farang so while I am not a know it all it's fairly obvious I am a know more than you.

Have a nice day.


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Actually you are mistaken. Farang can own up to 49% of certain companies. He cannot sign as director without WP. He can attend board meetings. He is on a slippery slope as far as immigration goes. He may have been doing it a long time just as I may have been having sex with my friends wife, it still doesn't make it right.

Great you got a good job!

[JAZZDOG]

21 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Sure he built thousands and here too. Would you like his contact information so he can get your house sorted?


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Thousands, you know how long it would take to plan, permit and build 1000 houses?

[irlguy1]

Actually you are mistaken. Farang can own up to 49% of certain companies. He cannot sign as director without WP. He can attend board meetings. He is on a slippery slope as far as immigration goes. He may have been doing it a long time just as I may have been having sex with my friends wife, it still doesn't make it right.
Great you got a good job!

49% still makes him an owner,
Maybe you should hire his company to pry that stick out of your ass [emoji848]
As his official company registration paperwork lists him as a director (I have seen it) and you in your infinite wisdom declared that he can't be listed as a director without a WP your attempt at Trolling is done.

I am always amused at people like you that have nothing better to do but try to stir up shit for fellow expats. It's a bit pathetic really.

Either way even if he was illegal I would still rather hire an illegal knowledgeable expat then any local farmer that thinks he is a builder.



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[opalred]

maybe cannot build in there own country as have  no licence or disqualified 

come here and take work away from the locals 

[irlguy1]

maybe cannot build in there own country as have  no licence or disqualified 
come here and take work away from the locals 

Why are you here?
Can't find a wife back home and can't hack it ?
Works both ways Troll


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[banagan]

On 5/9/2018 at 12:39 PM, irlguy1 said:

If anyone is in need of a very reliable English and Thai speaking Construction Company drop me a pm.
They have a proven track record and actually employ builders not farmers


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Just sent you a pm.

 

Irlguy, you Irish?

[boonrawdcnx]

Unless you are rich and money doesn’t matter - don’t use a construction company.
If you have the time, a pick up truck and the nerve hire labor and do it yourself.

You can save a lot of money and do not depend on a contract that is designed to make as much money of you as possible. Just check out the detailed price breakdown and all the little details in the contract - most prices are totally unrealistic.

I have built both ways here in Chiang Mai.
Hiring labor and buy all materials and I am currently in the final phase building a house with a supposed to be “reputable” large construction company - and would never do it again!
We thought it would be less of a headache building like this - but it just turned out to be more expensive.
I have hired a fantastic Thai project manager - who is there all the time to watch them and he pays himself by preventing short cuts or stopping them from trying to use substandard, cheap materials.
You are welcome to visit my construction site if you wish to do so and I can give you feedback from my experience building here.


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[Bill97]

Yes build it yourself. You have no experience or training in construction and know even less about managing Thai workers. What could possibly go wrong?

So many come here and do things they would never do back home then blame the results on Thais.


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[irlguy1]

Unless you are rich and money doesn’t matter - don’t use a construction company. If you have the time, a pick up truck and the nerve hire labor and do it yourself.

 

You can save a lot of money and do not depend on a contract that is designed to make as much money of you as possible. Just check out the detailed price breakdown and all the little details in the contract - most prices are totally unrealistic.

 

I have built both ways here in Chiang Mai.

Hiring labor and buy all materials and I am currently in the final phase building a house with a supposed to be “reputable” large construction company - and would never do it again!

We thought it would be less of a headache building like this - but it just turned out to be more expensive.

I have hired a fantastic Thai project manager - who is there all the time to watch them and he pays himself by preventing short cuts or stopping them from trying to use substandard, cheap materials.

You are welcome to visit my construction site if you wish to do so and I can give you feedback from my experience building here.

 

 

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I am far from rich and I used a construction company because I saw what the alternatives were in Thailand.

I spent over a year looking at options.

Your comment “If you have the time, a pick up truck and the nerve hire labor and do it yourself”

Sums it all up really and you can add a death wish to that list too.

It’s hilarious that you say your supervisor makes a wage from stopping the builders taking shortcuts and using shit materials [emoji848]

Does anyone else see an issue with that statement? [emoji1787]

Also Why would you need nerve to hire day laborers unless you realize that they are going to be shit [emoji1787]

 

Bottom line is I have seen many day labour houses and many company houses and they don’t compare for quality or safety.

 

Yes day labour farmer built houses will be cheaper if I wanted a leaky crooked walled faulty foundation 5 year lasting death trap with cracks and bad electrics.

 

You get what you pay for. You wouldn’t hire a farmer to build your home back in the west so why risk it here.

I guess the cheap Charlie mentality is spreading from food to everything else here these days.

 

 

 

 

 

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