What's the average cost to build a house per sqm in Isaan?

[noopin2014]

Hi, i live in Issan at Chaiyaphum, we plan to build a house (around 95 sqm). The builder ask us 3500 thb/sqm. This price doesn't include the material building. Is it a average price ? Our house will be very simple with a roof like the picture picture below. Should i include the covered and concrete terrace area to calculate the price of the house ? Or the price per sqm should be lower for the terrace ?

The house is 95sqm and the terrace 20sqm = 115 x 3500 THB

Thanks

[EVENKEEL]

For me it's been 8 yrs since we built apr 155sm. for a 3 level 3br, 2 bath. A much more labor intensive design and I figure we paid 3000bht/sm. Yours looks like pre-fab pillars will be used, steel headers, again I'm just assuming but that money seems a bit high for what you're getting. 

[baansgr]

That's a lot for labour only. 6 guys could knock that up in Less than 3 months... Do the maths yourself.  More important, you won't own it so don't even bother.  Numerous  threads at present where guys are losing millions of baht though houses they don't own.  Rent or seriously write the money off if you have to move out once it's finished. 

 

[Jeffrey346]

17 hours ago, baansgr said:

That's a lot for labour only. 6 guys could knock that up in Less than 3 months... Do the maths yourself.  More important, you won't own it so don't even bother.  Numerous  threads at present where guys are losing millions of baht though houses they don't own.  Rent or seriously write the money off if you have to move out once it's finished. 

 

The OP's question is about cost per sq meter, not about building vs renting. Stick to the topic.

[Esso49]

Yes that is way too high.   Rule of thumb around here outside of Udon is that the labour costs are 1/3 of the total costs..  By way of example somebody I know just had a house similar to the picture built but it is around 120 sq. mtr and cost 1.15 million baht finished ( well the shell is finished no furniture etc).   He was quoted initially as 800,000 for materials and plus 1/3 again of that for labour.  That worked out at around 270,000 for labour or 2250 baht/sq mtr

[Brunolem]

I can confirm that this is WAY too high!

Workers on construction sites are among the lowest paid, and the material is very cheap anyway.

 

I remember talking with a farang architect in Pattaya, who told me that construction costs, all included (not only the material, but bathroom, kitchen and so on) varied between 2,500 and 9,000 baht per sqm...and that was for Pattaya-Bangkok.

 

In Isaan, where I live, people build nice houses for less than a million.

 

The one on the photo has a nice look, but no architectural complexity...basically a box.

 

And 95 sqm is small...you should not spend more than 1 to 1.2 million on it, all included...certainly not 3 millions only for the workers!

 

I could send you workers who would gladly do the job for the regular price...

[Brunolem]

Sorry I made a mistake in the calculations in the post above...the surface is so small that I mistook it...

 

For such a small house, my numbers above have to be cut in half...that is a cost of 500,000 to 600,000 baht all included.

 

Someone had a nice house built in my village recently, with sliding doors and windows, large terrace, bathroom and kitchen, for less than 400,000 baht...

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, Jeffrey346 said:

The OP's question is about cost per sq meter, not about building vs renting. Stick to the topic.

And I answered  the OPs question. However there are many naive people here that don't understand you CANT own property here and potentially can lose your life savings,  just making the OP aware as he may not know. 

[Stevemercer]

There are a few people building out our way (near Mahasarakham). The labour component for a decent quality 100 square metre house seems to be around 250,000 Baht (compared to your quote which works out around 350,000 Baht).

 

So, yes, you should get other quotes.

[CharlieH]

Just be extremely careful who you choose and how (deposit/stage/completion whatever) you pay for it.

 

From the figure quoted I would say you are in the "farang = +30-50%" zone, used by locals.

[Been around]

Maybe organise another quote yourself if possible, some ladies get serious lunch money from the builders. Probably most . Not being rude but it's a common trick they know .

[noopin2014]

3 hours ago, Brunolem said:

I can confirm that this is WAY too high!

Workers on construction sites are among the lowest paid, and the material is very cheap anyway.

 

I remember talking with a farang architect in Pattaya, who told me that construction costs, all included (not only the material, but bathroom, kitchen and so on) varied between 2,500 and 9,000 baht per sqm...and that was for Pattaya-Bangkok.

 

In Isaan, where I live, people build nice houses for less than a million.

 

The one on the photo has a nice look, but no architectural complexity...basically a box.

 

And 95 sqm is small...you should not spend more than 1 to 1.2 million on it, all included...certainly not 3 millions only for the workers!

 

I could send you workers who would gladly do the job for the regular price...

Thanks Mate, in fact the builder said that the house should cost about 800.000 THB for low materials quality to 1 million THB for higher quality. So 115sqmx3500THB = 402.500 THB for the labour and 597.500 THB for the materials. If you know any good and cheaper worker who could accept to work here at Chaiyaphum please give me his phone number.

 

Cheers

[noopin2014]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

And I answered  the OPs question. However there are many naive people here that don't understand you CANT own property here and potentially can lose your life savings,  just making the OP aware as he may not know. 

I know mate, that's why i decide to build a 1 million bahts house only...

Edited October 19, 2018 by noopin2014

[thaiguzzi]

22 hours ago, baansgr said:

That's a lot for labour only. 6 guys could knock that up in Less than 3 months... Do the maths yourself.  More important, you won't own it so don't even bother.  Numerous  threads at present where guys are losing millions of baht though houses they don't own.  Rent or seriously write the money off if you have to move out once it's finished. 

 

 

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

And I answered  the OPs question. However there are many naive people here that don't understand you CANT own property here and potentially can lose your life savings,  just making the OP aware as he may not know. 

Give it a rest will ya.

Jesus wept.

 

To the Op ;

3.5k per sqm sounds a tad expensive, but perhaps the guy includes very neat hidden electrics, excellent plumbing, and superb rendering & finishing in those costs.

 For your normal house builder in Nakon Nowhere i'd reckon the figure would be closer to 2k per sqm. We paid 1200 Baht per sqm in 2005 and i was very happy with the results on a 216 sqm 2 floor house..

Get some different quotes, plenty of builders about and try and see some of their previous work. 

Always best if you are there on site every other day, cheaper if you buy all materials yourself, so the builder is only charging you labour.

 Good luck.

[simoh1490]

When you ask what the price should be, we ask, for what:

 

Labour only or labour and materials?

Including garden walls/patio's, driveway, veranda's, outbuildings etc?

Unfinished?

To include wiring, plumbing and porcelain?

Finished to local standards?

Finished to Western standards?

Finished to high standards?

[noopin2014]

18 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

Give it a rest will ya.

Jesus wept.

 

To the Op ;

3.5k per sqm sounds a tad expensive, but perhaps the guy includes very neat hidden electrics, excellent plumbing, and superb rendering & finishing in those costs.

 For your normal house builder in Nakon Nowhere i'd reckon the figure would be closer to 2k per sqm. We paid 1200 Baht per sqm in 2005 and i was very happy with the results on a 216 sqm 2 floor house..

Get some different quotes, plenty of builders about and try and see some of their previous work. 

Always best if you are there on site every other day, cheaper if you buy all materials yourself, so the builder is only charging you labour.

 Good luck.

Thanks, don't hesitate to contact me if you know a builder...

[noopin2014]

14 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

When you ask what the price should be, we ask, for what:

 

Labour only or labour and materials?

Including garden walls/patio's, driveway, veranda's, outbuildings etc?

Unfinished?

To include wiring, plumbing and porcelain?

Finished to local standards?

Finished to Western standards?

Finished to high standards?

i guess it is local standard, 3.500THB/sqm it is only for labour in the house including the wiring, plumbing, painting...

[Brunolem]

1 hour ago, noopin2014 said:

Thanks Mate, in fact the builder said that the house should cost about 800.000 THB for low materials quality to 1 million THB for higher quality. So 115sqmx3500THB = 402.500 THB for the labour and 597.500 THB for the materials. If you know any good and cheaper worker who could accept to work here at Chaiyaphum please give me his phone number.

 

Cheers

It all depends on what is included in these costs.

 

If the workers do the plumbing, the electricity, the tiling of the floors and the painting of the walls...and if the materials include all what is necessary for that (tiles, paint, doors, windows...), then your numbers are OK...

 

But if it just the basics = floors, walls, roof, doors and windows, then it's a rip off.

 

On top of that, be aware that if you want a good result, you have to be constantly on the premises...and I mean constantly!

 

I talked with a Thai woman who had a very nice house built not far from our village, and asked her how she had managed to get such a good result...her answer was that she had been sitting in the middle of the site every day during the construction!

 

Expect the worse when it comes to plumbing, electricity and especially painting...all of which I prefer doing myself...

[maprao]

Also arrange 3 payments start of the project then one when the shell and roof is built. Then the final payment on completion. Never pay upfront.

[simoh1490]

Don't let them do the electrics or the wiring, do that separately and select your own electrician for the work, preferably one that has worked overseas in the past.

[alfieconn]

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

Don't let them do the electrics or the wiring, do that separately and select your own electrician for the work, preferably one that has worked overseas in the past.

What percentage of Electricians do you think have worked overseas ? more chance of finding a Brain surgeon.

[simoh1490]

Just now, alfieconn said:

What percentage of Electricians do you think have worked overseas ? more chance of finding a Brain surgeon.

0.00323%

 

next question!

[alfieconn]

Just now, simoh1490 said:

0.00323%

 

next question!

I wouldn't imagine it's as high as that, next good tip ????

[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, alfieconn said:

I wouldn't imagine it's as high as that, next good tip ????

Avoid using papier mache roof tiles, just because they're expensive doesn't mean they're good.

[MaiChai]

Traditional way is best. Get quoted for parts of it first: concrete supports and roof, the floor, the windows and walls. If you get quoted for the complete job you will pay over the top. Thai builders like small jobs and to get paid quickly so break it up into smaller pieces and pay for each piece as you go along. This is the way Thais do and they build their houses over time so its much more affordable. We built our house over about 10 years, and even now things deterioate and need to be done/refurbished/improved. It was cheap to do it this way and we did not feel the cost of it. Also if you fall out with the builder you can then get another. Buy the materials yourself from a big builders warehouse; local suppliers will do the same and you will pay double or even in our case 10 times the going price! We order materials via Line to the big wasado in the local town and then wait a day or two for delivery; its worth the wait rather than getting ripped off! Buy stone/sand/blocks locally as they are heavy.

[Esso49]

2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

0.00323%

 

next question!

Bright spark ????

[kamalabob2]

If you bring your house plans and list of materials that you have selected to Thai Watsadu | Global House or a Builders Merchants Store in most any province in Thailand it is possible to get a written price quote of major building materials. Everything has a number. What exact water pipe? Which green PPR pipe and what size? Which white Pimaflex white pipe in what size? If blue PVC then what brand, what pressure rating? 13.5 or 8.5.  Rendered walls or skim coat walls. The 1700 baht flushing toilet or 25,000 baht flushing toilet. Hot water in your kitchen or cold water only? The list of materials will help you. Sun Paradise double pane UPVC windows with multi point locks or Hoffen windows?  No end to the choices. Who pays to rent the metal shuttering?  How many days agreed to keep shuttering on? What size and brand of consumer load center?  9cm thick gypsum or 12 cm gypsum flat ceiling, two step, three step ceiling?  Multi point electric water heaters, Stiebel Eltron Tank heaters or on the wall 3500 watt Electrolux water heaters?  60 by 60 tile counter tops in the kitchen outside or granite counter tops?  80 by 200 MDF doors or 90 by 200 UPVC or Steel doors?  The list will enable you to plan better. Global House or Thaiwatsadu staff can help you with a price quote.  Should the builder use ready mix concrete the correct strength and with additives or mix on site?  Are rain gutters included? DOS septic tanks or village style concrete rings guaranteed to have you see and pay for the blue "Honey Wagon" on a regular basis. You can quote me "Anytime you leave it to a Thai builder to buy an item not pinned down to exactly what you want, the Thai builder will buy the cheapest product at the closest store". He pockets money and saves his fuel and time. 

[simoh1490]

34 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

Bright spark ????

We're joking of course but my original comment on this was real, Thai sparkies are frequently self-taught and often quite dangerous. We got lucky when we built the MiL's house in that the sparky had worked overseas and it showed in his work which was first rate. Later I had my house rewired and I found a guy who was similar and he did a superb job. I'd no more leave a house wiring job to a builder than I would eat somtam for breakfast, it's just not advisable.

[totally thaied up]

28 minutes ago, kamalabob2 said:

If you bring your house plans and list of materials that you have selected to Thai Watsadu | Global House or a Builders Merchants Store in most any province in Thailand it is possible to get a written price quote of major building materials. Everything has a number. What exact water pipe? Which green PPR pipe and what size? Which white Pimaflex white pipe in what size? If blue PVC then what brand, what pressure rating? 13.5 or 8.5.  Rendered walls or skim coat walls. The 1700 baht flushing toilet or 25,000 baht flushing toilet. Hot water in your kitchen or cold water only? The list of materials will help you. Sun Paradise double pane UPVC windows with multi point locks or Hoffen windows?  No end to the choices. Who pays to rent the metal shuttering?  How many days agreed to keep shuttering on? What size and brand of consumer load center?  9cm thick gypsum or 12 cm gypsum flat ceiling, two step, three step ceiling?  Multi point electric water heaters, Stiebel Eltron Tank heaters or on the wall 3500 watt Electrolux water heaters?  60 by 60 tile counter tops in the kitchen outside or granite counter tops?  80 by 200 MDF doors or 90 by 200 UPVC or Steel doors?  The list will enable you to plan better. Global House or Thaiwatsadu staff can help you with a price quote.  Should the builder use ready mix concrete the correct strength and with additives or mix on site?  Are rain gutters included? DOS septic tanks or village style concrete rings guaranteed to have you see and pay for the blue "Honey Wagon" on a regular basis. You can quote me "Anytime you leave it to a Thai builder to buy an item not pinned down to exactly what you want, the Thai builder will buy the cheapest product at the closest store". He pockets money and saves his fuel and time. 

I did it like this. I did everything myself and did not get the builders involved till I needed the building started. That way, I got everything that I wanted, I knew what I got and just got in builders to do it stage by stage. You have just so much choice here in the big  Warehouses. You will need to go twice daily to watch the builders do the work and get your wife to complain like hell if it is not to your standard. Your better off getting what you want yourself and just like Lego, just get them to do the putting of it together.

[baansgr]

5 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

Give it a rest will ya.

Jesus wept.

 

To the Op ;

3.5k per sqm sounds a tad expensive, but perhaps the guy includes very neat hidden electrics, excellent plumbing, and superb rendering & finishing in those costs.

 For your normal house builder in Nakon Nowhere i'd reckon the figure would be closer to 2k per sqm. We paid 1200 Baht per sqm in 2005 and i was very happy with the results on a 216 sqm 2 floor house..

Get some different quotes, plenty of builders about and try and see some of their previous work. 

Always best if you are there on site every other day, cheaper if you buy all materials yourself, so the builder is only charging you labour.

 Good luck.

The OP seems to be aware he can lose everything, in his own words that's why he will only spend one million Baht. Nothing wrong In highlighting to people that buy or build houses here that they do not and will never own it.