Recommendation For Good Architect/builder In Ubon?

[RY12]

I'm looking for a skilled/semi-skilled contractor in the Ubon area who could play an advisory role in the contstruction of a cheap (less than 400k) bungalow near Hat Wat Tai. My gf already has a small, new isuzu truck which she shares with 2 other family members who will labor for free and have experience in building, but aren't capable of reading plans or judging structural integrity. So basically they can buy all the materials and transport them to the site, but we'd just like to have someone there who can give oversight, and perhaps do some skilled-work like wiring. I know this isn't ideal as many of you have explained to me in my former posts, but the timing of this construction has unfortunately occured when I won't be able to be in Thailand, so I'm leaving it up to her.

I was told in former posts that it was too much to expect warranties, especially at the cheap price of this house (shed really), but nonetheless I'd still like to have someone who'd be decent enough to keep in touch a year or two after construction.

My gf is in Ubon at this very moment, actively looking for builders, so feel free to reply or PM me and I can give her the number of the person.

My plan is to review all the buidling advice I've read on the internet and forward those recommendations to my gf who can discuss it with the contractor, for things that seem overlooked in Thai building like insulation, adequate water pressure, etc. Overall, I'm not too worried about it because it's such a cheap house, but I'd still like it done right.

Does all of this sound like a reasonable stragety to get things going? Seem like an alternative is to have the gf just buy a Thai do-it-yourself book and forget about a contractor all together, but I'm not sure they trust themselves enough to do that....

Edited August 24, 2008 by RY12

[jay-uk]

Please don't take this the wrong way as I really wish you well on your project but do not expect too much for the budget you have put together. You could do a reasonable job yourself at cost but to employ the services of others to oversee and/or find a contractor within your budget would be difficult to say the least. Our 4 bed bungalow cost 800k baht 5 years ago and since then the guy next door built a 3 bed bungalow last year for 500k which was much smaller than ours due to the escalating material and labour price. You are also now within the farm season and would be jobbing builders are now back on their way home usually to help out with the rice farm for family. There will be very little in terms of a guarantees offered by anyone and if you wanted them to honour it afterwards...well you would either have to find them first and if you did they would never sort any problems out for you. If you want guarantees then you would have to come to terms with builders/contractors having a better reputation and experience locally and they most likely would be looking to charge in excess of 1 to 1.5 million baht to build the whole bungalow for you. My garage/sala two years ago cost 200k+ and last year we build a shower block and toilet for 100,000 baht. The best way to make the most of your money is to hold fire until you are there and oversee it yourself if possible. Make sure you buy all matterials yourself and that way you cannot be ripped off when your back's turned. The only guarntee you will probably get is from me guaranteeing that if you do this when you are not around the price will end up double what you originally planned or you end up an unfinished bungalow. If you are not in a rush then wait till you are there is my advise and then 400k may be enough to complete your project if you spend wisely.

[RY12]

Thanks for the advice jay. It was my concern that this would be situation, but I was holding off hoping that there might be people around that just do supervisory work for a reasonable price as opposed to all-or-nothing professional contractors that are only going to do the whole job or nothing. You know, we're really just planning on building a one or two room structure with a simple bathroom, probably just one storey. I've contacted other tv members who've built what I had in mind, a couple years ago, for 100k and they listed all the materials. I've looked up the current price and I still see no reason why it a structure like this should go for more than 300k, especially if I have mostly free labor and can buy the materials ourselves with a truck.

My hunch is that even if my gf and uncle just start building freestyle, winging it, some bored old guy or relative will wander in and he'll have some help to offer for not much compensation.

I wonder, has anyone out there come across easy, step-by-step building guide books written in Thai?

Edited August 24, 2008 by RY12

[Dave the Dude]

Please don't take this the wrong way as I really wish you well on your project but do not expect too much for the budget you have put together. You could do a reasonable job yourself at cost but to employ the services of others to oversee and/or find a contractor within your budget would be difficult to say the least. Our 4 bed bungalow cost 800k baht 5 years ago and since then the guy next door built a 3 bed bungalow last year for 500k which was much smaller than ours due to the escalating material and labour price. You are also now within the farm season and would be jobbing builders are now back on their way home usually to help out with the rice farm for family. There will be very little in terms of a guarantees offered by anyone and if you wanted them to honour it afterwards...well you would either have to find them first and if you did they would never sort any problems out for you. If you want guarantees then you would have to come to terms with builders/contractors having a better reputation and experience locally and they most likely would be looking to charge in excess of 1 to 1.5 million baht to build the whole bungalow for you. My garage/sala two years ago cost 200k+ and last year we build a shower block and toilet for 100,000 baht. The best way to make the most of your money is to hold fire until you are there and oversee it yourself if possible. Make sure you buy all matterials yourself and that way you cannot be ripped off when your back's turned. The only guarntee you will probably get is from me guaranteeing that if you do this when you are not around the price will end up double what you originally planned or you end up an unfinished bungalow. If you are not in a rush then wait till you are there is my advise and then 400k may be enough to complete your project if you spend wisely.

Hi RY12

Good post and a sensible solution offered by jay IMHO. The price of wood alone has 'shot thru the roof' so expect to overspend on your project budget and antisipate that. I am sorry, I am not aware of Thai building books but wish you good luck

Dave

[bergen]

Agree with the two above posters.

400k baht -

shed

good architect/builder/contractor -

free labour

decent -

keep in touch 1 to 2 years after construction/guarantee

are not expressions that sounds right to me.

Let your gf's family/friends build a house for 300k baht, (use the house books/sketches from the landoffice/or other advice you've been given in earlier topic/posts.

Since you will not be supervising, you'll need the extra 100k for the unexpected.

Good luck, and keep us posted

[jay-uk]

RY12

finding a builder will not be your main issue to address as most people in Isaan have someone in the family who has an understanding of the trade. However, that is not what I see as your problem as I think it is more a matter of how your money will be spent when you are not around to manage it yourself. Even asking for family to keep receipts doesn't always work here as there are bulders merchants around that still issue hand written bills for any purchases. I don't have any building experince what so ever myself but I know I can spend my money better than someone else when my back's turned. You may trust your GF but by the time others get involved they will help her misspend your money with or without her knowledge and if you're not there to account for purchases then there's nothing you can do afterwards once the money's gone. It's happened to me and probably alot of other TV members so my advise again would be to take your time and wait until you get there. If having a property for family is an issue right now then rent them a place for while until you have chance to be part of the project building your own place your own way. I promise if you do it when you are there you will be much happier with the outcome and see a much bigger property for your money spent. Renting is cheap as chips and for a few thousand baht or less you will get a place for while that the folks are more than comfortable in until you come back to ubon.

Jay