House Plans ...

[cdmtdm]

what is the normal procedure in Isaan for getting house plans done ?, i usually employ an architect but do not see the need in a village situation ... anyone willing to share their experience ?

Cheers

[Farma]

A couple of variations.

Typical village house with planning permission from the village headman. Drew up basic house plans in a program like Google sketchup taking into account the usual 4 or 5 metre spacing between uprights. Showed the local builders and they built to that design.

Small town where tessaban planning permission required. Used the tessaban planning office. The office had an architect who drew up the plans. Reasonable price including planning permission.

Edited December 27, 2012 by Farma

[wayned]

I drew up the plans and built the 2 houses myself using local "farm" labor. No planning commision or permission required. I live in the sticks, only 21 Thai style houses, tin roofs and wood walls, in the village except mine.

[Crossy]

We're not in Isaan but we simply used one of the free government plans here http://www.crossy.co.uk/Thai_House_Plans/index.html to get approval and then modified to suit our needs, provided you don't make major structural changes there's no issue.

[bankruatsteve]

Having BTDT in two locations Thailand, the latest in Isaan... if you in rural Isaan, the only question is "how many poles". And, no matter who builds it, it becomes a collection of 3.5m (or less) boxes, floor plan up to you. Or, you could go with a "professional" builder who will have several plans, all of which will be 3 times the actual cost. I know there are exceptions, but that is the normal.

BTW: my 1st house was with a young but dam_n good architect and a contract deal that ended up almost perfect. But, that wasn't in Isaan.

Good luck.

[PhayaoPete]

We used one of those Cdn published, house idea books (written in Thai). Took the best of the 2 we liked, and did a bit of shuffling around and presto...had the design we wanted. It is good to get a working set of plans for your contractor to sort of follow. Remember...when they do the footings, it is a lot like throwing hand grenades...it will come back to haunt you when the roof goes on. If it is not square to begin with, it won't materialize out of thin air towards the end. Make sure...if you know how...to square the string lines, before they start digging the footings....other wise...you get what you paid for. And whatever you do....please do not let a so called Thai plumber do your plumbing...learn about it yourself and make sure it is done correct...some of it is usually poured with concrete all over it! Good luck...pp

[cdmtdm]

thanks for the input guys and links crossy ..nothing jumps out at me from that selection ... so i will continue browsing ... i am from a construction background and have built a few places here already but not in the sticks ... in order to get some sort of quote to build, i need a plan , all i have is a floor plan i have done by freehand ....so perhaps i need to find a drafty around NK ...

[rgs2001uk]

Go into any decent Thai bookstore, they will have house design books for sale that will have floor plans and designs for, single storey, two storey etc etc, they will also list materials and total costs.

Failing that try here,

http://www.smilehomes.com/

[maprao]

The local Amphur has free plans you can access; at least they used to have. The plans come with color drawings of the building, floor plans, elevation plans and specifications. The range from small houses to 2 story houses they are pretty good. I built my house from them. I however downloaded the plans from the web. I do seem to be able to fing the free plans site at the moment.

I found a link that I kept from Crossy. I spent days chasing my own tail in thai. He has done a brilliant job of putting them all in one place, hat off to him I am sure he will not mind me posting it here FREE HOUSE PLANS:

http://www.crossy.co...lans/index.html

oops sorry crossy did not see your link before I posted here.

Edited December 28, 2012 by maprao

[Crossy]

oops sorry crossy did not see your link before I posted here.

Not a problem, always nice to have a second opinion

Our home is structurally a No. 30 from the free plans, saved the cost of an architect, Wifey didn't save any other money

[kamalabob2]

Any town with a BigC or Tesco will have at least ten licensed architects with offices. Prices are based on square meter of the house. Prices vary from licensed architect to licensed architect but it can be VERY reasonable. How much does a filling cost or getting your teeth cleaned by a real dentist in a private dental clinic in Issan compared to the same procedure by a dentist in Farang land. Same deal with an architect, it is Thai priced. You can get exactly the house plan you want with the doors the width and height you want for a pittance. The English speaking owners of any builders merchant in Issan can point you to the better local architects and the better house builders. They see the house plans as a list of materials needs to be drawn up. They know what builders pay bills on time and which builders jack suppliers and customers around. They know which builders send the proper materials to any house building project, village or otherwise.

Getting a legit "permit to build" is CHEAP, and will save you grief and expense in the future. Below are actual costs for a "permit to build"

“The building permit document itself incurs a 20-baht fee and there are other fees for inspection, depending on what the building permit is for.

The inspection fee for a building of no more than two storeys or of a height up to 12 meters is 0.5 baht (50 satang) per square meter of the total building area, combining the areas of each storey if there are more than one.

For structures of two or three stories, or between 12 and 15 meters tall – the fee is 2 baht per square meter of total building area, combining the areas of each storey.

For structures of more than three stories or of heights over 15 meters, the fee is four baht per square meter of total building area, again combining the areas of each storey.

The fees I have given here are the inspection fees for new buildings only. There are different rates used for other aspects of building permits, such as in renovating a property, not building a new one.

These rates are listed in the building permit fee section in the Interior Ministry’s Ministerial Regulation Notice 7 issued in BE 2528 (1985), which updates the Building Control Act BE 2522 (1979).

A copy is available for download from the Thai Council of Engineers website at www. coe.or.th/co15law/act_control/building/L%2007.pdf

You can also visit Rawai Municipality for further information.” Friday, January 13, 2012 2:48:17 PM Mayuree Srichuay, an officer at Rawai Municipality’s Public Works Division.

[maprao]

oops sorry crossy did not see your link before I posted here.

Not a problem, always nice to have a second opinion

Our home is structurally a No. 30 from the free plans, saved the cost of an architect, Wifey didn't save any other money

We built NO 8 with alterations. What interested me were the xls sheets on the website with building costs. We built in 2006. The estimated costs from their estimates have gone up almost 3 fold.Using their numbers in 2006 and their numbers now.

Out of interest how much did that one cost. It is my favorite plan to build when I go there and live permanently.

Edited December 29, 2012 by maprao

[Crossy]

Out of interest how much did that one cost. It is my favorite plan to build when I go there and live permanently.

I modified the No30 plans using Photoshop and Visio, sadly the local Ampur were unable to supply proper CAD files for me to work with. Wifey then got to work re-designing the roof adding significantly to the complexity and of course, cost

Builder (Khun Dusit a local chap) quoted 4.5 million for the shell including windows, doors and wood floors but no plumbing or electrical fittings (septic, pipes and wiring were included) also excluded were the Teak barges and large folding door (230k). Dusit then spent the rest of the build moaning that he wasn't making any money, the roof turned out rather more complex to build than he'd anticipated (he has had a lot of enquiries to build more the same/similar so he could get well in profit). I would recommend him in an instant, his (Khmer) workers were efficient and tidy producing a decent quality structure, spoiled only by his choice of electrician. Although we did have to advance one of the stage payments to bail out his work crew when they got arrested en-mass for being illegal, seems it's cheaper to pay the occasional fine then to actually make the chaps legal.

I've not kept track of how much we spent on fittings etc. it's just too scary, SWMBO does not do cheap, every item in the bathrooms and kitchen has a big brand name.

Here's how it turned out, not to everyone's taste (too much like the Wat next door) but we like it and it fits in with the rest of the village which has several wooden versions of the same roof style.

[Lite Beer]

We built NO 8 with alterations. What interested me were the xls sheets on the website with building costs. We built in 2006. The estimated costs from their estimates have gone up almost 3 fold.Using their numbers in 2006 and their numbers now.

Out of interest how much did that one cost. It is my favorite plan to build when I go there and live permanently.

We also built number 8 but raised it up by a meter.

To be honest the kitchen and back bedrooms are a little bit small but we like it.

[sirineou]

We built NO 8 with alterations. What interested me were the xls sheets on the website with building costs. We built in 2006. The estimated costs from their estimates have gone up almost 3 fold.Using their numbers in 2006 and their numbers now.

Out of interest how much did that one cost. It is my favorite plan to build when I go there and live permanently.

We also built number 8 but raised it up by a meter.

To be honest the kitchen and back bedrooms are a little bit small but we like it.

Looks very nice

I am considering building the same plan, and it is nice to see some one that has actually build it.

I am also concerned with the size pf the kitchen and I am working on some modifications to the plan,

As some who has actually walked through the finished product,it would be great is you can answer a couple of questions that I have,and provide some feed back.

attache is a to scale 3d of the modifications I am thinking of making

first question is always,, if you dont mind, what was your final cost?

How did you deal with the column in the sidle of the living room ? I am planing of eliminating it, and beefing up the steel of the room to compensate.

I have extended the roof in the back by 2 m allowing me to extend the bedrooms and kitchen back wall by 1 m, This allowed me to make the master bedroom 1 m longer, I maintained the same proportions for the smaller bedroom giving me a 1m longer living-room.

This longer living-room allowed me to eliminate the hallway in front of the master bath, thus making the master bath larger, and using some of that space for a coat closet in the living-room

and of course the kitchen is now 1m bigger

What do you think of these changes?

Any suggestions?

Do you find the sower space adequate or do you think they need to be wider?

Thank you for any input you and anyone else might provide.

[Lite Beer]

A friend of mine used the same plan as me but made the bedrooms and kitchen bigger somehow. It does make a difference.

The column in the living room? Don't really notice it.

Bathrooms are a little small but not too bad. The shower space is quite big enough.

In 2007 the house cost 1.2 Million Baht to build. Not including window grills, insect nets, water pumps/tank etc.

The master bedroom is big enough for a king size bed and a wardrobe with sliding doors but not much else.

As for the kitchen? We built a Thai kitchen out the back and my Wife uses that.

Also a good idea to keep the cooking odours out of the house.

I use the house kitchen but don't cook a lot.

[maprao]

Nice pics litebeer.

Mine cost about the same for the shell.

The current XLS sheets on the website put the cost at 2.7 million for sirinouo.

I like the idea of the kitchen outside.

Thanks for the input on your house Crossy looks nice!

I think these plans are very good not matter which model you choose to build.

[sirineou]

Nice pics litebeer.

Mine cost about the same for the shell.

The current XLS sheets on the website put the cost at 2.7 million for sirinouo.

I like the idea of the kitchen outside.

Thanks for the input on your house Crossy looks nice!

I think these plans are very good not matter which model you choose to build.

Thank you for that cost disclosure, and I do agree about the outside kitchen idea, here in Thailand outside living and outside cooking are very important.

I have looked at some of these Government plans and I also find them to be comprehensive. The problem I have with them is that they are in Thai (as they should be) and I find it difficult to understand and follow., How did you all deal with that challenge and is there a professional service that would translate then for me?

[rattler]

depending where you live like I do you need NO permissions at all , you can literally throw up anything.

[kamalabob2]

Up Country you can make a right turn from the 4th lane to the left at a traffic light. You do not need to register a motorbike. No need to ever get a Thai Driver's License, Heck no need to ever pay 400 baht a year to insure a motorbike. No need to ever spend 2000 baht a year on HOUSE rental insurance. No need to spend 6000 baht a year to have home OWNERS insurance policy. You can drive the wrong way in a car or on a motorbike on a highway upcountry.

But for well under 400 baht one time fee you can establish legal ownership of a HOUSE by virtue of the "permit to build". That "permit to build" saves you grief, time and money on some permanent utility service such as the PEA in some up country offices. The signed off building plans (free plans, government plans, OR architect plans) establish the size and other details of your home in the event of a major insurance claim. I've seen how it went for some Farang who did not have house renters insurance. I've seen how it went for the Farang who drove his wife's motorbike with no Thai drivers license, the bike not being registered, no mandatory or otherwise insurance on the motorbike. Farang gets in a minor accident . The local Government hospital staff made a couple of mistakes, he had a nice stay and procedure at his expense at the Provincial private hospital. Heck village neighbors built part of a house on land my wife owns. But they had no "permit to build", and no paperwork establishing their right to build on that land. They had to tear down the structure by order of the local village headman. Tough break for them, but they neglected to obtain a permit to build. Just because a Thai says you do NOT need building permission, (drivers license, registration, statutory vehicle insurance, pay annual LAND taxes) does not make RIGHT, does not make it the law, and if ANY issues arrive, he/she who has the written proof of a (permit to build, permanent utility service in their own name, motor vehicle registered in the name they wish, insurance (renter or owner of a house/condo, vehicle insurance) will not be messed with by the Government. Ask ANY Farang who has had a fire in a rental house and the Farang did not have house RENTERS insurance. How much did they have to pay the landlord, how much was stolen out of the burned house, how much did the police demand to change the fire report, how much prison time were they facing for criminal negligence in that fire? How much was the Thai lawyer bill to straighten out matters? Just my observations Up Country.

[Daffy D]

Good Post "kamalabob2"

Up country in the old days people didn't bother much about land title papers, biding permission or the like.

Every body knew who owned what, but times changed and my wifes family lost a LOT of land because someone else got to the land registry office before they even thought about it.

So forget about the "mai pen rai" and the no worries attitude, get your papers and permissions and sleep sound at night

[TexasRanger]

I did the same thing but re drew the plans in autocad so i could change the sizes of the rooms and kitchen etc. We kept the overall size the same on instruction from the builder. We too do not notice the column and i am glad of it. The builder recommended more steel in the roof as the amount of CPAC tiles made it quite heavy as opposed to the fibre ones. We made the kichen smaller as we too like to cook outside, to be honest we hardly ever use the inner kitchen at all for cooking. I recently had a kind of shelter added on the back of the house as when we parked at the back we get soaked in rainy season just unloading shopping. My only regret is the water tower in the garden, although it is nice to have a 3000 litre backup of water if the well pump ever dies, it didnt supply enough pressure for the shower so we ended up having an extra pump to fire the water into the house, but you live and learn.

Sent from my GT-N8000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[sirineou]

^^^^^

Very nice pictures,and a beautiful home,Thank you for sharing.

Did you reverse the Plans?your home looks to be the mirror image of the government plans,

I like the covered addition in the back

[TexasRanger]

Yes we mirrored the plans as we wanted the car port and driveway to be in that area, by the way we dont use the front car port as it wont take a pickup or a full size SUV lengthways, you would need to extend it, plus it wasnt that nice having a car against the front bedroom. We also cut the size of the inner kitchen and made bedrooms bigger. We made one of the toilets into a storage room too, the building in the garden is my gym/workshop and also has a bathroom and toilet attached.

There have been a few regrets as you would expect with a new build but overall we are very happy with it, it has been a good few years now and no major problems. Fingers crossed.

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[PhayaoPete]

Texas Ranger....you should have more than adequate head pressure for your shower from that height. I am drawing up a plan to have a tower of some sorts for back up when the power is out. It will catch rain water off our roof during the wet season and I will just use it for the bathroom water chores. pp

[TexasRanger]

Hi, the pressure was OK for taps but not for our rain shower, I think the height was OK but it is a few metres from the house them there is all the pipework too. I'm not a water expert buy maybe it is friction? Either way, in order to have a decent shower we need the pump.

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[davidkas]

Hi. I am just getting started with the new build. Just going through geting plans at the moment.

Ref your shower maybd it is the bore of your piping. Without the pump they cant carry sufficient volume of water.

Just a thought.

Hope all goes well.

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[TexasRanger]

To be honest I have had very few problems with the house but what problems I have had have been water related. Just got home this time and my well pump had died. If I coukd do it again I would have had a water tank fitted in the roof above the bathroom.

Sent from my GT-N8000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[PMK]

We're not in Isaan but we simply used one of the free government plans here http://www.crossy.co...lans/index.html to get approval and then modified to suit our needs, provided you don't make major structural changes there's no issue.

Crossy, it's been a few years since I visited the gov't site you link to - I thought you could get a detailed BOM price list off of it but clicking on the buttons doesn't do anything. Can you give me any more info on that? Thanks.

[Crossy]

We're not in Isaan but we simply used one of the free government plans here http://www.crossy.co...lans/index.html to get approval and then modified to suit our needs, provided you don't make major structural changes there's no issue.

Crossy, it's been a few years since I visited the gov't site you link to - I thought you could get a detailed BOM price list off of it but clicking on the buttons doesn't do anything. Can you give me any more info on that? Thanks.

I've got many of the Excel BOQ's that used to be on the government site, let me know which one's you need.

EDIT You can still find them on the government site, http://www.dpt.go.th...l/doc_down.html here are links to .zip files in the grey area at the top of each sub section.