Building a new house in CM. Where to find professional builders etc

[kiwitezza]

I have just bought a 1/2 rai plot of land in Saraphi, 7km from the Iron Bridge in Chiangmai. I am a builder by trade so I have my own design plans for a house and pool.

I have been living and working the past 17 years in Phuket and I will move to live in CM over the next 2-3 years.

Seeing I am new to the area, I have no contacts for what I want to do.

I need draughtsman or architect to do the structural plans to get planning approve.

Need to find a good builder and pool company.

Kitchen design and manufacturer.

Landscape garden and plant supplier.

Window and door manufacturer.

Automatic gate manufacturer.

The land has a 3 bedroom house on it and also 2 of the boundaries have a 2 metre high concrete wall. So maybe look for someone to bowl the house and build 2 more concrete and block boundary walls.

Any advise is much appreciated..

[kaptainrob]

I have a very good builder working for me now, on a 5% margin. English is passable and I first took note of his work when a house was completed in our mooban. We approached several other builders but found none as accommodating nor as professional. I had a building co in Aus si I know what to look for. PM if you'd like full contact details.

Saraphi is 5mins from us and I'd be happy to go look at your site if you send GPS co-ords.

HomePro have an in-house "Starmark Kitchen" designer and there's Homikitch in the city although both their prices are exxy! I'm going the DIY route and will order all CKD modules ex BKK for a U-shape layout. Supplied laminate tops will be thrown away and a local granite man will fit a custom counter top @ 15,000Bt. Total cost will be 1/3 of a custom-built fully-installed kitchen.

Gate openers available ex Global house. Landscape design and BIG tree suppliers at our back door.

[kiwitezza]

I have a very good builder working for me now, on a 5% margin. English is passable and I first took note of his work when a house was completed in our mooban. We approached several other builders but found none as accommodating nor as professional. I had a building co in Aus si I know what to look for. PM if you'd like full contact details.

Saraphi is 5mins from us and I'd be happy to go look at your site if you send GPS co-ords.

HomePro have an in-house "Starmark Kitchen" designer and there's Homikitch in the city although both their prices are exxy! I'm going the DIY route and will order all CKD modules ex BKK for a U-shape layout. Supplied laminate tops will be thrown away and a local granite man will fit a custom counter top @ 15,000Bt. Total cost will be 1/3 of a custom-built fully-installed kitchen.

Gate openers available ex Global house. Landscape design and BIG tree suppliers at our back door.

Thanks mate..i wil PM you..

[DaamNaam]

Homikitch for kitchens. No one else even comes close.

Build Sabai, for the builders.

Almost opposite Shangri-La on Changklan Rd is a place doing automatic gates, Italian and Malaysian motors.

Alti for guttering with 15 year warranty.

[kiwitezza]

Homikitch for kitchens. No one else even comes close.

Build Sabai, for the builders.

Almost opposite Shangri-La on Changklan Rd is a place doing automatic gates, Italian and Malaysian motors.

Alti for guttering with 15 year warranty.

Thank you sir.

[kaptainrob]

Homikitch for kitchens. No one else even comes close.

Build Sabai, for the builders.

Almost opposite Shangri-La on Changklan Rd is a place doing automatic gates, Italian and Malaysian motors.

Alti for guttering with 15 year warranty.

Homikitch do build very nice kitchens, as do Starmark. Expensive compared with DIY for those proficient with a cordless driver/drill and spirit level.

I looked at a recent Build Sabai 2-storey house which looked great from the road. Close-up inspection left a lot to be desired on finishing and basic design.... though I don't know if it was their own design or from elsewhere. Woodwork, tiling and painting was poor.

I like to view building in progress and see piers/beams and walls erected plumb and true, no shoddy workmanship to be covered later with 100mm thick render!

Alti is a good recommendation, I shall be using them!

[Torrens54]

G'day Kiwitezza,

We've been using a guy to do heaps of renovations on a house in CNX which we bought some years ago. He has been excellent, so good in fact that he has "done himself out of building a new house for us." We brought plans back from Australia after living there for a few years and had ever intention of building a new place but honestly, he has done such a great job with the renovations, we're staying put.

His English is non-existent but I assume you have a Thai wife, so that would overcome that problem. Anyway, if you'd like his contact details, I'll get my wife to give them to me and I'll forward them to you.

Cheers!!

[DaamNaam]

Homikitch for kitchens. No one else even comes close.

Build Sabai, for the builders.

Almost opposite Shangri-La on Changklan Rd is a place doing automatic gates, Italian and Malaysian motors.

Alti for guttering with 15 year warranty.

Homikitch do build very nice kitchens, as do Starmark. Expensive compared with DIY for those proficient with a cordless driver/drill and spirit level.

I looked at a recent Build Sabai 2-storey house which looked great from the road. Close-up inspection left a lot to be desired on finishing and basic design.... though I don't know if it was their own design or from elsewhere. Woodwork, tiling and painting was poor.

I like to view building in progress and see piers/beams and walls erected plumb and true, no shoddy workmanship to be covered later with 100mm thick render!

Alti is a good recommendation, I shall be using them!

A few long term Tvisa members have had houses built with Build Sabai and have all had very nice homes built. As with any Thai project there are hiccups, i have yet to hear of one without any. Build Sabai are very good at follow ups and seem to know how the "farang mind" works, to a degree.

Homikitch, Alti and Siam pools have been the most professional contractors we've used.

Plus Albert of Alti gutters roasts some of the best coffee beans in all of Thailand. Nice fellow to boot.

[jaapfries]

Hi there Kiwi:

I can not help you with any "local" connections, as I am living in that sailing-paradise called Jomtien, on the Eastern Seaboard.

However; seeing that you are about to build a new house; I do have a couple of very important, typically Thai-Relevant suggestions to make:

1. Vapor-Barrier: Just like in NZ; this is one of the most important things which people/builders in Thailand almost always forget to install. NOT having this vapor-barrier, will eventually result in moisture creeping-up into foundations & walls (capillarity) - and causing substantial damage. Silly thing about this vapor-barrier is; it costs almost nothing to put in, but it is impossible to do it once the foundations are in place.

2. Termite-Control System: Again; this is a very inexpensive issue, but extremely difficult to do (properly) once the foundations are down. The system I am talking about is installed just after the foundation beams are complete, but BEFORE the pouring of the floor. A series of simple hose-loops are put in place, containing a number of slow-release nipple (spray-jets). Once completed, the system is filled with termite-control liquid, under pressure and then re-charged every 6 months.

Since you are a Kiwi Builder, like myself; I don;t have to remind you about the proper ventilation of the roof-space; however - if you are unsure, just PM me and I'll drop you a little schematic drawing anytime you like.

With regards to the 2 point made above; ignore these at your own peril, because you will pull you hair out (if any) if you don't . . . . . .

Cheers mate,

JaapFries

[kaptainrob]

^ CNX builders employ termite control methods as described >

[file photo]

Lower floors are often suspended pre-cast beams with a poured topping.

[file photo]

If sand-filled and slab is poured on-ground, a vapour barrier is highly recommended.

[trainman34014]

Anyone got contact numbers etc for 'Build Sabai' please ?

[DaamNaam]

Anyone got contact numbers etc for 'Build Sabai' please ?

http://www.buildsabai.com

[DaamNaam]

^ CNX builders employ termite control methods as described >

[file photo]

Lower floors are often suspended pre-cast beams with a poured topping.

[file photo]

If sand-filled and slab is poured on-ground, a vapour barrier is highly recommended.

Rob. where did you get those elbows and caps for the lines? been looking everywhere for them.

[kiwitezza]

Thanks for all the good advice so far guys..

No mention of a good window and sliding door supplier..

also where to buy good wooden internal doors..

[Resa]

Im also looking for similar advice.

Anyone know some good aluminum sliding door / window providers?

[phukettrader]

Anyone got contact numbers etc for 'Build Sabai' please ?

I would VERY VERY strongly recommend not to use Build Sabai. Speaking from first hand experience, you should stear well clear of this company. If you would like more information, please PM me.

[DaamNaam]

Anyone got contact numbers etc for 'Build Sabai' please ?

I would VERY VERY strongly recommend not to use Build Sabai. Speaking from first hand experience, you should stear well clear of this company. If you would like more information, please PM me.

I guess the 4 folks i know here who are happy with Build Sabai must of just got lucky then.

[phukettrader]

Anyone got contact numbers etc for 'Build Sabai' please ?

I would VERY VERY strongly recommend not to use Build Sabai. Speaking from first hand experience, you should stear well clear of this company. If you would like more information, please PM me.

I guess the 4 folks i know here who are happy with Build Sabai must of just got lucky then.

Yes, I guess your 4 folks must have been lucky. Indeed, the houses that this company showed me before I signed a contract with them were also very nice and apparently well built. However, what you have to understand about this company is that they sub-contract ALL of the building work to other people, so it's the luck of the draw as to who you get to build your house.

In my case, the appointed contractor had, by his own admission, never built a residential house before and the average age of his "experienced" workers was no more than 18 years old. Every door, window and wall was in the wrong place, the structure was wrong and, after we had the construction surveyed by an independent engineer, we discovered that he had used the wrong spec for all the plumbing and a lot of the electrical wiring. At this point we terminated the contract with them.

During the period of about 9 months of construction, we had 10 different engineers due to high staff turnover, none of who passed on information to the next and none of the construction was supervised by their staff for 99% of the time.

These are just a small fraction of the problems we had with them.

Since terminating the contract, we have yet to find another builder who is prepared to finish the work, as most of them are too scared that they will find more problems with this "quality" build.

At this point, we stand to lose several million baht on this project directly because of this company.

[jimmym40]

Sorry Phukettrader to hear about your house build gone wrong. I fully agree with you. Most all builders do not have a "steady" crew. As you said, they subcontract almost everything out. Even if they use the same subcontractors, that doesn't mean the subcontractors have the "same" crew. These workers move all around. Some/most work, get some money, then take a holiday until the money runs out. What you need when building a house is a honest, knowledgeable, supervisor, not afraid to tell the "workers" when they are doing something wrong. You know, it's a face issue.

Hope somehow you get to finish your project.

[Jose]

2. Termite-Control System: Again; this is a very inexpensive issue, but extremely difficult to do (properly) once the foundations are down. The system I am talking about is installed just after the foundation beams are complete, but BEFORE the pouring of the floor. A series of simple hose-loops are put in place, containing a number of slow-release nipple (spray-jets). Once completed, the system is filled with termite-control liquid, under pressure and then re-charged every 6 months.

Rather than have a potential chemical health hazard in place, would a barrier (such as the one below) help keep termites away here in Thailand?

Link

[AnotherOneAmerican]

The only effective protection against termites, is to have nothing they want to eat in the house.

Termites can smell 'tasty wood' through a concrete floor and chew through the concrete floor to get the wood.

Build your house of concrete, steel and plastic. Then you won't have the problem.

[CMKiwi]

The only effective protection against termites, is to have nothing they want to eat in the house.

Termites can smell 'tasty wood' through a concrete floor and chew through the concrete floor to get the wood.

Build your house of concrete, steel and plastic. Then you won't have the problem.

Agreed, I know a German guy who even had his bed made out of concrete! He said he has never had a problem with termites. Infact most of his furniture was built in and made of concrete. Quite unique

[Jose]

Build your house of concrete, steel and plastic. Then you won't have the problem.

Agreed, I know a German guy who even had his bed made out of concrete! He said he has never had a problem with termites. Infact most of his furniture was built in and made of concrete. Quite unique

One's gotta be careful with those fragile concrete doors though...

Seriously, the house I rent in KPG is all solid concrete and steel, but that didn't stop the buggers from hollowing our the wooden skirting boards.

[Jmathews]

Firstly really appreciate the forum comments.

I am desperate need to have a qualified thai to check the build at my new house in the sansai Noi area.

The house is at the pre-rendering stage so I have a chance to find any problems and try to rectify.

The thai architect has been helpful but I would still like an independent check. Maybe 2-3 hours work with a final follow up in March on completion. Would require a proper report written in thai.

I go back home this saturday 23 nov, so I am abit desperate.

Could someone please help?

Also, not sure how to communicate phone details... Because I assume it is not best to show this on the website.

Much appreciated.

James

[JimGant]

The only effective protection against termites, is to have nothing they want to eat in the house.

Termites can smell 'tasty wood' through a concrete floor and chew through the concrete floor to get the wood.

Yeah, they do a job on drywall (gypsum) too -- as I found out the hard way. (Were they just passing thru for something tastier -- or do they "eat" gypsum?)