General contractors are charging us too much so...

[TravelerEastWest]

General contractors are charging us too much so...

Example one contractor we interviewed quoted a million baht for roofing labor, parts Monier concrete tiles and galvanized steel etc. Going directly to a large store with a good reputation we could do the same roof for 600,000

Another contractor told us pilings would be 180,000 going directly to the piling company 120,000

So my wife has decided to skip the general contractor and contract directly with specialists and have her family be on site daily to keep an eye on our project. Note this is a workshop - a simple box not a home.

She plans to save quite a bit which is nice but all of a sudden we feel free and are enjoying the process very much.

If we had a general contractor we would still need to be watching them like a hawk.

My question is what is fair for a general contractor to make - in terms of a percent above what his subcontractor charges him?

[NeverSure]

In the West, a 15% markup will be very good for a contractor. Cost plus 15%.

Remember, we're not talking about selling a bag of rice. We're talking about 90,000 baht for that roof and 18,000 baht for the pilings. A busy and efficient (haha TIT) contractor would be making a lot of money with those margins.

[h90]

We had a good company quote us something with 800.000 Baht.

We took someone else who did it for 50.000 Baht without any visible problems.

I guess the first one just saw the Farang and though money doesn't matter....

[TravelerEastWest]

We had a good company quote us something with 800.000 Baht.

We took someone else who did it for 50.000 Baht without any visible problems.

I guess the first one just saw the Farang and though money doesn't matter....

That is a huge difference.

In our case usually I am not involved and my wife is Thai as is her father who helps a lot.

Being a general contractor here seems very profitable.

I am making a spread sheet now and breaking the building up into different parts.

So far so good.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

600k is a hell of a big roof!

My entire 3 bed house cost less than 900k to build.

Edited September 7, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[krisb]

To answer your ?, as much as he can.

[TravelerEastWest]

600k is a hell of a big roof!

My entire 3 bed house cost less than 900k to build.

The roof is something like 400+ square meters (I forget the exact number) using galvanized steel and concrete Monier tiles.

The biggest part of the cost is the steel - the labor and tiles is reasonable.

You have me very curious how large is your roof and what type of tiles and steel did you use and how much did it cost?

And the big question when did you make the house?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

Edited September 8, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[TravelerEastWest]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpgtile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

Our building is a rectangle - I have never been certain what a bungalow is.

Your roof may cost around 225,000 baht.

Our roof is more than double the size of yours so the actual cost per square meter sounds very similar.

Enjoy your new house!

[Greenside]

15% is fairly standard in Chiang Mai but, while I think that's not greedy, I don't expect materials to be marked up significantly as the basis for the cost to which is then added the overhead. There is some considerable risk to the contractor insofar as prices for materials and labour may increase between quote and purchase so I wouldn't expect them to put the very lowest prices on the BOQ.

I just spent the morning not approving Variation Orders where the electrical subcontractor had detailed Cat 5 cable at 30 baht a metre and 250 baht for a 99 baht MCB along with a lot of other hopeful bullshit - the main contractor simply added their overhead to the quote, mainly because they don't really know the details of the extra bits and pieces I want done but I don't expect they will moan that I have cut it all back by about 40%.

[bankruatsteve]

Unless you get a good feeling that everything is cool with your contractor, do it in phases like: foundation/footings, rough in for plumbing, rough in for electric, etc. If at any point, the feeling or the work/product is not what you want - then STOP. Say what you do not like, maybe work it out, maybe fire that one and try again. What you pay is what you know it should cost or you don't know so don't worry about it.

[h90]

We had a good company quote us something with 800.000 Baht.

We took someone else who did it for 50.000 Baht without any visible problems.

I guess the first one just saw the Farang and though money doesn't matter....

That is a huge difference.

In our case usually I am not involved and my wife is Thai as is her father who helps a lot.

Being a general contractor here seems very profitable.

I am making a spread sheet now and breaking the building up into different parts.

So far so good.

It was a pretty easy job to do. One company wanted to charge us architect and design etc etc.. While the others were just a group of labor who charged us for their working time and the material they used. The first company surely would give us a perfect invoice, while the second took the money cash without.

So it is not fair to compare them. But I am sure if we would pay them 150.000 instead of 50.000 they would brought us an architect and VAT invoice as well.....50K to 800K is just too much to explain it with the overhead.

[luudee]

Unless you get a good feeling that everything is cool with your contractor, do it in phases like: foundation/footings, rough in for plumbing, rough in for electric, etc. If at any point, the feeling or the work/product is not what you want - then STOP. Say what you do not like, maybe work it out, maybe fire that one and try again. What you pay is what you know it should cost or you don't know so don't worry about it.

I want to second Steve's recommendation. Always divide the job in to phases.

If they don't do a good job, discontinue and find another contractor.

I have had so many issues with contractors in the past ... I now try to ask the

good workers for their numbers and save those, and when I need something

done, I try to hire the workers directly.

I also find Farang contractors to be worth than Thais. it seems they all have

many nice stories to tell, but when it comes to executing the job they have the

worst uneducated labor you can imagine and they don't bother to supervise

or monitor the project and also don't stand by their work either ...

luudee

[IMHO]

Sounds like the special pricing offered to uneducated Thais and Farang alike to me.

[Greenside]

Regardless of how you come into contact with them, always, always take the number of a good sub-contractor and a good foreman or supervisor (assuming of course that you've seen their finished work up close).

[TravelerEastWest]

Regardless of how you come into contact with them, always, always take the number of a good sub-contractor and a good foreman or supervisor (assuming of course that you've seen their finished work up close).

Sounds like very good advice.

[TravelerEastWest]

Unless you get a good feeling that everything is cool with your contractor, do it in phases like: foundation/footings, rough in for plumbing, rough in for electric, etc. If at any point, the feeling or the work/product is not what you want - then STOP. Say what you do not like, maybe work it out, maybe fire that one and try again. What you pay is what you know it should cost or you don't know so don't worry about it.

More good advice.

[krisb]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpgtile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

 

Our building is a rectangle - I have never been certain what a bungalow is.

 

Your roof may cost around 225,000 baht.

 

Our roof is more than double the size of yours so the actual cost per square meter sounds very similar.

 

Enjoy your new house!

Ours is rectangle shaped also. 24 metres by 12 metres plus front verandah is 12x3. The roof is pitched up 2 metres.Total cost for the steel frame, roofing iron and bits and pieces like screws, welding rods, anti rust paint for the welding seams and labour for all that was about 200 thousand baht. I'm organizing the build myself.

Op if your anywhere near Khon kaen, I've got good tradesman if you need any.

[krisb]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpg tile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

Nice house your building yourself! Just to clarify for myself and other members who don't know..

Why did you have to pay 100k in tax?

How is it determined?

Thanks AOA.

[shaun72]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpgtile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

Our building is a rectangle - I have never been certain what a bungalow is.

Your roof may cost around 225,000 baht.

Our roof is more than double the size of yours so the actual cost per square meter sounds very similar.

Enjoy your new house!

Ours is rectangle shaped also. 24 metres by 12 metres plus front verandah is 12x3. The roof is pitched up 2 metres.Total cost for the steel frame, roofing iron and bits and pieces like screws, welding rods, anti rust paint for the welding seams and labour for all that was about 200 thousand baht. I'm organizing the build myself.

Op if your anywhere near Khon kaen, I've got good tradesman if you need any.

[shaun72]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpgtile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

Our building is a rectangle - I have never been certain what a bungalow is.

Your roof may cost around 225,000 baht.

Our roof is more than double the size of yours so the actual cost per square meter sounds very similar.

Enjoy your new house!

Ours is rectangle shaped also. 24 metres by 12 metres plus front verandah is 12x3. The roof is pitched up 2 metres.Total cost for the steel frame, roofing iron and bits and pieces like screws, welding rods, anti rust paint for the welding seams and labour for all that was about 200 thousand baht. I'm organizing the build myself.

Op if your anywhere near Khon kaen, I've got good tradesman if you need any.

yes I need good contractors in udon for when I come in march

[kannot]

To answer your ?, as much as he can.

and then some by cutting every corner possible.

[kannot]

Unless you get a good feeling that everything is cool with your contractor, do it in phases like: foundation/footings, rough in for plumbing, rough in for electric, etc. If at any point, the feeling or the work/product is not what you want - then STOP. Say what you do not like, maybe work it out, maybe fire that one and try again. What you pay is what you know it should cost or you don't know so don't worry about it.

I want to second Steve's recommendation. Always divide the job in to phases.

If they don't do a good job, discontinue and find another contractor.

I have had so many issues with contractors in the past ... I now try to ask the

good workers for their numbers and save those, and when I need something

done, I try to hire the workers directly.

I also find Farang contractors to be worth than Thais. it seems they all have

many nice stories to tell, but when it comes to executing the job they have the

worst uneducated labor you can imagine and they don't bother to supervise

or monitor the project and also don't stand by their work either ...

luudee

Ive found it IMPOSSIBLE to hire the workmen directly they are "duty bound" to "ask" their bossman and it MUST go through him, even to the point after one call they wont answer the phone to my Wife.

[TravelerEastWest]

"Op if your anywhere near Khon kaen, I've got good tradesman if you need any."

I am in Chiang Mai but you are very kind and I thank you sharing good tradesmen is like sharing treasure.

As an update on my project we have finished the land fill and are about to put up a barbed wire fence - 2 meters high, 7 strands about 20 cm apart concrete piles 2 meters apart.

The piles will be dug about 50cm down and have poured concrete. Every 7th pile or so the piles will have reenforcements.

The quote for about 500 meters is 103,000. The quote is by a village chung (not an engineer) who has 30+ years experience.

He also wants to build the building so this will be a good chance to see how he works.

[TravelerEastWest]

I forgot to mention that we applied for a building permit about 45 days ago and they keep telling us the people who need to sign are out of town etc.

Up to now we were not ready to build - rain etc so no problem - but I really prefer to not make extra payments - I can afford to give a small gift - but not my style.

Am I wrong - As in do in Rome as the Romans do?

[umbanda]

Built this year, just about finished, move in later this month.

steel.jpgtile.jpg

Roof must be 100-150m2, it's just a normal 3 bedroom 2 storey house, nothing special.

Guess yours is a bungalow, which would double the roof area.

Land 650k, Build 900k, developer profit 150k, taxes 100k = total 1M8.

I don't have specific prices apart from the land, rest is a guesstimate.

If you live in Chiang Rai or close, let me have the info about your contractor. Thank you. ****Email removed****

Edited September 30, 2013 by metisdead
13) Not to post email addresses in posts due to potential spam problems.

[kannot]

"Op if your anywhere near Khon kaen, I've got good tradesman if you need any."

I am in Chiang Mai but you are very kind and I thank you sharing good tradesmen is like sharing treasure.

As an update on my project we have finished the land fill and are about to put up a barbed wire fence - 2 meters high, 7 strands about 20 cm apart concrete piles 2 meters apart.

The piles will be dug about 50cm down and have poured concrete. Every 7th pile or so the piles will have reenforcements.

The quote for about 500 meters is 103,000. The quote is by a village chung (not an engineer) who has 30+ years experience.

He also wants to build the building so this will be a good chance to see how he works.

Chung needs more experience 60 cm deep would be better.

Forget experience, it usually means they've done it wrong for 30 years.

[colinneil]

Best way to deal with contractors in thailand is the same as we did.

I was in england wife got contractor to build house, good price ( for thai ). He did not know she had farang husband. I arrived in thailand house 90% complete.

I went to view the work , contractor who could speak english (he worked in hong kong for 7 years) asks me who are you , i am the husband of the lady you are building the house for. But you farang, i not know she have farang i not happy. Tough sh*t pal.!!!

[IMHO]

Best way to deal with contractors in thailand is the same as we did.

I was in england wife got contractor to build house, good price ( for thai ). He did not know she had farang husband. I arrived in thailand house 90% complete.

I went to view the work , contractor who could speak english (he worked in hong kong for 7 years) asks me who are you , i am the husband of the lady you are building the house for. But you farang, i not know she have farang i not happy. Tough sh*t pal.!!!

Either it's not a brick and tile house, or the guy thought she won the lottery?