Home building costs, architect fee

[Mekong Bob]

The estimated cost of building a home in Chiang Mai is reported to range from 5,000-20,000 baht per square meter, depending upon the quality of materials used. For this discussion, let's say 15,000 Thai baht per square meter. Calculations often use the phrase "shell only," and include the sub-floor (but not hardwood flooring), walls (plastered and painted), plumbing (but not sinks, toilets, tubs, or showers), electrical wiring (but no lighting fixtures), kitchen (but no sinks, countertops or cabinets), windows (but no metal security bars), doors, and a roof of standard tiles on a steel frame.

The overall floor area (in square meters) include bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, closets, porches, patios, carports, basements, etc. but not all of these spaces are considered to be the "living area". A 300-sq meter structure, for example, might include only 200 square meters of "living area" and, at 15K per sq meter, it will cost an estimated 4.5 million baht to build.

A Chiang Mai architect may charge 5% or 7% or 10% (or more) to design such a home. If 7% is typical, that's 315,000 baht for the architect's house plan. The owner is provided with a book of plans, while the builder uses the larger format "blueprints" and a detailed "BOQ" list of the materials and quantities specified in the building contact.

Do I have this right? Comments and corrections are most welcome!

[kaptainrob]

An average house of 2 or 3 bedrooms and 2 or 3 bathrooms will cost ~ 2 to 3 mil to build. Plans drawn with engineering cost approx 5k Bt for full set of photocopies in A3 size. Architects fees may vary depending on complexity of design brief and site/building supervision, if any

Most quality builders will produce a set of plans at no extra charge if supplied with basic design sketch.

[mamborobert]

An average house of 2 or 3 bedrooms and 2 or 3 bathrooms will cost ~ 2 to 3 mil to build. Plans drawn with engineering cost approx 5k Bt for full set of photocopies in A3 size. Architects fees may vary depending on complexity of design brief and site/building supervision, if any

Most quality builders will produce a set of plans at no extra charge if supplied with basic design sketch.

I'm not sure you can go with this "average" price idea. There are brand new Thai estates with 3 bedrooms, 2 levels with land for less than what has been cited. Agreed building quality may be questionable in some cases but you find many new places within this range (with multiple bathrooms and inside kitchen), there are billboards littered all over the superhighway for places (some on small lots but that is not what we are talking about).

What is average here really?

Plans can be free if you get a set approved design and there are many of them. The Thai govt encourages them and some run into sizeable premises in the muti million baht range so there is something for everyone. Also going to local Amphur to get plans drawn up by guys who will ultimately approve ends up cheaper as well.....and funnily enough no issues with permits.

Op might be best looking at another forum rather than CM generalist.....or better still the coolthaihouse web site that features lots of information and photos on farang builds (including some in Chiang Mai)...a great web site and reference for this sort of query.

[worgeordie]

300+ is too much for architects fees.

regards Worgeordie

[Thighlander]

It's an ego thing....there are tens of thousands of blueprints online, many for free, and some folks think they know more. Back in 2008, I knew a builder in BWT, who would build you a one level, 3 br, for 650,000 thb, about 100 sm....let's say it would be 1000000 today....or 10,000 psm....no extras, but were pretty decent houses.

I've seen people insist on European styles/qualities in the US and here. Its very taste specific and is throwing money away. Custom homes often go way over budget, too. Watched some Germans spend at least four years trying to sell their "masterpiece."

[dru2]

I paid THB15,000 for very professional architectural plans for a 190 sq m house earlier this year. The cost also included planning / building permission, Hang Dong area. House - single story, very well built - cost THB 550,000 for labour, another 850,000 for materials I sourced and bought myself. I have no complaints.

Plot, 150 talang wa (600 sq m) bought separately cost 1,550,00 inc. taxes - I think I was lucky.

[DaamNaam]

Whatever estimate you may get add 20-50% onto that, and double the time estimate while you're at it.

And watch them (the builders) like a hawk, or you will be drowning in a river of tears.

[CM4Me]

dru2. We are in the very early stages of planning to build down your way.

Could you possibly PM me the name, etc, of your architect.

many tks

[dru2]

dru2. We are in the very early stages of planning to build down your way.

Could you possibly PM me the name, etc, of your architect.

many tks

Hi - I have PM'd you the details and copied it to myself, but it hasn't shown up in my mailbox. Please let me know if you get it safely.

[Deke]

The standard architect fee is 4.5% of the estimated construction cost. This includes all of the documents that you describe in addition to some level of construction supervision.

This is my experience based on a couple of projects near Bangkok.

Edit to add that you might be able to negotiate a fee somewhat less than this depending on the architect's work load.

[eyecatcher]

The standard architect fee is 4.5% of the estimated construction cost. This includes all of the documents that you describe in addition to some level of construction supervision.

This is my experience based on a couple of projects near Bangkok.

Edit to add that you might be able to negotiate a fee somewhat less than this depending on the architect's work load.

With all due respect the % rate fee schedules are normally for large construction jobs or moo baans where the arch will get a % and ditto engineers and ditto cost planners.

You can without any difficulty get professional plans prepared for 5/6k a throw.

Granted it will not include site supervision or sourcing subcontractors and it will not include the 80baht planning approval which i paid very recently for my new house.

But 4.5% for a full service ie passing it over as turnkey project is a price that those with the funds but no time are prepared to take even on a single house project.

Hope your project goes well.

[Deke]

The standard architect fee is 4.5% of the estimated construction cost. This includes all of the documents that you describe in addition to some level of construction supervision.

This is my experience based on a couple of projects near Bangkok.

Edit to add that you might be able to negotiate a fee somewhat less than this depending on the architect's work load.

With all due respect the % rate fee schedules are normally for large construction jobs or moo baans where the arch will get a % and ditto engineers and ditto cost planners.

You can without any difficulty get professional plans prepared for 5/6k a throw.

Granted it will not include site supervision or sourcing subcontractors and it will not include the 80baht planning approval which i paid very recently for my new house.

But 4.5% for a full service ie passing it over as turnkey project is a price that those with the funds but no time are prepared to take even on a single house project.

Hope your project goes well.

I went back and checked. My 4.5% number above was incorrect. It was actually 3.5%. The buildings were home office (10 x 15 meters footprint x 4 floors); so not purely residential.

For the 5/6 kBaht do you get a full set of plans and BOQ or just the minimum requirements for Thesabahn approval? Is it a custom job or something off the shelf?

i'm interested for when I get around to building my own retirement place.

[umbanda]

A Thai neigbord paid 15.000thb for the architectural set of plans for his 200 sqmt house in Lampang. The set was very simple, without details, the design was very poor, and I was surprised by the low price. Looks like you are designing a very complicated or modern project to pay 300.000thb and probably is including also the structural details and calculation, with the city approval and licenses. If not, I think it is too expensive. Anyway..I am very curious about your project and to know how much you paid for it.....

Who knows?..I may come back to my practice if I can.

[dru2]

A Thai neigbord paid 15.000thb for the architectural set of plans for his 200 sqmt house in Lampang. The set was very simple, without details, the design was very poor, and I was surprised by the low price. Looks like you are designing a very complicated or modern project to pay 300.000thb and probably is including also the structural details and calculation, with the city approval and licenses. If not, I think it is too expensive. Anyway..I am very curious about your project and to know how much you paid for it.....

Who knows?..I may come back to my practice if I can.

I must restate that my THB15,000 architectural drawings - 22 pages of them - were accurate, professional and sophisticated. Everything that was necessary to build a 186 sq.m house, and they were followed to the letter by the builders. The price included full structural details and building permission from the local amphur.

[cheeryble]

One should remember that although obviously there's some adjustment for individual requirements and the outllne may be unique, a great deal of plans is boilerplate repetition or something close to it.

We were once asked an inordinate amount....could swear it was 40,000.....for a SKetchup rendering of an admittedly large and strange shaped lobby/hall in a condo building existing and proposed. It was a morning's work for a Sketchup guy no more.

I guess we had farang written all over our face.

[Greenside]

It may be that you were taken advantage of, but if the person doing the job was, in fact an architect, the actual plan was only a (possibly minor) part of the work. Ensuring your proposed space could actually be built and would stand up afterwards, interpreting your instructions and a whole raft of other "behind the scenes" work (including the time spent discussing it with the client and presenting the result) all have to be accounted for by a working professional.

Also, and again this might not have been so in your case, by getting involved only partially (by "just" doing the drawings, for example) the architect is by implication putting his name to something over which he has little or any control or input so making sure what's on paper doesn't compromise his reputation is another reason to be thorough.

Employing a properly trained and experienced architect in anything other than the very simplest circumstances is always worth the money.

[jij]

you might find this site helpful as well:

www.coolthaihouse.com