# Self Build - The costs?



## Venus

Hi,

We are soon to start building our first house. The Architect has made it bigger than we originally wanted. It's now 3066 Sq ft Approx. dormer

Can anyone tell me what would be the costs involved - a ball park figure?

We have no children as yet, so we would just leave upstairs plastered and finish it gradually.

We are hoping to save the money for the inside - kitchen etc.

So if anyone can help or has any information I would be really grateful!!

Thanks
K


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## MoneyWorry

Venus - 3066 ft sq - simply multiply it by 100 and you get an idea of how much it will cost to do the house. Always better to over estimate the costs because some things do go wrong. Also if the house is a high spec. It would cost more. 

But at the end of the day if it was low spec self build. no fancy materials ie solid timber flooring etc you could prob do the whole house finished for 260,000. but do shop around for the best value goods.


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## Venus

We are hoping to do it for 200,000... this is probably not realistic though!

My husband to be can do the Tiling and any other work possible on the house..

We don't want to get in debt over this so maybe the best thing is to go back to the architect and say we can't afford to do it?


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## MoneyWorry

venus - Useless you are planning on having 5 kids or more. 3066ft is very big - besides you mentioned that the "architect made it bigger than you orginally wanted" why not give yourself a easy life and tell the architect to drop it down 500 feet? Some people go for a big size but for myself i would just go for a home. Quality not quatity.


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## Venus

Thanks Moneyworry - I think its best to go down in size rather than killl ourselves worrying about it!


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## Frank

Venus

I would be tempted to try and build big now and get the money from the bank to do it. 
You could end up in 2 years time wishing you had the space and wanting to extend.

It would a be a shame to look back in a few years saying if only we had done ......


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## Venus

Frank this is what I think too but there is no point being in a big house that we can't afford and then being miserable!

I really don't know what to do at this stage.

We are getting married in September also which doesn't help financially!


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## Plane

I am in a VERY similiar situation. The girlfriend and myself are building our home. It is being plastered in 2 weeks.
For our 3660 sq feet dormer. 
We will finish the kitchen, dining room, sun room, bath room (with jacuzzi), en-suite, utility toilet, main bedroom and have our stairs in. 
Hall, sit room, dining room and sun room have solid wooden floors. Bed carpet and other bits too. This will all and more be done for 170k. Price around, cash speaks more than cheque.
And no corners have been cut on materials, if anything we have gone overboard on quality. 
If you want to ask any questions on prices feel free.


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## hacker

Hi Venus,
Have a look at this website http://www.iaosb.com/ 
There is a section included "Cost of construction" which breaks down the cost of a self build.  I am not sure how accurate this is, we are just at the planning stage our selves but there is loads of info there.  We have our plans so we got a quote from a builder to do the whole thing,  which has been a huge help from a costing point of view, we are probably going self build.

Good luck with the house.
Hacker.


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## Salmon

Plane,

That sounds like a really good price for building a 3600 ft house!! I am building a 3200 and was wondering if you could give a quick breakdown of where all yer costs were? E.g. Groundwork, Walls, roof, plastering, electrics, plumbing etc! I know I will be keeping an excel spreadsheet for expences but was wondering if anyone else could post one up, it would be a great help.

Oh yeah, where are you based and did you do much of the work yourself??


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## Frank

Plane 

As was said souds like a great price for plenty of room to swing a cat.

Would be interested in the breakdown as well. 

Folks have a site, I would ove to build meself a place, depending on costing and how much project managing is needed.


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## Salem

This post will be deleted if not edited immediately ... Plane that price sounds too good to be true !!! Pleae tell me you're not building in Dublin area !!


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## Venus

Plane said:
			
		

> I am in a VERY similiar situation. The girlfriend and myself are building our home. It is being plastered in 2 weeks.
> For our 3660 sq feet dormer.
> We will finish the kitchen, dining room, sun room, bath room (with jacuzzi), en-suite, utility toilet, main bedroom and have our stairs in.
> Hall, sit room, dining room and sun room have solid wooden floors. Bed carpet and other bits too. This will all and more be done for 170k. Price around, cash speaks more than cheque.
> And no corners have been cut on materials, if anything we have gone overboard on quality.
> If you want to ask any questions on prices feel free.


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## Venus

Hi Plane,

Thanks for this - you make it sound too easy! We sent in the plans yesterday, think its 3100. How did you manage to keep the costs so low? Most people say its about €75 per sq foot... Any chance of a rough breakdown on costs? Thanks


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## Venus

also we are looking at whether to use blocks or go with wooden frame...
Anyone have opinions on this?


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## irishlinks

I posted this breakdown of building costs at  http://self-build-in-ireland.blogspot.com/2005/06/cost-of-build.html  last June - it might be of some help ? (2250 sq ft dormer) - a bit smaller than the houses being talked about here!


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## Salmon

Folks,

Just wondering if anyone has experience of contracting the 'shell' of the house, and finishing it off themselves using sub-contractors?. By this i mean selecting a contractor to carry out all the groundwork, external and internal walls, and roofing. 
Would this be a good way of sharing the workload involved in building a one off house as well as keeping the costs down for the build?


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## ludermor

Irishlinks,
Great site, and you seem to have done pretty well pricewise
Do you mind me asking where you got your windows/ext doors from, they seem competitive prices


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## polo1

Venus said:
			
		

> also we are looking at whether to use blocks or go with wooden frame...
> Anyone have opinions on this?


 
Why not try an ICF system - Insulated Concrete Form .  We have just built our house using this type of system.  

ICF are basically forms for poured concrete walls, that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. 
The forms, made of foam insulation, are either pre-formed interlocking blocks or separate panels connected with plastic ties. The left-in-place forms not only provide a continuous insulation and sound barrier, but also a backing for drywall on the inside, and stucco, lap siding, or brick on the outside.

It works out much the same as blocks and is much quicker in construction.


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## irishlinks

ludermor said:
			
		

> Irishlinks,
> Great site, and you seem to have done pretty well pricewise
> Do you mind me asking where you got your windows/ext doors from, they seem competitive prices


 
They were from TJ Grady - based in Charlestown Co Mayo. I ws recommended them by someone else who had just built a house - he had plenty of quotes.  I think they cover most of Ireland?  see


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## ludermor

Cheers for that


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## ludermor

What kid of heating do you end up with? do you go for the gas and range burner?


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## Sue Ellen

Another site that might be useful [broken link removed]


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## KimWilde

Polo1, interested in your ICF build. 
Did u use a company called Nudura ?
Did u use a truss roof or a sips roof ?

Tks


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## arasain

Plane,
170k - Incredible!! Our 2900sq ft will cost us 400k and believe me we're hot going overboard on materials, furnishings etc


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## HeadTheWall

47E per sq/f. I find that pretty unbelievable, as others have asked, could you give a breakdown so everyone else can realise where they are going wrong. With the cost of materials even a builder doing most of the work himself including blocklaying, plastering etc he would still find it hard to do it for that amount


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## ludermor

I dont know why everyone is doubting the poster who said 170K. remember 5 years ago down the country you could buy a mansion for 150K. Materials and labour havent gone up that much in the meantime. 
I am building at teh moment ( 1800 m2 ground floor, will have 3 rooms upsatairs) and i will be upset if it costs more than 120K. I got the site off my father and will co ordinate the works myself. It will take longer than getting a builder but im in no hurry.
I think 400K is crazy for one house ( i dont know how much the site is worth, and i suppose all prices are relative)


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## polo1

KimWilde. Yes we did use the Nudura system and the roof is a Truss roof. 
Let me know if you need more information.


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## Lorz

ludermor said:
			
		

> I dont know why everyone is doubting the poster who said 170K. remember 5 years ago down the country you could buy a mansion for 150K. Materials and labour havent gone up that much in the meantime.


 
Labour hasn't gone up that much?!?!?  I'm afraid it has - have you tried getting a tradesman lately - how long were you waiting - how much did it cost - did they do a good job?  My brother got a very small plastering job done lately - about 2ft x 4ft - waited 3months for 1 guy eventually got someone else but he charged €350! With the first lot of SSIAs maturing and the inevitable amount of people who want home improvements, it's only going to get worse!  Labour HAS increased as has fuel & insurance and these have a knock on effect on ALL building costs (incl. supplies)


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## polo1

Ludemor. It depends where your building. We got quotes for a roof for our house at around 65K. and its only 2500sq ft. ELec and Mech was also astronomical...... This was after badgering about 10 - 15 people to give us a quote.!!!
Let me know if you can build a house for this and I will give you 10% commission on top and sub let it to you to do for me !!


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## ludermor

Lorz
I didnt say labour hasnt increased, it has but not to justify the increases stated. If you ring any construction labour agency you will get most tradsmen for less than 30/hour plus VAT. You will have to get the materials yourself but if you are prepared to do some work yourself you will get value. If you want a self employed person to do the job then they will ( and entitled to ) charge mimimum call out/ travel. Just to say your brother had a 4ftx2ft wall to do is immaterial, he probably would have been charded the same if it was 14ftx2ft ( if it could be done in a day) 

Polo1
of course your right about location and getting people to quote for you. 65k is crazy for a roof. If a subbie is busy and has loads of work on he will charge a premium, if he gets this job he is happy if he doesnt then he doesnt care. However when work is tight he will price work cheaper. There is an element of luck involved. As a lot of people get trades thru word of mouth, these people can get busy very quickly.


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## Lorz

I stand by my opinion - we've researched it - OH works in the industry - plenty of contacts - plenty of "favours" owed - more than willing to do as much as we can ourselves and we'll be lucky to come out at €75 per sq ft.  I presume his figure incl. kitchen, tiles, bathrooms suites, etc.  

As for my brothers plasterer, he had to travel 5mins to the house each way - total time incl. leaving his house and doing the job = Less than 1 hour!  Of course he's entitled to make a profit (he'd be a busy fool if he wasn't making money) and of course there is a min. charge but €350 for 1hr (incl. travelling) and no expensive equipment just a trowel seems a great business to be in!

The construction industry is so busy at the moment that contractors can charge as they please - there are an abundance of apprentices who intend going out on their own as soon as they're finished with very little experience.  It's going to get more and more difficult to get good quality work done.


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## ludermor

350 is excessive but surely you agreed this before he started? Its supply and demand, as i sadi when the work slows doen the prices will drop. As someone stated another post there are plenty of european workers willing to work for less. If you didnt want to pay get someone else to do it.


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## Venus

wow there seems to be a great difference on what people expect to pay
to buld their house. Our architect told us rougly 75 per sq foot to have house ready to move in! this would be say for 3100 sq foot - 232,500. We are going direct labour and hope to do alot of work ourselves. Also we will just do the first floor of the house and then finish upstairs as we go along - painitng etc. So we hope to do it for 200,000 not including furniture, kitchen etc.

Does anyone think this is unrealistic and why??


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## Salmon

What stage are you at at the moment venus? I would be interested in finding out what prices the contractors have quoted, when you sent your drawings to them! 

Im building a similar sized house at the moment by direct labour and was thinking of sending around some plans just to guage what the going rate per sq foot is!


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## Venus

Well Salmon we haven't given to any contractors as yet. Did you get any costs from contractors? Our architect told us 100 per sq foot for a contractor- don't know how true this is! I would say even more..

What stage are you at Salmon and how much do you think your build will cost?


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## arasain

hi folks, this is a breakdown of my self build costs - hope you find them useful - note no furniture, timber floors etc included
 Demolitions & Alterations 4k
Substructure Raft26kExternal & Internal Walls48kConcrete Suspended Floors, Handrails & Stairs 17kRoof Structure & Finishes 29kInternal Doors & Joinery15kWall Finishes Externally 13kInternal Wall Plastering 19kCeiling Finishes 12kPlumbing & Heating 29kElectrical Services (€1,000 included for light fittings)6kPainting & Tiling 11kSiteworks & Drainage 22kBuilders Preliminaries, Insurances, Scaffolding, Crane Hire, Protection, Health & Safety etc32kWindows & External Doors20kKitchen & Utility Units12kSanitary Ware3kWardrobes & Built in Furniture 3kTiles (supply of only)2kFireplace2kContingency Sum   12kplus vat at 13.5%


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## Salmon

Venus,

I am waiting out the 4 weeks after the planning was granted and am looking into some prices for stuff! Unfortunately the council wanted some alterations to my plans so i havent got a final draft yet to send to builders, so hopefully my engineer can send me some asap. I would hope to get the house build for around 240K and will be doing it via direct labour. I came across a spreadsheet on here a few weeks back and have altered it to suit my build and I can put up a link soon so ye can see what i estimate things will cost. I need some quotes though because i might be way off with some of my figures. The house is quite big, but I tried to design it as simple as possible! Its basically a rectangular building with a gabled roof. My brother is a carpenter and he advised me to keep the design as simple as possible and build the house a little larger if possible. I am looking forward to the whole project, but i guess there will be many heartaches along the way!! 

arasain,
Thanks for posting that info! Have you built the house or are these estimates? Also how much of the work have you done yourself in the house? 

All,
My brother is building a house at the moment and I might offer my services to help him on some of the jobs, to pick up a little knowhow!,  what jobs would it be possible for me to pick up by helping him? The obvious ones to me might be a little tiling, putting in architrave, painting etc. Has anyone taken on a job in a self build and really regretted not getting a professional to do the job? I suppose anything I can don myself will decrease the final cost of the build, but i dont want to take on something thats too difficult!!!!!


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## Salmon

Arasain,

48K seems a little dear for walls!!


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## arasain

Salmon,
I'm up to roof level at the moment and the costs are broadly in line with the tender.


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## Salmon

Do you have a breakdown of material and labour for external walls? Also is there any stone on the external walls? I wasnt expecting such a high price for blockwork!!!


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## arasain

Salmon,
yes: forgot to mention 67sq m of stonework to ext wall - 12k included in the 48k


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## Salem

All,
Here's the basic breakdown for my 1453 sq/ft brick/block pad in Dublin ... Dublin prices aswell !

2 storey detached dwelling + assoc site works, elec, plumbing/rads, internal doors 
*195,000  *

Internal Finishes
*2,100*  tiling (fitting only)
*5,500*  painting (interior)

External Finishes
*4,500*  Cobble lock driveway

P.C. Sums
*3,000*  Patio
*3,000*  Fireplace
*3,000*  Wardrobes
*5,000*  Sanitary fittings

*250,000* incl. VAT

I suppose the main thing is that I've seen this guys work around Dublin on 1 off houses and he's top notch ... He's pretty local to the site and he himself is on the job from start to finish ...


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## Salmon

Salem,

What kind of area are you cobble locking? Is this stuff expensive to put in?


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## shoegal

Hi Salem, I am building approx 1800sq ft in Cork (contract, not self build). I am at the sanitary ware stage, have 1 bathroom,1 ensuite and 1 guest wc. Your sanitary ware price seems high, can I ask if that is for a very elaborate set up? (Hope I haven't miscalculated for my own!) thanks.


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## polo1

Here are our estimates. In dub for 2500 sq/ft bungalow. Direct Labour for most parts. 
From what I can see it looks like we are paying a lot..... So far we are in line.. and roof is on and windows ordered. 

Pre lims 44.K, Site Prep and Ex 13.4K, Foundations 8K, Rising Wall Constr to Floor level, 6.3K, Ext and Int Wall 50K, Int & ext Plaster 17.7, Sub Floor and Floor, 13.626, Roof. 66K, Drainage Equip and Pipework 8.1, Kitchen and Sanitary Ware 38.5K, Wall & Floor Finishes/Joinery and Windows 36.3, lanscaping and peers, 10K, Elect & Plumb, 30K and Unforseen 10K.

Suffice to say Windows alone are costing 30K so that figure is a little light.


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## Venus

Polo1, you could have used a contractor to do it for that much I would think? I mean you are paying roughly 140 per sq foot which seems quite high for direct labour!


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## Salmon

Yeah it does seem a little high!! I am building in the midlands and from what I hear the prices are lower here than in dublin! But I have to say I didnt think there was as much of a difference between the big smoke and the sticks!!


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## polo1

Venus said:
			
		

> Polo1, you could have used a contractor to do it for that much I would think? I mean you are paying roughly 140 per sq foot which seems quite high for direct labour!


 
To be honest we couldnt as they were quoting way over that.. nearly 100K +... We are hoping some of the internals etc will come down as we go through.  I think a lot of the expensive stuff is over with now...... or maybe not.... It was a big project and found it hard to get people to even quote for a lot of the work..... We are hoping to finish for around the 115 sq ft mark, although personally think this is ambitious.... We shopped around and continue to do so and have tried to do cash deals etc.....


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## KimWilde

Polo1, very interested in your ICF build. We are still waiting for your PP, but were quite impressed with Nudura at a recent build exhibition in Swords. 
Just wondering how you found them (as a company)?  
How they compared cost wise to timber frame/block build?
Did you have to get a carpenter to do the roof or did Nudura do this also?
To what spec did they/could they finish the build, i.e. plaster walls, plumbing, electricity..
Thanks for your time.


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## Plane

As regard materials no corners have been cut. Inbetween the blocks and in the subfloor has the more expensive kingspan. the outer walls have a 3x2 stud and rockwool in it, (very warm)
Roof (cut) Labour 8,800, Materials complete 8,200 (everything down to the nails)
First fix carpentry labour 1500, materials 800 ( I have the outer walls studded with rockwool.)
Insulation Materials 1700 Labour 0
*All labour *up to roof level (all site clearing, foundations dug, blocks layed, subfloor poured, All blocks layed and its a block house complete 9500. Materials for this not sure A good few thousand.
Windows + Doors 8000 (2 bay windows, sunroom, french doors etc)
Plumbing Labour 5000 (complete house)
Materials inc 20 rads 10,000 (I went for a pretty upscale heating system but worth every penny copper cylinder was 2000 alone, could have been done for 8k complete on the cheap compared to 15)
Pot Belly stove 1700
3 toilets, 3 handbasins, Jacuzzi, 1500
Main shower 500, shower door 1000
En-Suite Shower 300
Tiles ????
Plasterer Labour 16000 (inc slabbing of 180+ slabs) Materials 3000
Second fix labour 700, Materials 2000
Septic Tank 4200 (oakstown)
Kitchen (large) inc island, sink, lader unit, extractor fan etc, Kitchen is Oak with a few extra's high gloss finish etc. 7000
Stud rail fencing (in you planning conditions) 1250 with me putting it up, would have been 3300 if I got someone to do it.
Cooker 2200
American Fridge Freezer 1200
White goods 1500
Facia and soffet 2000 fitted 
Stairs 4000
Bed + lockers 1500
House is a 3660 square feet dormer.
Thats all I can remember at the moment. All prices are cash and I done most of the donkey work myself. those bits add up to 90500 ish. So there is plenty more.
Oh yes 15,400 odd for council Tac.

Edit: Electrical work 7000 inc garage, 1300 odd for ESB connection


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## Plane

Just read this  





> forgot to mention 67sq m of stonework to ext wall - 12k included in the 48k


 so 36k for blockwork. This post will be deleted if not edited immediately Christ thats unbelievable, 36k!!! Have you paid yet?


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## Salmon

Yeah I thought it was a little high myself. Great Breakdown Plane! How long have you been building the house? Where abouts in the country are you? And would some of the prices you were given be a little lower than the norm as a result of knowing some of the tradesmen? This is great information for me at this stage in my build. Just waiting for mortgage approval!


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## polo1

KimWilde said:
			
		

> Polo1, very interested in your ICF build. .


 
KimWilde, No probs
Mr Polo dealt with Nudura - and to be honest they were great... We had no probs. We bought the system from them and did most of the work ouselves. If you are handy and have a couple of lads to help I am sure you could do it also. Its like building lego and very easy to cut etc! The guy (G Lydon) from Nudura in Galway did come down and supervise a couple of times (ended up staying in our current house for the weekend on a couple of occassions which didnt bide well with me!!) to ensure we were doing it properly and also to supervise the concrete pour (we used 30N10 I think). That was the toughest part. We got the house poured in one day which was great... They even sent us down extra bits and all if when ran out or cut wrong etc. 
In terms of costs I am told (by Mr P) that it is in line with stone build in Dub area. I can find out more here from himself.
As we are doing ours direct we got two people to do the roof and carpenter and someone to do the slates, as I said it was a Truss roof and had 5 hips so it was quite complicated and hence quite expensive (planning regs !)
We are finishing the outside wall with stone up to the window ledges. Not sure what we are using yet but some type of graniteor quartz I guess.
Still trying to make a decision. 

If you are based in and around Dub and would like to come and have a look PM me we can arrange something.
Good luck with the decision.


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## arasain

Plane, Breakddown attached for you comment, we've blockwork up & downstairs and quite a few supporting walls etc *EXTERNAL & INTERNAL WALLS* 300mm Cavity perimeter walls including insulation type 60mm Kingspan Thermawall TW 50336m²60.0020,160.00 Close cavity on top with block on flat (say)36m5.50198.00 Large door opes in block11No130.001,430.00 Small window opes in block12No80.00960.00 External door opes in block2No80.00160.00 Extra over for brickwork / stonework67m²175.0011,725.00(Stone from existing ruins on site to be used) Large window opes in stone1No450.00450.00 Small window opes in stone1No135.00135.00 Internal walls 100mm129m²23.002,967.00 Door opes in last10No15.00150.00 Walls 225mm solid48m²50.002,400.00 Door opes in last 3No 35.00105.00 Chimney stack complete as shown with 2 flues 1No1,400.001,400.00 Ditto to last with one flue1No1,000.001,000.00 203 x 102 x 25kgs/m x 11-00m0-275Tonnes2,500.00687.50 203x 102 x 28kgs/m x 10-60m0-296 Tonnes2,500.00740.00 203 x 203 x 71kgs/m x 5m0-35Tonnes2,500.00875.00 Concrete seatings for last10No550.00550.00 Concrete upstand banges complete26m75.001,950.00


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## KimWilde

Polo1, thanks for your post. V interesting. Just PM-ed you.
KW.


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## Salmon

Folks,

anyone build a detached garage, and if so what do you reckon it ended up costing ye?

Salmon


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## npgallag

My detached garge built by builder when doing house cost 26k.....32ft long.....Pitched roof, 2 large windows, back door and roller door.. Would probably build it for less if direct labour..


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## Salmon

Sounds like a good size shed. Did the price include the window and doors! Sounds like a decent price too for the size! Was the builder building a house for you too at the same time?


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## npgallag

Salmon : This price included windows and doors, (paid bit extra for brown win + doors on garage and house) and he built the garage while building the house..in the Longford area.


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## aislingkelly

hi can anybody tell me does it end up costing much more to put down a raft foundation as we must opt for that with the rock on-site.i know it will take more concrete and all but all in will we be looking at a lot more expence??
Can anybody help?


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## ludermor

I think that a raft is easier to do , you need far less co-ordination of trades. For a raft you need someone to level and fill the site then hand it over to a team who will shutter the perimeter lay the membrane, tie the steel and pour the slab, whereas in a strip found you must dig the trench, hardcore the base, tie the steel , pour the strip, build the rising walls, fill the floor slab, lay down the membrane lay the mesh and pour the slab. You have different teams doing different jobs and you could lose time waiting for one team. Costwise it is really only concrete and shuttering that should be extra but you will be saving on the blockwork and some digging. And i think it is a better job ( certainly in bad conditions, and perhaps in yours if you are on ock already it really could be a pain digging in solid ground)


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## ninsaga

Raft structures need to be designed & signed off by a qualified engineer.... that is if you wish to follow Homebond guidelines.

ninsaga


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## ludermor

Thats true, we got our engineer to include this as part of his fee for all the sign offs for the stage payments.


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## Eve1

I think our raft on a rocky site cost around €13.5, that included clearing the site for the house and driveway. We got the same guy to do both it was way cheaper than getting to people in to do it.


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## aislingkelly

thats great everybody,my boyfriend is able to do the raft himself so thats a bonus.we will only need to buy the concrete and steel,he has the shutters from work anyway so thats a bonus.
I have 1 other question?Can any1 tell me if ya know those development fees the counsil charge yeah well do u have to pay them or what?? as they asked us for almost 10,000 but other people around us that got planning permission around the same time were only charged up to 2000,now i think thats a joke.please advice me as soon as possible


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## shoegal

Hi Aisling, you do have to pay them, there is no way around it, I had to pay €5000 for a 1900sq ft house. The fees vary from LA to LA and are calculated according to the size of your house. If you 'phone your LA they will tell you how they arrived at the figure. If similar size houses in your area had to pay a lesser amount then you should definitely query your LA. You will be asked to produce the receipt for the charges at various stages during the build, eg if you want to connect to a water mains or water scheme. Your solicitor may also ask for the receipt as part of your planning permission documents.


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## Fingalian

'Development Fees/Levy/Tax'

yeah have to pay Fingal Coco 11 grand tax to build an extension . Spoke to the planning office and they said we could split it up into four payments.(Gee thanks). I have heard of people (in a different coco's jurisdiction) making the first payment, starting the build and then putting the rest of the payments on the long finger...til the threatening letters arrive.


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## aislingkelly

yes i think i will be asking my solicitor about it!!I just think its crazy money to be paying them.when other people dont pay half as much,fair enough its calculated by sq ft of house but there is still a major difference between say an 1800sq ft and 2300sq ft??I refuse to pay until i find out more as some1 once told me that there is no law there saying you must pay them and the council could not bring u to court if u didnt cos there is no law there,i must look into this big time


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## Thirsty

Very interested in the varying costs for self-build - brother is convinced he can build c. 3,300 sq foot house for €150k - sounds a bit unlikely to me even if it is 'in the country' and not Dublin prices.  He doesn't plan to be doing any of the work himself; I think his budget is too low?


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## aislingkelly

Hi Kildrought, Ya oh my god that budget is a bit on the low side. It would be great if he could do it but i doubt it.we r building a 2300 sq ft house and intend to spend at least e150-170k.


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## kildarebuild

Kildrought - for 3300 sq feet for 150k. Not bad. Does he know much about the building trade or anything like that? Ours is going to be 3100sq ft. And i would die a happy man if we could manage it at 180k. Never mind 150k!! I would think he has seriously underestimated his costs.


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## northdub

Hi,
We are going to build a 135 sq m house and have been quoted 29k cash for ground work (site clearance, foundation, concrete floor, pipe laying). My friend used the same company for a 120 sq m house. Their costs were 19k inc. VAT.   We do have more trees but have been told that these are approximately 750 euro more to clear  than the 120 sq m house. 

I was not expecting our quote to be so high.

An extra 10k seems a lot for a difference of 15 sq m 

We are getting 2 more quotes. But does this 29k quote a reasonable price? 

thanks for your help.


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## Lak

Wow Arasain, 13k external plastering,internal 19 and ceilings 12k........ As a plasterer I find this breathtaking....I am just completing a two storey 2,200 sq ft house outside and in, in full, labour only for 12,500 and even if I say so myself as always the finish is second to none. Yet I find I am being undercut on prices by some spreads and at the other end of the scale for example the job I am now completing was quoted by one guy at 30k. My philosophy has always been to make a living and not a killing but there does seem to be a massive discrepancy in price with some tradesmen, much of it down to them employing cheap eastern european labour. I will not do this as I find the quality of work is not of a high standard, though I can also say this about 90% of the domestic labour. I would be intrested to hear what others have paid for their house plastering and if it was priced by the sq ft of the property or sq metreage on the walls if any care to divulge


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## irishlinks

Plastering Costs :
We were charged 12500 last year for a whole house - in and out dormer bungalow 2200 sq ft plus garage 200 sq foot outside only. Upstairs was skimcoat only on top of plasterboard (he didn't fit the plasterboard)
I thought this was very expensive - but we were in a hurry and he was recommended. I can't believe how much plasterers charge - they seem to be the most expensive tradesmen per hour as far as I can see. 
How many houses do they do in a year?  Four would be a good wage at that rate - then take a 6 month holiday!!


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## *rose

all the advice above is brilliant, and i'm getting loads of info from it but would like some more please! we are building a 3200 sq ft storey and a half stone faced (front 2 gables) and are hoping to go down the direct labour / self-build route ... we are hoping to buy materials and pay for labour seperate .... any ideas on how much this may work out at????
putting in plans next week so trying to work out costs and if we can afford it !!! thanks a million to all, rose


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## Meathman99

You re looking at least 100 / sq ft.  If you can build one off houses for 50 -60 per ft go to any of the big contractors and offer to share your secrets   They ll give you a lot of money for the advice.


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## annbrook

pl ease can you send me a break down on approx costing i am building approx 2500sqft in tipperary  best of luck


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## idontknow

Ok where are you in the country? You can't be in Dublin?


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## Figgywiggy

Hi there
I'm in Galway and we are building a dormer house 1800sqft including raft for E158.000 turn key excluding bedroom floors and sitting room this is by a contractor


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## aislingkelly

Hi there,
We a building a 2360sq ft bunglow at the min the blocks finishing on fri!!Looks great,just a rough guide but we are at about E55,000. 
This includes a raft foundation,insulation,steel,everything that goes with that,floors poured,blocks finished,walls insulated,cills and steel frames for windows/conservatory finished etc, sewer+water pipes layed,contribution fees paid to council, connection fees paid, solicitor paid, engineer paid for first 2 stages. All this work apart from blocks was done ourselves,my boyfriend is a carpenter so knows a lot about building.

I think we are doing ok really, as boyfriend is a carpenter he will be roofing it next and we hope to get that done for about 10k at most,around 4k for timber & 5k for slates (we hope lol)

Then windows are approx 9k and plastering 10k for labour and allowing 5k for materials. We r really hoping to have plastering finished fully on about E100,000 which we would be delighted with. 
But i suppose its after that the money starts to fly out on kitchens,doors,floors,furniture etc...

Suppose we are lucky we can do most of it ourselves 2.

Anyway if any1 is in a similar situation to me and u want to share ur thoughts and views please do.

Thanks Ash


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## ludermor

Ashling,
I am in a very situation to you at the moment. I am building a 1800m2 dormer and am nearly finished the blockwork. The raft found and the site clearance and the temporary cost around 12k. The blockwork has cost around 5k (material only, the brother is a blocklayer so i will prob give hima few bob) The roof will cost me at least 10k for materials which i was surprised with, this is allowing for 5 veluxs. The other brother is a carpenter so i will get that done cheap as well. After that my insulation will be around 10k, i am going with 90mm composite board fixed to the inside of the wall. My window and doors are coming in arounf 7500 which i thought was excellant value ( i have 23 windows some very small) These are from O Gradys in charlestown in mayo. After that the fun will start but i havent thought too far ahead. I will post the odd update


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## aislingkelly

Cool thx ludermor u seem to be getting great help from the family,thats very handy.So how much do u think u will have spent including fees etc.. when blocks r finished.


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## Salmon

Hi Folks,

Just wondering what kind of prices ye are all getting on blockwork? I have just recieved a quote of 12k labour for a 3200ft two storey with a hollowcore ceiling and block walls upstairs! Does anyone have any idea if this is competitive or not? Oh yeah, Im based in westmeath!

Salmon


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## extopia

1 euro per block was the rule of thumb a couple of years ago...


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## Salmon

Just had a look at the plans and using a guide from iaosb.com I estimate that i'd be looking at around 8200 blocks so this price works out at €1.46 per block. Not sure how competitive this is? I have heard this guy does good work and he lives about 100m from my site! Just wondering, when trying to estimate the price should I allow much for chimneys e.t.c? Oh yeah, Is it true that the approx. cost of a block is €0.55?(€550 per 1000)


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## chico_d

hi all,

i am currently sending out tenders to builders for 120 sqm house in dublin, and have been given a quote for a full build excluding external works. i have seen on this thread that the costs for clearing site,foundations, drainage etc..have been around 10000-15000, would this be a good amount to estimate for these works? Or is this too low? Our architect said it would probably be 40,000, which seems extremely high and i definetly couldnt afford on top of the cost of everything else!!!! 

any advise would be great!


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## ludermor

8200 is a lot of blocks, are you sure you worked it out right? 
1.45 per block for the labout is very reasonable you should be allowing 2 euro these days. Of course if there is less blocks then the cost per block will go up.
Purchasing cost of block can be anywhere from 500 to 700 (excl VAT)


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## yop

Depends on the location as to what they are charging, we got ours done last year for 1 euro per block down in Mayo.
We ended up dishing out about 85 per sq foot for a 2100 sq ft dormer. But that is to have it completly finished, admittadely myself and my dad did in or about 49k euro worth of work.

As I side note, we also have no kids and the size of the house is spot on, maybe could have done with a gym/messing room so maybe some of the houses mentioned above are seriously big, especially with interest rates steaming up.

Good luck with all yer builds, would not envy ye!!


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## extopia

2 euro a block is off the charts. Even allowing for "Tiger" inflation. Offer him a euro a block and see what he says.


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## Salmon

Thanks for the replys folks,

Yop,
Jeez I wouldnt mind getting a quote for €1 per block! Sounds very reasonable!

All,
Probably the best way to go would be to get a couple more prices and see how he has priced the job compared to other blocklayers. He did say when quoting that it was a keen price, but asked me not to start before giving him an idea of the best price I had gotten! I kind of want to get him to do the job but I suppose if he is way over the asking price of other lads I might have to re-consider!


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## ludermor

extopia said:


> 2 euro a block is off the charts. Even allowing for "Tiger" inflation. Offer him a euro a block and see what he says.


 
It used to be a pound a block. I work for a large builder and at the moment we are paying the brickies 1.20 per block on flat and we have to provide all the labourers on top of that.


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## roadrunner

Getting quotes together at the moment have been quoted 230K for two storey 2700sq foot excl tiling,painting,kitchen. how does price sound? Don`t have clue about building so getting contractor is my only option -


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## Salmon

Sounds like a good price roadrunner! Did they give you a breakdown into stages? For example, did they tell you how much for foundations, blocks, roof etc?


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## roadrunner

Wasn`t broken bown except said concrete first floor cost was 5,500 expternal joinery(windows,shoots?) was 13K and cost excl any additional cost for building on boggy land & drawing away excavated soil (land is bit soft)


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## ninsaga

Are there any particular advantages of using a quantity surveyor for a self build...so that he can access the material costs..anyone done that?


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## hayabusa

Folks, 
I have a number of questions. 
1. Does anyone know the cost of knocking a removing a 1969 bunglow, approx 1200 sq ft.?? (Northwest area)
2. I am building a 3300 sq ft dormer, plans drawn, a lot of glass on the south side. The Architect has done drawings only, no specs. Do I bring this to an engineer to get specifications, as in steel, support walls etc etc. 
3. When you quote €100 to €120 per sq ft, is this the complete finish, or just the builders finish. 
4. Does anyone know if natural slates are much more expensive that fabrication ones. 
5. Hollow core first floor much more expensive than ceiling joists. 
6. Has anyone used or installed Dansk windows??? If so how much dearer than standard windows. 

Thanks,


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## extopia

1. A day's work for 2 guys with a digger and dumper - figure about €600 - €800 in the NW.
2. You should talk to your architect first, but there might well be parts of the design subject to engineer drawings and specs.
3. Builder's finish, with maybe a coat of paint thrown in. Average costs mean an average finish. You might want very expensive tiles or internal doors etc. for example.
4. Yes, they are much more expensive, but well worth it IMO.
5 & 6. Don't know...


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## hayabusa

Hi Extopia,

€800 to knock and take away, Are you sure, I thought it was approx €1000 to dump a large 8 wheeler type skip. I am sure there will be at least 8 to 10 of these (I think) for roof slates, timbers, doors, walls etc etc. I mean a complete 1200 sq ft bunglow. 
I would like to think you are right.?????!!!!! 
Please confirm.


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## extopia

Sorry - didn't include the cost of dumping. Don't know those costs tbh. You might be able to use a lot of the rubble as fill on the site if your site is big enough.


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## hayabusa

Thanks Extopia,
Anyone else any input to my queries.


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## asal888

I have read ur comments go for ur big build"Do it once and do it right is my motto" In a few short years it will cost u as much to add on a garage as it did to build ur house. At a time like this a phone in brilliant , get several quotes and afew white lies  saves u loads.   Do not pay cash on receipt.  Whe they look for the money look for a discount again.


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## Mrs Aol

It cost us 10K to knock and dispose of 2 outhouses they were roughly 1000sq feet footprint each (one was a storeyand a half).


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## Froggie

I am coming to the end of a 4 year self build project. 2200 sq foot 2 storey. Approx costs so far: Groundworks=5K, Blocks=4k, Concrete 1st floor 2.5k, Builders labour=7k, Roof timber=2.5k, Carpenter(roof)=5k, Slate cost=6k, Slate labour=5k, Windows+Doors=13k, 2xSolar panels=5k. No electrics or plumbing done yet. Oh and I paid 7k for a JCB(money well spent) I was very lucky that I didnt have to dig my foundations very deep, this means less labour costs, less cost in blocks and less cost in filling materials. A friend of mine had to dig so deep to get a sound foundation that he decided to install a basement. This should be taken into consideration when looking at sites, you could very easily spend 50k before you even start to pour your floors.


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## liamcunningh

Hi all,

I am currently self building my own house, nearly at the final stage!!
Early in the build I was informed by me stonemason that my bloklayers did not put a dpc in the house. There is a radon barrier in place but no dpc above ground level (150mm above ground level). I asked my engineer about this and he said it would be okay as the radon barrier acts a dpc, and just to make sure to put my path level below radon level. He also said that putting a dpc in place is just like wearing two c*ndoms! You are being extra safe!! Has anyone got any thoughts on this? I am worried about rising damp in the future.....

Thanks,


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## kfpg

DPC should have been put in. My house has a radon barrier and above that DPC course. I can see how it might be considered 2 protections - that can onlt be good, one of the worst things that could happen to your new build would be damp surely. Radon barrier is for radon gas protection, DPC is for damp proofing, simple as that, one does not replace the other. No building regs would suggest it could be acceptable I doubt!!


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## ludermor

A lot of radon barriers will act as a dpc. most of them are actually far superior than dpc (thicker and more robust materials) Check with your supplier to see if the material do both. 
Or check some manufacturer website


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## paulocon

Hi All,

On the back of the lack of a self-build forum out there, I've finally got round to setting one up (it's literally just up)..

You can visit the forum at:
www.selfbuildinireland.com/forum

If anyone has any suggestions or would like to act as a moderator, please let me know..

Sorry about being OT by the way but I think it's something that should be of interest to posters on here..


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## Froggie

About the radon question, make sure that the plastic sheeting used was actually radon barrier rated. It sounds like your builder might be a bit tight so he may just have used heavy plastic to save money. DPC is much stronger than Radon barrier and less likely to tear if a there is a stone in the morter or if someone stands on it. Heavy plastic sheeting on the other hand is only for short term use as it becomes brittle and cracks eventually.


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## triple_x

Hi Im planning a self build in the Cork suburbs area. I have quoted all sorts of prices per square foot - I have been recommended to ask the advice of a quantity surveyor. Can anyone recommend one in the Cork area or would advise using one?


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## lorna

froggie, how many windows, french doors etc do you have in your house. are u building a garage ? or is this a later project.


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## lorna

also froggie, just added up your figures - 55k that's great. if we can achieve this for our house commencing in april, then i will be a happy woman. what about your insulation costs ? so £40k sterling would get the house watertight for next winter. planning to do groundwork, foundations, walls, roof, windows and doors this year and then in april 2008 attack the plumbing and electrics. hope to finish in time for summer of 2009 so our kids go to secondary school in ireland ! rather than in this mental asylum called London.
what county have you built in ? - we are building in longford, just in case you can recommend some keen workers who are happy to work on mondays !!!!!


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## aislingkelly

Lorna u havnt even mentioned plastering??But i have to say 55k is doin very well but no mention of how much he spent on insulation or window cills or sewer ans water pipes etc..Also what about sand and stuff is that included in the 4k for blocks??Jus interesting to see if all this is done but isnt included in the price??


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## poppy1

We are getting the raft done at the minute, the quotes we are getting so far have been nearly the same. Its a 2100sq ft house. Carpentry (1st and 2nd fix) 16k, Plumbing 3800, Blockwork 9k, Groundwork 15k and raft 4.5k(i think). We are hoping to do the lot for 170k!! Any idea what an electrician would cost? Trying to get quotes for kitchen, stairs and windows at the moment!!


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## aislingkelly

an electician will cost about 4-5k depending on the amount u want done really,also ur plumber is a very good price,where in the country are u?


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## poppy1

Hey Aisling
We are based in Clare so under 4k for the plumbing was the norm for all quotes we got


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## bobster2543

Hi Iam building a timber frame house 2500sq feet i am hopping the cost we be about 180k. so far i have spent
20k raft
49k timber kit with stairs internal partion, floor,s plasterboard and roof trusses.
6k 14 windows black on white pvc plus front back doors.
3k fees 
2k water
6k felt and slates

I have had a quote for felting ,battening and slating roof ect of 6500 euro
 for fitting about 4200 slates. Is this a good quote? 
Thanks bob


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## pyramid

Hi guys,

just reading through all the messages... seems to be a lot of variance in the quotes ..

bob: How are you getting on with the build? cost etc.? I hope to build a 2000 sq/ft dormer bungalow in the west wicklow area soon.

Thanks

Ray


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## Guju121

I am currently starting a build in Wicklow ( 260m2 bungalow ). Rising wall are nearly finished, so I am trying to fiquire the cost of a radon barrier and insulation for floor.


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## TirNaNog

For supply and installation of Radon Barrier I was given a quote of roughly €4.50/m2 + VAT in Cork area. This price assumes all internal rising walls are built to the same level.


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## lfcjfc

Currently at roof level and would appreciate any current feedback on quotes for my roof;
Labour (cut roof, felt, batten slate) €15500 - 3 quotes v similar
Capco Natural slate and all associated materials (ridges, vents, nails  etc) - €16500
Roof timber etc - €5400

So total cost around €37500. While I have about 330 sqm of roof, this is a good €7-10k more than I expected. 
Can any experts or self-builders that have recently done a roof offer an opinion?


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## ludermor

lfcjfc said:


> Currently at roof level and would appreciate any current feedback on quotes for my roof;
> Labour (cut roof, felt, batten slate) €15500 - 3 quotes v similar
> Capco Natural slate and all associated materials (ridges, vents, nails etc) - €16500
> Roof timber etc - €5400
> 
> So total cost around €37500. While I have about 330 sqm of roof, this is a good €7-10k more than I expected.
> Can any experts or self-builders that have recently done a roof offer an opinion?


 
The labour costs seem reasonable, the timber costs seem okish (maybe a just a little high ) but capco gear seems very high. I know you have natural slate but even still it seems very expensive. What type of roof is it? Are there many valleys in it?


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## bakerbhoy

My cost/quote for a roof on 200sq m bungalow and 26sq m garage. labour and materials to finished roof (tegral thru-tone slates)  1st fix internally. €26000.


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## lfcjfc

Thanks Ludermor and Bakerboy.

Ludermor - the roof is H-shaped with 4 valleys so not straighforward. I need 6600 slates for the job so that gives some idea.

Bakerboy - If I ratio up your quote for my area, its nearly spot on so maybe I shouldnt be surprised by my costs

Thanks again


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## puffin

Our roof on our self-build is just complete. For House and Garage..ie 270m2 of roof it has cost 34k. That is using one of Capcos natural slate 20x10. Watch out for price of lead....has gone through the roof


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## cw2p

hi guys,

Got a quote for plumbing a 3500sq ft house, 30rads all materials supplied except sanitaryware and solar panels €18000. Is this expensive?


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## Froggie

cw2p said:


> hi guys,
> 
> Got a quote for plumbing a 3500sq ft house, 30rads all materials supplied except sanitaryware and solar panels €18000. Is this expensive?


 
I got quotes from €16000 to €26000 for a 2200sq ft house, 17 rads all materials supplied except sanitary ware and solar panels, so I think you are doing well. Included in the price are 4 zones, pressureised system, kickboard heaters in the kitchen, 300 litre hot water tank, 2 bath room supply, 1 toilet supply, 1 kitchen supply, 1 utility supply, condensing oil boiler,.


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## tia

look into icf (integraspec) i used for an extension, the insulation is beond compare save a lot on heating. self build cheaper but you need to shop around a lot, you need to be able to give a lot of time to it but its worth it. do a lot of research! good luck. its hard work but exciting


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## galwaytt

Guju121 said:


> I am currently starting a build in Wicklow ( 260m2 bungalow ). Rising wall are nearly finished, so I am trying to fiquire the cost of a radon barrier and insulation for floor.


 
your radon barrier should be under your slab.............


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## ludermor

galwaytt said:


> your radon barrier should be under your slab.............



Not sure what you are getting at here, the slabs would be poured after the rising walls are built. Are you thinking about radon barrier under a raft foundation?

Oh i hope the build went well for Guju and the house is complete by now


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