Direct Labour - comparing quotations advice

[pudzer]

Hi!

I am just about to start building a house via direct labour. I have started to get quotations in from the site clearance/foundations boys and the blocklayers. I asked three site clearance/foundations guys for a separate quotation for labour and materials and they have all come in with significantly different quotations varying from €10,000 to €20,000 for labour. In fairness, they have tried to breakdown the quotation as much as is reasonable.

My question I guess is: Is there a good website/list that I could use where there are a list of questions for each phase of the build (plumbing/elec/foundations/blockwork, etc) I could check boxes for what I want in order to create a specification to give to each tradesman to come up with a quotation? My architect has really let me down big time here as he didn't spec out anything and my construction drawings are dismal.

Thanks for your help
Pudzer

 

[Wicklow]

http://selfbuildinireland.com might be of benefit to you. I would suggest you seek the services of a quantity surveyor, they are after all experts at specifying what should be covered in the quotation etc. It will also decrease the chance of items or works falling between the cracks and increasing the costs later on. An architect is not ideal in this instance.

 

[Jolly Man]

Pudzer,

Your best bet if you want to get a degree of certainty with your price is to talk to a QS and get a Bill of Quantities drawn up, if you sit with him for an hour or two ye can iron out the spec between ye. If you are going the direct labour route you can break the bill out into the seperate subsections ie foundations walls roof, issue the bill to the two or three guys and they will all be pricing the same spec. QS to draw up the bill should cost no more than €600.

 

[rahman]

Have completed finished floor slab on ground floor of my 2700 sq ft house and 40 X25ft garage. waiting for blocklayer to come back and start blocks again and my approx costs to date are as follows

• labour for site clearence, digging out foundation, installation of hardcore and waste pipes, pouring of sub-floor,installation of insulation, pouring of finished floor 6.5K
• materials: 3" rock 15 loads, 4 loads of 804, 5000 blocks including soaps, cement, wavin pipes, steel, concrete (8 loads), insulation, radon barrier & sump approx 15K
• Labour for laying blocks in foundation 3500 block @0.8 2.8K
• Plumbing first fix for UFH 2.7K
• that totals 27k to date or approx 10€/sq ft based on 2700 sq ft house

Reckon I will complete house and garage to wall plate level for well under 50K. Building in westmeath area all labour is for cash and some of my materials as well.