Got a quote from a builder

[The Spin Doctor]

So I want to put an extension on the house. Plan is keep working to offset costs, and even though I've been in the building industry for 45 years I've religiously avoided the administration side of things, instead of doing it myself as an owner builder (I have both carpenter and cabinet making tickets). Also, gettting to that age where I don't want to do the heavy work... Goal was to have a class 1 extension built off the side of the house to, for a few years, use as my shop, then turn it into a granny flat. Having the class 1 rating would allow that. The sewer pipe would be installed under the slab but capped at both ends... Electrical would be pretty basic. Also, as a carpenter and cabinet maker I only wanted a builder to build it to lockup, the interior would be bare studs. I'd make the doors and sheet the inside with 12 or 16mm MDF, and paint the outside...


I contacted a builder here on the sunshine coast that's been advertising on the radio and stating they specialise in extension and the likes... Well!! Got a quote back from them... Gett this, they said it would cost $4000/sqm for a 32 meter shell. My response back was: Not to be offending but, this is a %^&*off price. There excuse was, they needed to account for all the "unknowns".

I guess I'm going to take six months off and do it myself... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[derekcohen]

Was this builder quoting off a plan, or just responding in a general manner to a general question?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Carroll]

Most guys I know are now quoting in the 3-4K as material costs are still very stupid.
We recently did a reno to our place with 2 young guys and this worked out at 2.5K only because I had been puting aside material pre covid knowing what I needed for the job.
Obviously got put of for a while but chatting to them while they were doing it surprised me in the price of items what had gone up. Also the demand for tradies has pushed up the price up as they can pick and choose what they want to do at their price.

[The Spin Doctor]

Was this builder quoting off a plan, or just responding in a general manner to a general question?

Regards from Perth

Derek

No, I provided full drawings of the extension and the plans and engineers reports of the existing house.

[The Spin Doctor]

Most guys I know are now quoting in the 3-4K as material costs are still very stupid.
We recently did a reno to our place with 2 young guys and this worked out at 2.5K only because I had been puting aside material pre covid knowing what I needed for the job.
Obviously got put of for a while but chatting to them while they were doing it surprised me in the price of items what had gone up. Also the demand for tradies has pushed up the price up as they can pick and choose what they want to do at their price.


You wouldn't have been anywhere near that if you hadn't finished the interior. I don't want them to do floors, walls, cabinets, plumbing, painting, finish carpentry... It's just a shell without doors. If I were to extrapolate and estimate their cost based upon a fully finished extension, it would have been up around $6000/sqm LOL. I think they're just throwing out ^&*@ prices and seeing what sticks.

[Camelot]

So your looking at $128K, the ground works are where builders will put in a PC sum because that is where the risk can be, but a rough guesstamate 8m x 4m = 32m2 x .125m (slab thickness) = 4m3 x $250 (25mpa concrete) = $1K plus say $5K for strip footings and $2K for concrete pump (2 visits) that's $8K, lets add a $5K contingency, grand total = $13K

I will be building a Granny House on my daughters land but I won't be paying a builder to do it.

[Beardy]

So your looking at $128K, the ground works are where builders will put in a PC sum because that is where the risk can be, but a rough guesstamate 8m x 4m = 32m2 x .125m (slab thickness) = 4m3 x $250 (25mpa concrete) = $1K plus say $5K for strip footings and $2K for concrete pump (2 visits) that's $8K, lets add a $5K contingency, grand total = $13K

I will be building a Granny House on my daughters land but I won't be paying a builder to do it.

plus labour , excavation and spoil removal, reinforcement and other sundries, surveying etc. Home owners warranty insurance etc etc to name a few

[Camelot]

plus labour , excavation and spoil removal, reinforcement and other sundries, surveying etc. Home owners warranty insurance etc etc to name a few

If the strip footings were say 600mm W x 1000mm D, for that extension 2 x 4M and 1 x 8M you would be looking at $1.7K of concrete, mini digger for a day (dry hirer) $350, cart away $500, labour 3 days for 2 men @ $65 p/h = $3.12K, SL82 mesh 3 sheets 6M x 2.4M @ $130 = $390, DPM (say 1200 gauge) $90 per roll.

Yes I didn't do a full takeoff but my grand total should cover such a small area, the main point was the quote was $128K for a shell, where the ground works would be the greatest risk, so even if you doubled my number and rounded up to say $28k, that would leave $100K for external walls and a roof on what is a very small extension abutting an existing dwelling so only 3 sides to build.

[jack620]

If the strip footings were say 600mm W x 1000mm D..

Crikey, that seems like a huge footing for a granny flat.

[rambunctious]

So I want to put an extension on the house. Plan is keep working to offset costs, and even though I've been in the building industry for 45 years I've religiously avoided the administration side of things, instead of doing it myself as an owner builder (I have both carpenter and cabinet making tickets). Also, gettting to that age where I don't want to do the heavy work... Goal was to have a class 1 extension built off the side of the house to, for a few years, use as my shop, then turn it into a granny flat. Having the class 1 rating would allow that. The sewer pipe would be installed under the slab but capped at both ends... Electrical would be pretty basic. Also, as a carpenter and cabinet maker I only wanted a builder to build it to lockup, the interior would be bare studs. I'd make the doors and sheet the inside with 12 or 16mm MDF, and paint the outside...


I contacted a builder here on the sunshine coast that's been advertising on the radio and stating they specialise in extension and the likes... Well!! Got a quote back from them... Gett this, they said it would cost $4000/sqm for a 32 meter shell. My response back was: Not to be offending but, this is a %^&*off price. There excuse was, they needed to account for all the "unknowns".

I guess I'm going to take six months off and do it myself... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What is 6 months off work going to cost you ?

Also a few things not mentioned so far

Pest control/barrier
Plumbing for future granny flat/laundry/kitchen/bathroom
Even if plumbing fixtures are on external walls you will still need pipework in walls or you will be removing cladding later to fit it out
Drainage for granny flat/kitchen/laundry/bathroom (running a sewer line under the slab capped is not enough) you will need risers for shower/floor wastes at the least
Storm water connected to existing or street
Power for future flat.
Windows/sliding doors
Depending on the site you may also need a silt barrier installed

Edit.. and there is approvals/certification costs
and you will have to do an owner builders course with QBCC
and of course some subbies will see you as a nuisance and will quote accordingly.

FWIW I am giving you this info, not to put you off but as an insight into extras that are often not factored into costings

Good luck

[The Spin Doctor]

A general reply:

I think most of the replies missed where I said I've been in the building industry for a very long time. Now I didn't mention this in the first post but after 45 years, ya kinda pick up a few skills... I CAD drew the entire site out, including land elevations to +/- 5mm, even the drainage that would be affected and where new drainage would go... The extension itself is by far the simplest construction possible. A first-year apprentice could pull this off. And then had an accredited drafter do the official drawings. I haven't overlooked anything.

What I think is taking place, at least with this "builder" is they ditched the traditional metric of $/sqm pricing and have attempted to price the build on what they thought I'd tolerate.

BUT!! Those here that didn't seem to think the price of $4000/sqm for an unfinished shell, that most likely wouldn't qualify for builders' insurance as a result, and would translate into $6000/sqm plus for a finished building... I would be more than happy to fly anywhere in this country, or the world for that matter, and build you your house. And I'll only charge you $5975/sqm. What an effin deal mate!!!

I've been mulling a response to them saying they'd like to discuss it further... But as I keep running it all through my head, I can't see how they could close the gap to a realistic price and save face, they clearly made up the excuse of unknowns will blow the costs out so much. I think it'll be more a waste of my time... Best just to move on to a builder that doesn't base price on opportunistic gouging.

Ever since covid I'd say we should be referring to post covid as the gouging era.

[jack620]

I think most of the replies missed where I said I've been in the building industry for a very long time. Now I didn't mention this in the first post but after 45 years, ya kinda pick up a few skills...

A first-year apprentice could pull this off.


In that case it sounds like it will be a walk in the park for a bloke with 45 years of experience in the buildng industry.

[The Spin Doctor]

In that case it sounds like it will be a walk in the park for a bloke with 45 years of experience in the buildng industry.

Truth be told it will be - even for you!

[mic-d]

I’d say a bullet has been dodged. It’s a free market economy just get more quotes

[capt'ngrumpy]

Whatever happened to getting 3 quotes ?
With 45 years in the building game you must have connections, to obtain more realistic prices.
I would assume if you decide to take it on yourself that you could get assistance with the heavy lifting and call in a few favours from
other trades as required.

I certainly wouldn't allow a 1st year apprentice to tackle anything other than the most simple of tasks without constant supervision.
Surely this was just an off the cuff comment.

[The Spin Doctor]

What is 6 months off work going to cost you ?

Also a few things not mentioned so far

Pest control/barrier
Plumbing for future granny flat/laundry/kitchen/bathroom
Even if plumbing fixtures are on external walls you will still need pipework in walls or you will be removing cladding later to fit it out
Drainage for granny flat/kitchen/laundry/bathroom (running a sewer line under the slab capped is not enough) you will need risers for shower/floor wastes at the least
Storm water connected to existing or street
Power for future flat.
Windows/sliding doors
Depending on the site you may also need a silt barrier installed

Edit.. and there is approvals/certification costs
and you will have to do an owner builders course with QBCC
and of course some subbies will see you as a nuisance and will quote accordingly.

FWIW I am giving you this info, not to put you off but as an insight into extras that are often not factored into costings

Good luck


That's why I wanted to get a builder. I could easily do it myself, but I've got, at the moment, the best job I've had in 20 years. If I pull the pin and leave for six months, I lose my position as no. 1 and all the perks I've built up. The money isn't great, and with such quotes it's a no brainer, I'd be saving 10s of thousands if I did it myself. So it's more the intangibles I need to weigh up. But the good news is I know the quote is BS and I'll keep shopping... Things appear to be slowing so I should be able to find someone... Just have to be patient.

The rest, yup, spent the last year planning this so all that's been accounted for. The way it was designed, I can skip the need for a surveyor* at $2000 (just to show up), and probably skip the engineers, at $4500, as I've nominated to go with the original build and put it on piers.

* By simply not digging down 150mm to match the level of the existing house but have a 150mm step up has meant I don't need a surveyor. Literally, the footprint is the same.

[rambunctious]

That's why I wanted to get a builder. I could easily do it myself, but I've got, at the moment, the best job I've had in 20 years. If I pull the pin and leave for six months, I lose my position as no. 1 and all the perks I've built up. The money isn't great, and with such quotes it's a no brainer, I'd be saving 10s of thousands if I did it myself. So it's more the intangibles I need to weigh up. But the good news is I know the quote is BS and I'll keep shopping... Things appear to be slowing so I should be able to find someone... Just have to be patient.

The rest, yup, spent the last year planning this so all that's been accounted for. The way it was designed, I can skip the need for a surveyor* at $2000 (just to show up), and probably skip the engineers, at $4500, as I've nominated to go with the original build and put it on piers.

* By simply not digging down 150mm to match the level of the existing house but have a 150mm step up has meant I don't need a surveyor. Literally, the footprint is the same.

Is it possible to work it in on weekends/holidays with the help of work mates.
Get the slab and drainage done during the week then go from there.
I built my first home on weekends and after work.
Mind you I was 24 at the time

[Beardy]

No point pursuing that builder just get a few more quotes and when they are also too expensive owner build it but just manage the trades rather than doing the physical work yourself

[Camelot]

I can give you the name of a small builder on the Sunshine Coast, just pm me if you are interested.

[wozzzzza]

yeah just do it weekends, public holidays, your holidays, long service leave etc...