Double Storey Side Extension and Single Storey Rear Extensio

[newnhambolton]

The double storey side extension consists of the following:- on the ground floor , a garage, study and cloakroom. On the first floor, a bedroom and a shower room. The footprint measures 8.75m x 2.5m.

The rear single story extension consists of a kitchen/breakfast room and utility room measuring 8.35m x 4.2m in total.

I have asked all the builders to quote to build a shell up to plastering, including electrics and plumbing. So no decorating, tiling, kitchen fitting, etc.

The quotes have come in as £63K, £90K and £110K. My budget is only £70K.

Is the £63K quote a reasonable one for a project of this size? Do you think he may have underestimated? Or do you think my budget is unrealistic? I am based in Bristol.

 

[^woody^]

I think the £63k builder has over estimated.

The other two have just pinned a tail on the donkey

If you have an itemised fixed quote, then you both know what is to be done for what amount. Just ensure everything is in the quote, and they are quoting like-for-like.

 

[IKPProjects]

That extension has a total area of 64.62m2 at £1000 a m2 that would sound reasonable.....
You havent given much detail on the actual building construction method....timber frame/stone and block/block and rendered/ brick and block etc, these have a great impact on cost. Also how the new roof meets the old one for the double extension etc etc etc.

Woody has obviously missed something when reading the op because he is a very knowlegeable chap

Without seeing the plans it is quite hard to say with any definative answer...I would be interested as to why 2 of your quotes have come in so much higher than the first...especially in these economic times with lots of firms short of work. It may be that the high quotes actually reflect a more accurate cost for your extensions. You need to make sure that they are all pricing from the same hymn sheet so to speak. I would also mention that I would be very weary of a company quoting at considerably less than others at the moment as this may indicate that they are having financial difficulties.

HTH

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

FFS its impossible to say either way without seeing what information the builders tendered with and how their prices are broken down. This sites like Groundhog day sometimes.

 

[^woody^]

Woody has obviously missed something when reading the op because he is a very knowlegeable chap

Yeah - the rear single storey extension. LOL

Say, 43k for the double and 20 for the single, so about right

Anyway

 

[newnhambolton]

The house is currently a 3-bed semi built in the 1950s with garage on the side, which will be demolished. It will be a brick and block construction with the existing roofline extended over the double storey, made up of "flat" concrete roof tiles. There is nothing fancy about it and definitely NO GRAND DESIGN. The exterior of the extension is to match in appearance to the boring 1950s style. No rendering.

 

[str]

very similar to my current situation - planning a two storey side extension and rear single storey extension to the kitchen - again, finished to plastered walls and pop ups for water and waste in the kitchen leaving me to have kitchen installed and tiled and decorate - no additional bathrooms - all in about 50 sq m or so.

Different part of the country - I'm just outside edinburgh - but I obtained 4 estimatess early on, so very much estimates but based on a full spec nonetheless and they varied wildly, from £139,500 to £105,000, £88,000 and the lowest at £60,000 ish - it was the contractor who quoted £60,000 that had spent most time at our house, couple of visits, talking about various elements of the build, lifting manholes to look at drainage runs, etc.

I was surprises by the range in pricing - I spoke with the builder who quoted £139,500 (friend of the family) and they assured me that they had priced it to get the work

These prices were prior to the complete meltdown and I am currently waiting on firm quotes to come in as I nw have the building warrant, so ready to go but the first has come in at £90,000.

 

[newnhambolton]

I don't know what it is like elsewhere but around Bristol/Bath all the builders I have spoken to seem to be really busy.

Anyone, if I had 100K laying around, I think I would try and move house instead of building a shell, followed by all the legwork and heartache of decorating and building kitchens. The real truth is I haven't got that sort of money and if genuinely interested builders are quoting 90K-110K, then there is absolutely no way we can afford our extension.

Our only option is to go with the cheapest one at 63K and hope for the best (he was recommended to us by a friend and has done something similar, so I am confident in his building work).

Is it a real bad thing if a builder is quoting lower than anyone else to get the job?

 

[noseall]

Is it a real bad thing if a builder is quoting lower than anyone else to get the job?

No. The bad ones are the builders that are vastly over-quoting so that they don't get the job.

How would the builder, tendering the lowest quote, be aware that he was submitting a lower quote than his competitors?