Extension cost.

[denso13]

I prefer the simple life. I buy the materials, and pay someone by the day to do stuff with them.

I buy it myself then do it myself

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I buy it myself then do it myself

I do too, until I run out of talent then find someone else.

Everything here is 90% DIY. I push my limits but recognise when I hit them. Also I can be doing the next job I'm better at more efficiently than slogging on the current one if someone else is doing it at double my pace.

 

[pete01]

Anyone seen this story? OMG...

Could a wall not be built and make it detached?

 

[mrrusty]

If you want someone else to take all the risk away from you then you need to pay them money for doing this

Absolutely! and unless you are totally on the ball with all aspects of the construction process, this is by far the safest way to get something built. I'm a huge fan of design and build contracts. Fixed price lump sum to an output specification and let the builder/contractor and his team look after the detailed design, getting building regs sign off etc. Only agree to strict progress payments for material delivered and work done (excepting perhaps a goodwill deposit to show commitment) Yes, you'll pay more overall, but you take away all most of the risk of dodgy builders.

If you want to check realistic materials prices you could use my local merchant https://www.cwberry.com/ Unless you are a mega builder or are ordering really big quantities, everyone gets the same prices, including DIYers.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Absolutely! and unless you are totally on the ball with all aspects of the construction process, this is by far the safest way to get something built. I'm a huge fan of design and build contracts. Fixed price lump sum to an output specification and let the builder/contractor and his team look after the detailed design, getting building regs sign off etc. Only agree to strict progress payments for material delivered and work done (excepting perhaps a goodwill deposit to show commitment) Yes, you'll pay more overall, but you take away all most of the risk of dodgy builders.

If you want to check realistic materials prices you could use my local merchant https://www.cwberry.com/ Unless you are a mega builder or are ordering really big quantities, everyone gets the same prices, including DIYers.

You'll almost always pay more for a fixed price quote. It sounds counter-intuitive, you want to defend yourself from risk but the more you demand the more you'll pay.

Just pay by the day. If they're not delivering get rid and get someone else. Keep their life simple, they'll be grateful for having a customer who isn't continually accusing them of trying to rip them off.

I was taught when I was young by a really good boss that if you ask for the price upfront you'll almost always pay more.

 

[mrrusty]

You'll almost always pay more for a fixed price quote. It sounds counter-intuitive, you want to defend yourself from risk but the more you demand the more you'll pay.

I 100% agree. That's the whole point. For some people, like you, you can measure the risk of taking a piecemeal approach, and are able to project manage the various trades to deliver. You are happy to carry the risk. It is a fundamental truism that any fixed price given on day one includes a risk pot for the contractor, whether it is formalised in the contract or not.

Working out who is carrying the design risk is IMHO fundamental to getting anything built. If you commission the architect and the SE, and present the builder with drawings, it's all on you and your team. Not many of joe public realise this. Many builder disputes come back to passing the buck between designer, builder and client because it hasn't been clarified who pays if something doesn't go to plan. If you go D&B on day one, all the risk is with the builder BUT you pay for the security.

It's worked in my favour in the past - I had a builder on a D&B for a small extension and he'd priced normal footings. BC decided an oak tree was just a bit too close (just under 10m away) and wanted 2m trenches with root barriers which was a lot more concrete and hassle, bigger digger etc. As it was D&B the extra cost was all the builders (although in the end, as he obviously wasn't happy, we came to an amicable arrangement, but he still took well more than half of the extra).

In the commercial world, the division of risk is a fundamental aspect of different standard contracts: e.g. NEC4 ECC option A/B is fixed price (lump sum or BOM) against a scope/spec - basically D&B - all the risk is the contractors, option C/D is target price with shared risk, and option E is fully reimbursable - basically the contractor gets paid time and materials and the client takes all the risk. You don't get many contracts on Option E, but I did do one in the nuclear industry, and the price of the job escalated massively as the client kept moving the goalposts! contractor didn't care. They just got paid whatever!