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Thread: Build costs

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    Build costs

    Hi all. I have a little patch of land on Koh Lanta and I'm looking to put something on it in the next couple years. I have been cruising the Interwebs looking for inspiration when I came across this house that is just about exactly what I have in mind. I'm looking for something small (2 bds) and open. No concrete blocks or anything like that. This place is fitted out probably fancier than what I would get, so I'm looking for how much this would roughly cost if done bare bones. Any thoughts are appreciated!

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    Follow up question -- does all of the wood make this drastically more expensive? Any ideas for reducing costs on something like this?

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    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hapcat1999 View Post
    this would roughly cost if done bare bones.
    A few 1,000 THB.


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    Quote Originally Posted by hapcat1999 View Post
    Follow up question -- does all of the wood make this drastically more expensive? Any ideas for reducing costs on something like this?
    Yes, timber is expensive.....thats why village houses are built of concrete blocks now, not timber. Or if they have a few baht more to spend, they use AAC.
    Building in a resort area pushes the costs up. Building on an island pushes the cost up.

    You want it cheaper ? stick to what the locals are building with.

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    How about using redundant shipping containers? No need to worry about termites either.

    For example: Container Houses – SKC Thailand

    Build costs-screen-shot-2020-08-06-23-a
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Build costs-screen-shot-2020-08-06-23-a  

  6. #6
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    Prices - Container Kings Thailand

    What Will It Cost?
    Container homes & projects vary in price depending on your requirements. Most projects are custom made and there are many factors which affect the price.

    A bare container without anything done will start at around THB 55,000 – 100,000 (USD $1600 – $3,000), you then need to rust proof the unit, add flooring, walls, plumbing, electrics and all the other things to turn it onto a home.
    Things To Consider
    When planning a container project there are many areas to consider which will affect the price. The main factors are as follows:-

    • Brand New Container or Recycled as a starting point.
    • How many container units in a structure.
    • What foundations are needed.
    • What are the room layouts needed
    • Does the structure need strengthening once cut
    • How many doors and windows required in each one and are they UPVC or Aluminium
    • Insulation Required
    • Internal walls covered in gypsum / ply or other
    • Interior finish. Tiles or Painted Etc.
    • Plain flooring / vinyl flooring / tiled flooring
    • Internal electrics & plumbing
    • Outlets & Switches. Standard plastic / stainless steel etc.
    • Exterior Finish – Left as standard & painted or paneled / fascia
    • Roof – Left as is or added pitched / flat roof
    • Outdoor areas such as patios or balconies
    • AC units etc
    • Internal furnishings. kitchen Units / Bathroom Etc.
    • Actual delivery & installation. Road Access / Crane Hire Etc.
    • Additional Features
      • Solar Hot Water
      • Solar Power
      • Rainwater Collection
      • Waste Tank & Disposal

    As you can see there is a lot to think about as with designing any home.
    Pricing A Project
    For us to price a project we would normally need a basic concept or description from you of how you imagine the finished project to look like, we can then prepare an estimate together with CAD design of your ideas and then adjust accordingly. Our team will work with you on the final design and finish and make all changes until you are happy.
    A Rough Guide To Pricing
    A bare container without anything done will start at around THB 55,000 – 100,000 (USD $1600 $3,000 depending on quality), you then need to rust proof the unit, add flooring, walls, plumbing, electrics and all the other things to turn it onto a home.
    As a basic “Rough Guide” you should budget around THB 220,000 (USD $6,500) for a 20 ft container with 1 -2 standard doors and windows plus internal gypsum walls with basic electrics and water pipes and around THB 450,000 for a 40ft Home, this is a fairly good starting point.
    For a fully fitted home with all the normal facilities such as fitted bathroom, fitted kitchen, main kitchen appliances such as Oven, Hob, Extractor plus the AC etc you should budget between THB 15000 – THB 25,000 per square meter, depending on the quality of the fixtures and especially the grade of Kitchen which can range from as little as 15,000 Baht to 250,000 Baht for a full western, high gloss kitchen. This will give you a very good estimate of what it will cost.
    All these prices are based on THAILAND prices. If you are doing this in another country then the pricing will be a lot more. For a regular “Bricks and Mortar” home in Thailand the costs will be higher in the range of THB 15,000 – THB 25,000 per square meter WITHOUT any fittings.
    Container Homes compared to regular built homes in THAILAND do not vary much between them in terms of costs. Materials are the same, labour is similar and foundations are the same. The benefit is that you can OWN it in a Non Thai name 100% and you can move it to any location if things change unlike a regular home. They can also be built far quicker.
    In other part of the world Container Homes would work out Cheaper than regular homes as there is probably a lot of svings on the labour costs.
    Do I Need Planning?
    Officially YES. As with any structure planning permission should be applied for however in Thailand there are many different circumstances. If you are in a more rural area then you may not need however you should plan on having permission rather than not.
    For an official planning application you will need proper architects drawings signed by a structural engineer, architect and local official. All of this we provide.
    Do I need Foundations?
    In most cases YES and again these vary depending on the land where the project is located as well a local regulations.
    Next Steps
    We have several “Pre Built” containers for sale which show the prices. If you would like to proceed with a project contact us now or fill in our online estimate and we can let you know the costs involved. Also please see our FAQ section which has a LOT of useful information.


    CLICK HERE to get a free online estimate or Contact Us now for a quotation


    Lang may yer lum reek...

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    Thailand Expat VocalNeal's Avatar
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    Anyone know if a standard flat bed truck with a HIAB truck crane can offload a 20ft container over a low fence and drop it a few metres inside a property?

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    Yes it can.

    From Google:

    How far can a Hiab reach?

    30 metres



    Long Reach/Distance Lifting

    Stewart Finnie Ltd long reach Hiab cranes are ideal for jobs requiring a reach over long distances. In situations where it is not possible to get close to the load to be lifted, manoeuvred or placed our Hiab crane lorries can reach up to 30 metres away lifting a maximum load of 590kg.





    Also found this:

    HIAB Shipping Container Delivery | Container Options Sydney

    Build costs-screen-shot-2020-08-07-03-a
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Build costs-screen-shot-2020-08-07-03-a  

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    Quote Originally Posted by dirk diggler View Post
    In situations where it is not possible to get close to the load to be lifted, manoeuvred or placed our Hiab crane lorries can reach up to 30 metres away lifting a maximum load of 590kg.
    An empty 20” container weighs 2 tons - 2000kg. The distance to be lifted would have to be way less than 30m.

  10. #10
    On a walkabout Loy Toy's Avatar
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    I have been out of the building game for a few years now but when looking at the sample house I would calculate a build at 28,000.00 Baht per square metre.

    That wood panels are very expensive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceman123 View Post
    An empty 20” container weighs 2 tons - 2000kg. The distance to be lifted would have to be way less than 30m.
    590kg at 30m reach so a few meters would be pretty much the full SWL of the crane. A quick google search came back with 3070kg at 13.8m.

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    OK Cheers. A 20 ft container seems simpler than a builder with concrete blocks etc. Also planning application if necessary is simply putting one there no discussion about structural integrity. Although a container will rust, concrete blocks do not.
    I have to do some sums when the time comes. There is already a similar sized gazebo-like structure in the same place so a replacement rather than an addition
    Better to think inside the pub, than outside the box?
    I apologize if any offence was caused. unless it was intended.
    You people, you think I know feck nothing; I tell you: I know feck all
    Those who cannot change their mind, cannot change anything.

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    A container in Thailand is hot inside like a hell, unless you spent money to make insulation cladding inside outside.

    For less money than it would cost you that you can build a simple house of any size by laying double cement blocks with cavity ca. 3 cm, erected on a simple foundation ring in a trench 40 cm wide, 50 cm deep, formed by the same cement blocks and some inserted iron wire. Such construction - without the concrete columns as usual in Thailand - any village brick-layers (chaang pun, 3-5 people) can do within 6 - 8 weeks.

    You buy the blocks (in the same or next village, 4 - 5 Baht), cement and sand, iron wire and sketch them simple layout, help them to mark the 4 corners, and just persuade them not to dig for columns (sau) as usual in Thailand. Then, a frequent site-seeing is recommended. Charge either by a daily rate, or by "mau" - lump sum, divided in few portions, paid some advance and balance after finishing.

    The double block construction will enable you not only the load-bearing structure and avoiding the extensive wooden formwork vertical and horizontal, but - what most important - a cool house inside.

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    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    There's a place ten minutes walk from us where people live in containers.

    It's a kind of nouveaux slum.

    Might be great in California, mind.

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    I am in my 3rd house in thailand: this 3rd one is never hot. this is my setup: it is build in the length of east-west. No windows on the east of west. No walls are ever exposed to the sun 1 hour after/before sunrise/set. That means long awnings. I build a second floor, purely for storage, and the ceiling/floor of it is entirely steel beams and plates with a steel roof. This has the advantage that half hour after sunset, the whole 2nd floor has the outside temperature, which cools the rest of the house fast. My surrounding mostly consist of trees which keep it cool to. choose wisely

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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    For less money than it would cost you that you can build a simple house of any size by laying double cement blocks with cavity ca. 3 cm, erected on a simple foundation ring in a trench 40 cm wide, 50 cm deep, formed by the same cement blocks and some inserted iron wire. Such construction - without the concrete columns as usual in Thailand - any village brick-layers (chaang pun, 3-5 people) can do within 6 - 8 weeks.
    Does this also work for a 2 story home? Sorry for my noob questions.

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    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceman123 View Post
    An empty 20” container weighs 2 tons - 2000kg. The distance to be lifted would have to be way less than 30m.
    A couple of elephants could pull any distance.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    It's a kind of nouveaux slum.

    Might be great in California, mind.
    Some of of us still dream of Michelle Phillips.



    Whilst others dream of a rainproof roof:


    Build costs-spokane-street-dirtyh_city-seattle_620-jpg

    https://1y4yclbm79aqghpm1xoezrdw-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/spokane-street-dirtyh_City-of-Seattle_620.jpg


    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikenot View Post
    You want it cheaper ? stick to what the locals are building with.
    Wise counsel.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hapcat1999 View Post
    Does this also work for a 2 story home? Sorry for my noob questions.
    Yes, just emphasize more on strengthening vertical structure in the corners and middle of long walls - by vertical reinforcement bars and filling concrete in-between the blocks. Then providing a horizontal reinforcement ring sitting on the erected walls, the bars interconnected with vertical bars.

    Build costs-05080210-jpg
    Build costs-05072809-jpg

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tommy View Post
    I am in my 3rd house in Thailand: this 3rd one is never hot. this is my setup: it is build in the length of east-west. No windows on the east of west. No walls are ever exposed to the sun 1 hour after/before sunrise/set. That means long awnings. I build a second floor, purely for storage, and the ceiling/floor of it is entirely steel beams and plates with a steel roof. This has the advantage that half hour after sunset, the whole 2nd floor has the outside temperature, which cools the rest of the house fast. My surrounding mostly consist of trees which keep it cool to. choose wisely
    We love pictures here, Tommy.

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    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hapcat1999 View Post
    does all of the wood make this drastically more expensive?
    yes.

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    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    ^ That reminded me of these.

    A free set of a "Government House" plans, in Thai with dims in metric (easily understood by your Thai builder), complete with all plans available here:

    Living in Asia

    The House 1, the most basic, there are 32 others to choose from.

    Build costs-no01s-2-jpg


    Build costs-no01s-jpg


    The elevations drawing:

    Build costs-05-jpg


    Some typical construction drawings:

    Stair Construction

    Build costs-07-jpg

    Soil Type Foundations:

    Build costs-s-03-jpg
    Last edited by OhOh; 08-08-2020 at 02:36 PM.

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    I always like wood , who doesn't ?But even if cost was not an issue, consider the maintenance. Even though you might be willing to spend the time to maintain it now that you are young, what about when you get older? And if you are married to a younger lady, what about after you pass away?
    I wanted something similar, with traditional looks that would blend into the local environment. I settled for the design below.
    Two bedrooms, Two baths , Livingroom and Kitchen. The whole downstairs is open, and I plan to enclose an area in the back, simply by putting up a couple of walls, and make an all purpose room that could serve as a guest bedroom with it's own bathroom as soon as I get back to Thailand.
    Good thing I build something that requires minimum maintenance because I have been trapped in the US with the pandemic for almost a year now.
    The wholebuild, excluding land , cost me 1.7 million bht a little more than two years ago in Khon Kaen
    Build costs-house-5-jpg
    The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.

  25. #25
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    ^ I would agree with LT for that example using real wood 25-28,000 baht / sqm to a decent spec could be a reasonable estimate. I have seen quite ok cafes and hostels etc built from containers here and the heat was not so bad but personally I wouldn’t do it for my own house.

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