Homebuilding in the DR the inexpensive (Dominican) way

[Chip]

Originally Posted by americanized

I'm about to finish the house I started building middle of last year, when building materials where at all time high. Considering finishing was on the really high-end, and the project was directed by a civil engineer (albeit a friend of mine, but a cost nonetheless), total construction cost per square meter came at about RD$17k.

This cost could have been easily reduced by 25%, had I choose lower-end finishing in many aspects (not bad at all), and possibly even more had I built today.

Building is always cheaper than buying. And you do things as you wish.

My two cents.

A couple of questions if you don't mind. Did you order the material and coordinate the payment and shipping of them to the site or did the engineer do this for you? If he did, did he send you copies of the paid invoices from the ferreteria? Also, if I may ask, how much did this guys charge for the construction administration services?

Thanks

[americanized]

Originally Posted by Chip

A couple of questions if you don't mind. Did you order the material and coordinate the payment and shipping of them to the site or did the engineer do this for you? If he did, did he send you copies of the paid invoices from the ferreteria? Also, if I may ask, how much did this guys charge for the construction administration services?

Thanks

The engineer did most of the purchases, and I was present in some of them (never had the time, live in Miami, travelled monthly to oversee what I was getting). Some big ticket items I purchase myself. Of course invoices were given. Admin fee was about 5% of total cost, well below others I spoke with (I know the guy for about 20 years, he was my english teacher in late 80s, got a break).

I cannot tell you everything was perfect. There were some expenses I could not fully control (like most labor). But at the end total cost came out well below all full-contractors were quoting me for a complete house, by about 3-5thousands per SQ meter, and also below selling price of a house right next door to mine (per sq meter, and considering land).

[Chip]

Originally Posted by americanized

The engineer did most of the purchases, and I was present in some of them (never had the time, live in Miami, travelled monthly to oversee what I was getting). Some big ticket items I purchase myself. Of course invoices were given. Admin fee was about 5% of total cost, well below others I spoke with (I know the guy for about 20 years, he was my english teacher in late 80s, got a break).

I cannot tell you everything was perfect. There were some expenses I could not fully control (like most labor). But at the end total cost came out well below all full-contractors were quoting me for a complete house, by about 3-5thousands per SQ meter, and also below selling price of a house right next door to mine (per sq meter, and considering land).

It sounds like you did real good then. Congrats.

[ExtremeR]

Originally Posted by mariaobetsanov

Quality is a misssing , short on re-bars, low psi concrete mixture and low experience. still will not meet the shabiest us standard. most construction here will not make in aa mild 4.5 tremor first check what happen in Pueto Plata on the last mild tremor. I am living here (California)and there (Santiago) been here and not had any damage due to the strick goverment regulations, and go state goverment. any one with or without any knowdlege iin calculating stress factor does work and claim to be a contractor. A mixture control is usually a ignorant man with a hose and meassuring by eye without any control, micture is really hit and run.

The last "mild" tremor that you refer was a 6.5 eartquake in 2003. That same eartquake intensity finished off the city in L'Aquila in Italy a couple of months ago. Maybe they are doing something right here...

[Chip]

Extreme

It's apparent in the post you referenced that Maria has no idea what she's talking about (at least from what I undertood of her post???). Much of the concrete block construction work done here is sufficiently good and in fact most homes built out of these materials are much stronger that their American counterparts because they are overbuilt.

[jaguarbob]

Originally Posted by jaguarbob

no,...just the finishing of the exterior and interior block walls ready for paint,and the floors of course are cemented and will be tiled someday in the future.It does include the locations of the pipes and the electrical tubing has been pulled thru some walls.The pipes for water and septic tank have been bought but not installed fully yet,and of course I still have to put in the septic,which will take some more rocks and labor but will do that after the roof is installed.
I just posted this as info on a Dominican house,not one done by developers,builders,etc.This is how most houses are built by the average 6000 peso a month Dominican.
You can see how much profit there is here on these houses built and sold by developers.
bob

finally got money saved up for cement roof...total cost was 100,000 pesos,which included 100 bags of cement,at 250 pesos a bag,6 loads of dirt at 1500 pesos a load,and 6 loads of rock at 2300 pesos a load.Rental of wood was about 8000 pesos,and pipe,etc was not much.I had already bought the barrila for about 45000 pesos last year.House is 35 by 35 feet.
and of course the man doing the roof was paid and a few workers to do labor was mostly family.

now I need to do elec,plumbing,finish the walls,etc,but the roof was a very important piece for me as the other work can be done as i can....little at a time.

bob

[bienamor]

Originally Posted by jaguarbob

finally got money saved up for cement roof...total cost was 100,000 pesos,which included 100 bags of cement,at 250 pesos a bag,6 loads of dirt at 1500 pesos a load,and 6 loads of rock at 2300 pesos a load.Rental of wood was about 8000 pesos,and pipe,etc was not much.I had already bought the barrila for about 45000 pesos last year.House is 35 by 35 feet.
and of course the man doing the roof was paid and a few workers to do labor was mostly family.

now I need to do elec,plumbing,finish the walls,etc,but the roof was a very important piece for me as the other work can be done as i can....little at a time.

bob

Just hope in the roof you used oversize conduit to string the electric through, gets tight up there, when your running separate circuits.

[bayaguanaman]

HI Brand new to replying, but reading for long and found helpful during the construction of my house in the DR. Did the design and organized the construction helped of course by the one that must be obeyed ! albeit, most of the time I was distant working earning the $ to pay for it.

In the end, I got exactly what I was looking for and having wrote the final cheque, calculated the cost including the purchase of lot etc, came out at 50 GBP per sq ft, which to be fair won't buy much elsewhere on mother earth (at least at last years prices).

I read with appreciation of the complexities in construction, but with good family assistance, most of the problems were overcome ( and I suppose I had to pay over the odds for my choice of using the likes of readymix concrete from the batching plant in SD, pumps etc), all in all I am pleased.

Now for the question and hopefully answers, ....I used a small company near Mega Centro to make some internal glazed door sets which I am very pleased with, problem, when I head back to order some external doors, they have either stopped trading or moved. Can anyone suggest a good reputable wood working shop that can make and install some entrance door sets (2) in Cedra with glass. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks