Cost of new build

Tomred272

Hi,

We are in the planning phase of a c. 2,600 sq foot house on the Kildare Dublin border. We are hoping to achieve a BER rating of B to B+. We are trying to get together a budget and our architect has put forward a build cost ex. Vat of €125 per sq foot. I am trying to verify this cost so any input would be much appreciated.

The €125 estimate is the cost of construction only i.e does not include floor and wall finishes, built in fittings, planning application costs etc etc.

Many thanks

BryanF

Tomred272 wrote: »

Hi,

We are in the planning phase of a c. 2,600 sq foot house on the Kildare Dublin border. We are hoping to achieve a BER rating of B to B+. We are trying to get together a budget and our architect has put forward a build cost ex. Vat of €125 per sq foot. I am trying to verify this cost so any input would be much appreciated.

The €125 estimate is the cost of construction only i.e does not include floor and wall finishes, built in fittings, planning application costs etc etc.

Many thanks

'verify' is an interest word choice.. that figure sounds ok to me, given the limited info you've provided

BTW ask your architect does his/her energy rating assessment comply with current building regulations..

Tomred272

Thanks for the input. My understanding is that we will exceed current regs. Is there a reson why you would think otherwise?

BryanF

have you carried out a provisional BER? I appreciate 260msq is quiet big and as such may allow for a slightly lesser energy rating of a high B1, but a good rule of thumb for the 2011 part L regs is aim for a minimum of an A3 BER rating ( below circa 50kWh/m2/yr)

while you're at this stage of the process it may be worth while reading around this website http://www.passivehouse-international.org/index.php?page_id=70
and this magazine http://www.constructireland.ie/

(may an eye opener if you're not up on current best practice in house building/ energy / comfort standards.

DOCARCH

Tomred272 wrote: »

Hi,
The €125 estimate is the cost of construction only i.e does not include floor and wall finishes, built in fittings, planning application costs etc etc.
Many thanks

I would say this estimate (ex VAT) is probably accurate enough for the location. This should probably also get you a certain level of external/site works.

Just to say that may get a little cheaper, but the market will decide when you go to tender, but I think it would be safe to budget this amount.

kkelliher

Tomred272 wrote: »

Hi,

We are in the planning phase of a c. 2,600 sq foot house on the Kildare Dublin border. We are hoping to achieve a BER rating of B to B+. We are trying to get together a budget and our architect has put forward a build cost ex. Vat of €125 per sq foot. I am trying to verify this cost so any input would be much appreciated.

The €125 estimate is the cost of construction only i.e does not include floor and wall finishes, built in fittings, planning application costs etc etc.

Many thanks

At €125/ft you should be able to have a decent level of finish. However you should note that this is merly a rough guide. It comes down to the level of specification, the type of construction, the type of finish, the site conditions, drainage requirements etc etc.

You should get a quantity surveyor do even sit down with you and do out a cost plan which will contain more detail than a simple ft2 price and this will give you more clarity on the overall cost. Until the final design is done it will be impossible to nail down a final budget price

best of luck with your project

Tomred272

Thanks everybody for the replies. I cannot use the thanks system yet as i have not posted enought times! We are only looking at a high level design at the moment and want to make sure the high level budget is agreed.

Does anybody have any ideas on how much extra would be required to get to an A1 standard I.e maybe increase from €124 to €145?

I appreciate that it is high level.

Thanks again

BryanF

it doesn't really work like that. however if you'd like to look at one of the articles i suggested you'll see several case study with budgets given http://www.constructireland.ie/Articles/Passive-Housing/Why-Ireland-is-becoming-a-leader-in-ultra-low-energy-building/Page-5.html

sas

Hi Tom,

I fully agree with everything that has been posted so far.

The figures you've quoted per sq ft suggest you've a very healthy budget.
On that basis I would also recommend that you investigate the passive house concept.

My home is built to passive standards and is expected to obtain certification. It is an A2 only on the BER cert range however.

There are quite a number of anamolies with the BER system.

If you are at design stage I would suggest that you contact a certified passive house designer to discuss options.

To clarify, you wouldn't need to necessarily aim to build certified passive but the PHPP software which is the heart of the PH process is an excellent tool for designing buildings with a predictable energy performance.

Good luck with your home

SAS

fclauson

not going to talk budget - but see the other post on passive house pricing

Get a QS - its the only way you can plan your budget

I am not a QS but I use one - best €800 spent so far on the build