Huge quotes for extension .. advise please

RAINE43

Hi everyone,

Looking for some input.

We received a quote yesterday for a 22 meter extension to the rear of our house to include a small wc. The demolition of the existing 9 square meter extension. Labour costs for the 3.5 months it will take to do the work.

This is the breakdown

Builders finish includes

-Demolition of previous build

-Plumbing

-Electrics ( switches, plugs, lights )

-Rewire downstairs

-Plastering slabbing, insulated board

-2 veux windows, small bathroom window, sliding door

-Bathroom, everything included except for tiles

-Stud work

-Block work

-Roofing

-mini digger hire

-Skips

-Ground works

With a discount as my husband knows the builder 94.5k

Now we know prices have soared but does this sound right?

So that was out of our budget & we accepted that. Pulled back on our ideas & asked for a new quote for the following:

10 square meter extension plus a small wc

Quote

-Demolition of existing extension

-Dig up concrete in garden

-Steele

-Brickwork

-Stud work

-Roof

-2 veux windows

-wc ( stud work, plaster, plumbing )

-Crushed glass toilet window

-Plastering

-Slabbing 80mm foam boards

-Re-wire downstairs

-Plumbing

-Labour costs

-Skip

-Digger

This came in at from the same builder at 83.5 K even though the extension would be more then half the size of original quote. We were told it would still take the same amount of time 3.5 months. We can't get our heads around it. We are going to get some more quotes in from other builders or are we kidding ourselves, are we just going to get back similar ? We are talking builders finish standard here. This does not include, kitchen, flooring etc.. just the shell.

Is there a more cost effective way of doing this? Perhaps getting the rewiring done first & then putting in a kitchen & waiting to demolish & ad on the extension at a later date as the kitchen won't be going into the extended part anymore since deciding we need to reduce the size of the extension.

Any thoughts & advise is welcome.

Thank you

kevgaa

The standout line in your message is "With a discount as my husband knows the builder 94.5k" I hope he is knocked off the Christmas card list..

22sqm2 at 94.4K is over 4k a square metre for a builders finish. costs have gone up but not that much.. 4k I would expect to be close to fully finished.

Dropping the size is one way to save costs but its dosent always yield the savings people expect as each job will have a certain cost just for set-up/ insurance etc The extra walls etc are generally not that big a cost savings.

Just for comparison I got a quote in Sept for a 30sqm extension out back. Knocking an old kitchen into a dining room to make a big open plan area so some steel work required. Cost was 80k to a builders finish. That did not include plumbing and electrics as I was getting the full house rewired and replumbed so add in maybe 10k for that. so you are not far off the 90k including VAT for a 30sqm extenstion with underfloor heating, large sliding door to garden, 2 velux windows and 4 other windows with 2 large picture windows. 10k was windows and doors.

My Jaw dropped at that price!!

They must be delivering some top class craftsmanship for that money.

RAINE43

Thanks for your responses. It's good to know that we could possibly get the work done for cheaper. We have a builder coming tomorrow another one coming next week so we will see what they come back with.

Whatwicklow

Location and access will heavily influence costs for small extensions so one mans cost per m2 isn't directly comparable with anothers.

The €/m2 here would indicate difficult access and location though!!

Best of luck, it's expensive to work out there

RAINE43

We have side access to the house as we are semi detached with a side access. We are located in Dublin 9.

Gusser09

3.5 months to complete? Thats mad.

4k per sqm is eye watering. Id be getting a few more prices. Thats high.