Christian181

Interesting. I'm in Bristol. My building control guy would oversee both aspects, too.

Hi all I am about to embark on a new-build two-bed project in Bristol. It is 84 sqm and conventional construction. I have had a quote from ICW from the structural defect warranty of £3.3k for £200k of cover. Does that sound typical? Many thanks.

I am learning as I go! I do like the idea of pinning down the detail and now better understand the gaps in what we've provided. I'm minded to plug some of those gaps as I feel I don't really have a builder I can trust entirely just to get on with it in good faith. Strangely, the guy that did the building regs drawings and structural calcs has taken offence at me now indicating I want to get some more detail together, like M&E drawings. Whether or not he can/cannot do them, he reckons the way I have asked about extra drawings and detail and checked in with building control represents 'a breach of trust'. I am baffled. I don't know what to say to him other than that I am happy with the drawings I have and am now looking to develop some more to get my precise costings and help the builders with the detail. I don't know why his nose it out of joint. The project manager guy I mentioned earlier in the thread who would run it through BuilderTrend is going to quote using Build Aviator and has asked me to pay for it, which I am happy to. I had one quote back so far, which was more than expected, and with many elements not pinned down. I hope some others are closer to my expectations. (£145k was the indication from the calculator for what is a 84 sq m two-bed property built in conventional brick/block, with a beam and block ground floor. First quote was for £166k but leaving out windows, services and some other elements.) Is £7.5k for a basic staircase from ground to first floor clearly over the odds? Nothing special, just softwood standard construction. That was one quoted cost that jarred with me at first glance. Thanks for insights so far. Very useful and much appreciated.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, we have had a few more people out and been v transparent with the first builder about our plans and what we need from him. I think he is now using Build Aviator from Jewsons to generate a quote. I had a project manager guy out as well as conventional main contractors who said Build Aviator is his preferred method of quoting, and then he runs jobs using the BuilderTrend app and he runs it all open book with his margin there to see. It sounds quite attractive if the numbers stack up. Have others got experience with a project being run like this?

Hi all I'm new to the forum. We got planning last year for a two-bed new home attached to our 1930s semi on a corner plot. The plan is to build it, sell our current home, move into the new one for a spell (less than three years) and then sell it and move on with a bigger pot. We want to build something mid-spec, with some quality touches. I started speaking to the builder that did our kitchen extension fast and pretty well two years ago. We get on well but he just doesn't seem set up to do a full quote that would satisfy the specialist lenders or me. Is that common? Is it reasonable to expect a pretty detailed broken down quotes from prospective builders as a first step (I sort of know it is, but this blockage is stressing me out)? We have provided all the building regs drawings but the builder doesn't seem to have a QS/estimator to call on. He has put me in touch with the drawings guy and a building control guy he rates, but we've only actually met up twice. I haven't led him on at all, just told him what I need and he has kicked things down the road for weeks now. Unless he can quote fully, I don't have anything to work with, do I?