Choice Timberframe specialist

[Balraj Appadu]

I am now in a position to get my design done for PP. I know that I want a super energy efficient house to be as near as PassivHaus standard without certification
i also want to have a quick build with the same company doing the groundwork’s, timber structure, windows and getting the house weathertight with roof to be tiled

any ideas about what companies are good at this sort of thing as then I would take over and manage the rest

thank you for your responses

[Russell griffiths]

I don’t think there are many, infact it might only be one company I know who will do your groundwork as well as frame package. 

MBC in Gloucestershire. 

[Gone West]

@Balraj Appadu Welcome to the forum and good luck with your project. Touchwood Homes will do everything from groundworks up. Some friends of ours used them nine years ago and have been very happy with the build.

 

https://www.touchwoodhomes.co.uk/build-method/

 

https://www.touchwoodhomes.co.uk/foundation-systems/

 

 

[Balraj Appadu]

Thank you they are  the 2 companies I have shortlisted.

Anyone in the forum who have dealt with these 2 companies: MBC and Touchwood Homes?

Thank you

 

 

[Russdl]

We had quotes from both and very difficult to compare like for like with the variations in what is included. Friends of ours went Touchwood we went MBC.

 

  On 23/05/2020 at 12:57, Balraj Appadu said:

I also want to have a quick build with the same company doing the groundwork’s, timber structure, windows and getting the house weathertight with roof to be tiled

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Depending what you mean by groundwork’s, I think there is only one company that will do that, so I suspect you’ve already made your decision?

[Balraj Appadu]

thank you

However I hear that Touchwood advice is to use AFT for the groundworks as they work with them frequently whereas MBC do everything?

The comparison is about how much the slab & Timberframe cost whether all one by one company or two?

 

[jamieled]

Unless they've changed recently, I don't think AFT do groundworks themselves. They only do the foundation. If they do groundworks, they'll probably subcontract it.

[HerbJ]

As far as I am aware, MBC only design, supply and install the insulated/passive slab.  They do not take responsibility on the  ground work - that is al the preparation for the installation of the insulated/passive slab.  So extract from my quotation from MBC

 

"Supply and fit Engineer signed off Passive Slab foundation system, with a 0.105W/m2.K U-value and Zero Cold Bridges (The client strips the site, installs the first 150mm of
stone and the site roadway). MBC supplies and fits 50mm stone for levelling, the concrete, the steel, and the drainage pipes are brought 1 metre from the finished
foundation for others to connect to."

 

There may be structural engineering requirements for extensive ground works, depending on the specific site and soil conditions.   Some sites may only require 150mm of stone, on which the insulated foundation is normally installed but most require a much more stringent  requirements - because of adjacent existing trees my foundation required a 850mm of stone at the front of the foundation decreasing to 600mm at the rear of the foundation. Other sites have required piling.  

Edited May 24, 2020 by HerbJ

[Worthy]

I had gone with MBC for the package and foundations but having had a bad ground investigation report MBC say the site needs piling and they can't adapt their insulated raft design for piles.  I need to get the foundations redesigned independently which is annoying as I wanted a foundation/frame package that would get the structure up quickly. AFD will design but don't do the work and I have also asked Abbey Pynford who have pile and foundation package to quote but don't yet know what u-value they can achieve. Has anyone any experience of their Comdeck system ?

 

[IanR]

  On 28/06/2021 at 11:32, Worthy said:

 AFD will design but don't do the work 

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Will Olof not come and work on site now? He'd previously attend site and install the Foundation and UFH, directing a 2 - 3 labourers supplied by the self-buider.

[Bramco]

  On 28/06/2021 at 11:32, Worthy said:

I had gone with MBC for the package and foundations but having had a bad ground investigation report MBC say the site needs piling and they can't adapt their insulated raft design for piles

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Interesting, we also have a not too brilliant ground report and thought we may need piles but MBC have now said that we'll be OK with hardcore but a LOT of it!

 

During the discussions, they sent us a couple of examples of piling design on which their insulated slab could fit.

[Dreadnaught]

I considered Olof at ADF (great service from him) but ended up using East-Anglian firms for (i) supply, (ii) engineering, and (iii) installation of my 26x screw piles (3x companies who regularly work together). One of the easiest parts of my build so far.

 

Happy to provide an intro if of interest.

[Alan Ambrose]

I know this is an old-ish thread, but recommendations for East Anglian groundwork’s folks would be good.

 

TIA, Alan

[Post and beam]

I beleieve Potton will now do the groundwaorks as well as their Sips/Timber frame house package

[R2021]

  On 18/11/2022 at 15:37, Post and beam said:

I beleieve Potton will now do the groundwaorks as well as their Sips/Timber frame house package

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I'm having a Potton frame installed right now.  I would have welcomed Potton doing the ground works to their detailed designs, but unfortunately don't offer this as of Jan 2023. This has meant I've had to use a third party ground work company. I used the one Potton recommended, who hasn't been able to complete the work within Potton's time frame, which has resulted in Potton fining me a heavy financial penalty.

[twice round the block]

  On 21/12/2022 at 09:33, R2021 said:

I'm having a Potton frame installed right now.  I would have welcomed Potton doing the ground works to their detailed designs, but unfortunately don't offer this as of Jan 2023. This has meant I've had to use a third party ground work company. I used the one Potton recommended, who hasn't been able to complete the work within Potton's time frame, which has resulted in Potton fining me a heavy financial penalty.

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WHAT.....££££££££

[Kelvin]

  On 21/12/2022 at 10:08, twice round the block said:

WHAT.....££££££££

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Storage fee presumably. I have the same risk with my timber kit supplier. They’ll charge me a storage fee if the foundation isn’t ready. 

[R2021]

I'd rather not give specifics, but it has five figures.

[markc]

No way! I can understand them wanting the sum that would have been paid when on site and a disruption fee if install team were delayed at last minute but a storage fee is taking the p1%#. 

[Kelvin]

I can understand charging a nominal storage fee if they don’t have anywhere on-site to store it. Five figures is ridiculous. 

[Moonshine]

  On 21/12/2022 at 16:02, Kelvin said:

I can understand charging a nominal storage fee if they don’t have anywhere on-site to store it. Five figures is ridiculous. 

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does your contract have any figures attached to it?

 

@R2021 if it is storage is there anywhere on a site to put it?

[R2021]

  On 21/12/2022 at 11:33, Kelvin said:

Storage fee presumably. I have the same risk with my timber kit supplier. They’ll charge me a storage fee if the foundation isn’t ready. 

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Actually not a storage fee - they will build the frame a week before delivery I'm told. It's increased cost of labour (factory and site), materials and delivery. They hold the price for 6 months but it has taken longer than that for my complex foundations and ground works to be completed.

[R2021]

  On 21/12/2022 at 16:20, Moonshine said:

 

does your contract have any figures attached to it?

 

@R2021 if it is storage is there anywhere on a site to put it?

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Unfortunately there's nothing in the contract that specifies what they can charge.  No it's not storage, it's labour, material and deliver price increases over the past 6 months. I see their point that their costs have gone up, but it's not helping my financial viability.

[Kelvin]

  On 21/12/2022 at 16:20, Moonshine said:

 

does your contract have any figures attached to it?

 

@R2021 if it is storage is there anywhere on a site to put it?

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Nothing for the windows and a few hundred pounds per week but I’d have it delivered to site as we have the room. 

[Kelvin]

  On 21/12/2022 at 17:03, R2021 said:

Unfortunately there's nothing in the contract that specifies what they can charge.  No it's not storage, it's labour, material and deliver price increases over the past 6 months. I see their point that their costs have gone up, but it's not helping my financial viability.

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I wouldn’t describe it as being fined a financial penalty. Presumably the contract said the cost would up if a period of time past etc. Ours has increased from the initial estimate we got in the summer too but the original estimate didn’t include all the steelwork, we’ve added an expensive rooflight to the flatroof, made every window 3G and changed one fixed window for double doors.