Builders! How much extra for deeper foundations???

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The Pines

The Pines

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Nov 20, 2008
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  • #1
    Hope someone can give me a ballpark figure...

    I'm having an extension on the house. At two particular points we need to have deeper foundations to account for some trees that drain moisture from the soil.

    The original quote includes foundations to 1.5m. We now have to have two strips of foundations that need to go to 2.5m and 2.3m respectively. Each new strip is about 3m in length. The rest of the foundations are OK to stay at 1.5m, but the builder will need to 'step' the foundations.

    The original cost for the foundations is included in the quotation so I don't know the exact figure for the foundations (it includes site clearance, preparation, etc).

    However, I suspect that it would involve approximately 25% more digging and concrete.

    Does anyone have a ballpark figure of the extra costs I should be looking at??? The builder will tell me at the end of stage 1 (in about 2 weeks) but I'd also like to get some other figures for comparison.

    Thanks in advance!
     
    E

    Estimator

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    Feb 22, 2008
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  • #4
    So you have extra 3.0 x 1.0 x say 0.6m wide? and extra 3.0 x 0.8 x say 0.6m wide?
    Thats an additional dig, cart away and concrete of 3.24m3 say 4m3 max to allow for steps and overdig.
    At between £150 to £200/m3 = £600 to £800.
    Ball park figure, this will be less if he a) leaves muck on site b) Uses full loads 6m3 rather than the minimix firms.
     
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    The Pines

    The Pines

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  • #9
    Thanks to everyone for their replies.

    I think it might work out at over the grand mark though.

    Turns out the digger they hired can only dig down to 2m. The last 0.5m and 0.3m respectively are being dug out by hand...:eek:

    They are now on day 2 with the digger, and it looks like they will be at least another day, possibly 2 more days.

    Did anyone ever see that Tom Hanks movie, The Money Pit...???;)
     
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    The Pines

    The Pines

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    Nov 20, 2008
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  • #12
    UKSBD said:
    They must be mad.
    Sending blokes in to a 2m trench to hand dig another 0.5m :(

    I assume they have already started digging and just been told they have
    to go down the extra depth?
    Click to expand...

    They went to 1.5m.

    Then the Buildings Inspector from the Council arrived and told them to go to 2.5m...

    All because of a few fir trees about 5m away from the dig. The tress are about 3m tall, but apparently they drain moisture from the soil.

    Either that or...

    The bloke from the Council was a pen-pushing ballbag;)
     
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    dal

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    Jul 26, 2007
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  • #15
    I think they've got you over a barrel here, extra rates for work not quoted, they can charge you what they want I think :(. I find that there is such a big difference in what people charge, some do it for pennies others for thousands. That's how a lot of people I know make their money, go in with a cheap price and bump it up on extra's, this is what you don't want to hear though so I'll be silent now and not so pessimistic lol you'll be alright :);).
     
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  • #16
    The Pines said:
    They went to 1.5m.

    Then the Buildings Inspector from the Council arrived and told them to go to 2.5m...

    All because of a few fir trees about 5m away from the dig. The tress are about 3m tall, but apparently they drain moisture from the soil.

    Either that or...

    The bloke from the Council was a pen-pushing ballbag;)
    Click to expand...

    Are there's your problem next time the man from the council comes tie him to one of the tree's for a couple of weeks and all will be fine.:|

    got to keep there job somehow.I could tell you some stories about the twits.:)


    Earl
     
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    estwig

    estwig

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  • #22
    Using my 2007 amended NHBC building near trees charts, allowing for high shrinkage soil and a high water demand coniferous tree, tree 5 meter distance from foundations, tree 3 meters tall. No additional work is required to the foundations!

    The problem is a lot of building control officers are complete and utter w*nk*rs, total t*ssers who don't know sh*t about anything. They just turn up, spout cr*p and leave.

    You are the client, you have paid building control, as such they should treat you as the client. If the building control officer wants deeper, bigger, thicker whatever. Ask why?? Ask how he has come to the conclusion you need to spend more money?? Ask for his supervisor to make a site visit to confirm his request for deeper footings.

    Your builder should be backing you up in this, not just rubbing his hands together cause some t*sser from the council has said somefink.
     
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    Tej

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  • #23
    estwig said:
    You are the client, you have paid building control, as such they should treat you as the client. If the building control officer wants deeper, bigger, thicker whatever. Ask why?? Ask how he has come to the conclusion you need to spend more money?? Ask for his supervisor to make a site visit to confirm his request for deeper footings.

    Your builder should be backing you up in this, not just rubbing his hands together cause some t*sser from the council has said somefink.
    Click to expand...

    You should get the building control officer to put in writing what he wants and why?

    IMO
     
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    estwig

    estwig

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  • #25
    Tej said:
    You should get the building control officer to put in writing what he wants and why?

    IMO
    Click to expand...

    Definitely, then beat him round the head with it, once you have proved it to be total b*ll*cks.


    I can't emphasize enough what a bunch of useless t*ssers building control can be. Don't take their word for anything, if they say it's a nice sunny day...........Double check!!
     
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    M

    mattley23

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    Mar 4, 2004
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  • #28
    estwig said:
    Definitely, then beat him round the head with it, once you have proved it to be total b*ll*cks.


    I can't emphasize enough what a bunch of useless t*ssers building control can be. Don't take their word for anything, if they say it's a nice sunny day...........Double check!!
    Click to expand...

    You must have some poor building officers around your neck of the woods mate, in and around Shropshire mjority are spot on.

    But yes i agree, ask the visiting inspector what he is basing hid requests on and try to fight your corner. In my experience if theuy are a decent inspector they will listen to your argument, if they are idiots they will stick to what they have said just to save face. And if you piss them off they are likely to make your build even harder to pass, but hey thats my experience
     
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    estwig

    estwig

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  • #29
    Your right Matt, the majority are good, but when your building 4-5 extensions at a time, maybe 30 a year and you get the one idiot who wants the footings dug an extra 1.5 meters on top of the normal 1 meter. The done thing is to go fooking mad, shout, rant, rave, quote figures, charts, anything you can throw at them to get back to normality and very quickly.

    Too many people, builders included, think Building Control are some kinda God, there not, they are mortal and fallible like the rest of us.
     
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