Anyone getting quotes back for major building work at the moment?

[CityDweller]

We've just had the tenders back for our extension/ renovation and they are eyewateringly huge. Like 3-4 x our budget huge. I can't tell if it's because our architects (who we chose in part because they seemed the most budget-savvy of the ones we met and who constantly told us our project was achievable for our budget) were deluded and have been leading us on this merry fantasy for the past 18 months, designing a project we could never afford, or if it really is just because everything has gone bonkers in the construction world at the moment, with the shortage of materials and labour.

We're now back to the drawing board, and looking at having to pay our architects to re-design a project that was never anyway realistic. We've already paid them an arm and a leg and spent months and months fannying about the details of a design and it's all been a complete waste of time (and our money). I like our architects a lot, but I feel a bit miffed about where we're at now.

Is anyone else in a similar position? I guess I just wanted to moan a bit. But also I'm wondering whether we should just wait for another year (already been waiting two) to embark on this. We desperately need the additional space though and I'm not sure our decrepit old heating system will see us through another winter...

Anyone else seeing their building plans disappear down the post-Brexit, mid-Covid toilet?

It is a mixture of brexit, covid, Suez Canal and taking the piss because they can. We have just had a small 3mx 3m floor tiled with large format tiles 1m squared. As part of our renovation project.
We supplied the tiles, they supplied adhesive grout and labour. We were charged £750 and almost fell over!

@DespairingHomeowner

Re people saying delay: will materials prices actually go down at a later point, or will it be a permanent rise?

It won't be a permanent rise. Why would it? The hikes are a consequence of a squeeze on availability, because lots of people want to do work at the moment but there's only so much cement, timber etc. the supply chain can provide. It will return closer to normal when the volumes of construction underway drop back to normal levels.

@Blanketwars

We are currently in the process of buying a fixer upper and all these stories are terrifying me…… it’s mostly just modernisation (rewire, plaster, decorating, new kitchen/bathroom) but the roof needs something doing to it as per the survey (getting quotes at the moment) and I just keep thinking our budgets going to blow out massively, even with doing the simple stuff ourselves. I don’t know what to do. I know we were nieve but I honestly didn’t know there were all these problems with supply and labour etc when we offered. They had several offers much lower than ours before we offered asking price - which at the time I thought reflected the work that needed doing fairly well. I now don’t know whether to lower our offer or pull out…… but there’s literally nothing else on the market 😩

We just lost our purchase of a fixer upper that we offered on in April, due to an issue with the tenants refusing to move out, but I'm actually not too upset as I've read a lot lately about the skyrocketing prices of building costs and labour, not to mention the crazily long lead times and we have been wondering whether or not we should pull out. Is the house you are buying liveable as it is for the next couple of years so you can sit tight and hope prices go back to a bit more normal? If not I would be seriously reconsidering the purchase. Now seems like a terrible time to be taking on a renovation project.

We had a major renovation planned, expected it would be around £50k but I think it would have ended up double. We've sold up rather than renovate, we got £40k more than we were expecting so we plan to rent then buy a home that suits us and needs less doing to it.

By way of example, our roof tiles are a very standard type and are on an 18 week lead time. They would previously have been on about 4 days. Our windows are on a six week lead time rather than 10 days. Steel rsj - haha! It was only due to our builder pulling in a favour than we managed to get one with a four week lead time. They actually initially said they were putting all commercial orders to the front of the queue (bigger mark up and high demand).

We are getting quotes in for a 20 m2 kitchen extension. They have come in at £60k, £70k and £72k That is just for the basic build and windows and doesn't include costs for any fitting of the new kitchen, new floor or decorating. It is considerably more than we were expecting. We are going to explore ideas of reducing the size and looking at ways to bring the costs down.

@CityDweller We are in almost identical situation

Started talking about an extension last February 2020. Got some builders around to quote and they all had broadly the same estimate. However, it's an awkward shaped house so suggested going with architect firm/structural engineer etc (we are knocking something down and rebuilding so don't need planning permission)

So engaged architect back end of last year and gave our budget. No issue. Went back and forth with designs and got it all finished April.

They also have a build company attached so gave us their costings. We couldn't believe it.... 3x our budget. We asked how this is possible since they designed it with our budget in mind and they quoted short supply, brexit and cost of materials as well as labour.

We thought they were having a laugh so went back to some of the builders we originally spoke to and almost all of them are 3/4 times as much now and sited the same reasons.

We are now shelving it as it's completely out of our price range and also in a position where the existing building that side of the house may not stay damp and draft proof this winter!

We are planning a major extension and had 2 quotes so far one twice the price of the other. We are really struggling to get a third builder to even come out and see us for a comparison price. Its tricky to say its a design issue as I'm married to the Architect. I'd agree more likely to be materials issues.

In North London the issue is partly supply related but mostly Brexit - the local Eastern Europeans who did construction have left the UK so the crunch is getting the small number of local trades people to even quote.

It wouldn't fit Pritti Patel's pandering to the right but we need these work people to see the UK as an attractive and welcoming place again.. Fat chance.

I spoke to a friend doing a major project in France - much fewer issues with getting supplies so it's more of a UK issue than European.

We also need to stop encouraging every teen to go to University and encourage many more into trade. But that's a 10 year lead time and doesn't help us now.

I agree with that 👆🏼 It is time they steered young people into construction, that’s the problem ,not enough tradesmen and the ones we have can charge what they like because they know you can’t easily get others .

A quick google will bring up loads of articles on the subject across both the construction and mainstream press. Massive shortages due to various factors has brought about big price rises and lots of delays globally not just in the U.K. market. It should settle down and the predictions are that it will ease it 12mths but that's no help for those already on site.
I'm an architect and we have delayed a few projects and have spent a lot of time sorting out alternatives just to keep projects moving.
My own personal project was doing ok until we got to the timber windows - they just couldn't get the raw materials although they are finally on their way now. However they are costing more. We've also had to swap out the flooring as the originals were subject to massive delays.
It's making programming projects and trades a bit of a nightmare as stuff that used to be available within a few days is now with massive lead times and prices are fluctuating a lot from the norm.
My advice is for clients to delay if you can and let things settle a bit. If you can't wait but can be flexible with choices then that may help with some supply problems however costs will be at a premium level for lots of things.

@MrsBartlet

eek! please tell me you are in London

[quote WEIFHWYOEIG]@MrsBartlet

eek! please tell me you are in London [/quote]
Sorry - not even in London! We are in Essex and not the bit near London

I'm sure there was a thread pretty much identical to this a couple of months ago. Someone whose build was going to cost massively much more than their architects suggested, and then lots of other people came on to say they had similar experience. I got the impression that many architects are either out of touch with current building costs or are hugely optimistic when it comes to budgeting.

@DespairingHomeowner

Re people saying delay: will materials prices actually go down at a later point, or will it be a permanent rise?

Suppliers I've bern talking to are hoping 18m - 2 years for some normality!

Friends quotes are literally double what we paid 5 years ago from same builder

Stupid question, but how do architect s know how much it is to build an extension?
Surely it's just a stab in the dark?

They don’t know unless they keep themselves up to date. Many don’t, hence the problems

OK in the family we have an architect, builder, surveyor, friends who are builders merchants, plant hire, ground works. It is bloody nuts out there. We are in Wales so nope not a southern thing. Listening to them I would not be impatient. As for the costs, plaster board, rare as hens teeth. windows, doors, copper piping, only god knows when that is available. When the next slow boat arrives from abroad god knows what the costs will be at the end. It is very frustrating for everyone involved in construction.

My grandfather was building before and after second world war. This is what it was like then. He said avoid anything built soon after the war because the materials were somewhat below standard.

Same for us. Architect designed a 3 part extension project and gave us an idea of costs working to about £1800/m2 -pre-covid price since planners shut for most of the year so it's been a loooong road.

Quotes coming in now at least double. We're nowhere near London.

We're now going to do just one of the extensions (loft) until things stabilise. But still trying to pin down builders and it will be middle of next year before anyone can start.

Builders saying it's 1/3 covid, 1/3 brexit and 1/3 suppliers taking advantage to inflate prices.

@Blanketwars

We are currently in the process of buying a fixer upper and all these stories are terrifying me…… it’s mostly just modernisation (rewire, plaster, decorating, new kitchen/bathroom) but the roof needs something doing to it as per the survey (getting quotes at the moment) and I just keep thinking our budgets going to blow out massively, even with doing the simple stuff ourselves. I don’t know what to do. I know we were nieve but I honestly didn’t know there were all these problems with supply and labour etc when we offered. They had several offers much lower than ours before we offered asking price - which at the time I thought reflected the work that needed doing fairly well. I now don’t know whether to lower our offer or pull out…… but there’s literally nothing else on the market 😩

It depends on what you can do yourself, how the proportion of the costs of goods vs labour stack up, and for labour costs especially, where you are. But we found with ours (bought about 8 months before lockdown) that since the lockdown, some things have got more expensive, but not all of them ridiculously so. We have found a plumbing company here working for very fair prices, though some components have gone up in price, they are not a large % of the cost of the specific things we need doing, so it's not a big deal. If we'd needed a lot of copper pipe, different story. Our electricians, coming tomorrow to complete the rewire they initially did the rest of 2 years ago before we moved in, told us the wire they use for the ring main was now about double in price it was when they did the rest of the house. But it's still only costing under £1,000 to rewire the kitchen. It will depend a lot on how long you are willing to wait for jobs to be done. We were resigned to our 'doing-up' taking a couple of years for the main stuff, like rewiring throughout, moving utilities, a new kitchen, laying out the garden from scratch, and basic decorating, and then 4 or 5 more years for the 'extras' ( like adding a conservatory, renewing the bathroom, surfacing the drive). Our Phase 1 is about a year behind thanks to covid one way or another- supply of materials, not being able to have people in to do stuff like gas and electric, and us ourselves having a lot of extra duties looking after vulnerable family. Hopefully all those things are at least on the way to getting back to normal, so by the time you have the house, it may only add 6 or 12 months to your plans, and prices may stop being as silly.

@HasaDigaEebowai

They don’t know unless they keep themselves up to date. Many don’t, hence the problems

Well if they are using the latest software then they will know, the cute architect with a pencil behind his ear not so much. This software is not cheap you pay a licence for every single member of staff who use it. Architect family member checks quotes from builders who bless them do not have this software and says "Look mate you have under priced, copper, gyprock, timber is now this price. If the client then fannies around for months moving windows, doors, room sizes, kitchen islands, then the price will go up. Architect family says it is usually one of the couple that hold a project up by fannying around with the design because they suddenly decide they need a gym, spa, walk in larder, bigger loo. Hence the new drawings, delay which equals increased costs. New build estates on the other hand say this is what it is take it or leave it. They have it easy

It's not just materials, shortage of labour too. This is driving up day rates. Thanks Brexit.

We are mid extension build and have bought most of the materials and stored but about to buy more this week given this thread as we are yet to buy our wood.

So same position the architects have designed something we can't afford, but we are taking over and are now the main contractor role, sourcing our own trades, using all local, buying our own materials directly from suppliers, we've renovated before but not on this scale, so a learning curve.

We are also going to take on a large chunk of the work ourselves (both handy) and my husband is an engineer so that helps. We will take leave and evenings/ weekends.

We've also amended our thoughts of a deadline so if something is delayed then so it's delayed, we originally wanted it done by Christmas I'm now thinking by spring 2022 maybe a good timeframe, so we can take time and look for good prices.

With all of these changes we are now running about 40% less than main contractor turn key quotes of £220k.

But yes our architects designed something we can't afford so we've stripped back on some features and glass - glass and glazing Is a huge chunk of budgets.

We've taken out the mark ups, which has added a load to us to manage as we both work full time roles but means we can afford to carry on, and we have pre- ordered as much as possible.

Our designs and planning took about 18 months and then we have Groundworks delays of another 3 months while a bunch of structural engineers argued about the best way forward.

It does seem a whole load of delays all round, but I think we just have to keep going and think it will "eventually" be finished 🤦‍♀️

@SmellThat
It's a combination of things
I always say the only way you know what a project really costs is when it goes out to tender however I can give a rough idea based on similar projects, price indexes, prices per m2, I'm always quite generous with contingencies when giving rough ideas as I find most houses can have unexpected surprises or owners that change their minds, I also tend to have clients who like expensive level specifications.

I'm generally about right with my figures however lots of clients don't listen when I repeatedly say changes will generally means costs rise. I do review projects though and mainly follow through to completion so probably have a better handle on costs than those who just do drawings and hand over at build time.

The only project I was really off with was my own studio 🤔 I think I wasn't paying enough attention but I tweaked the design back and it's definitely been worth spending a bit more on the spec (DH convinced me) for some long term gains (solar panels and battery, upgrading to 3phase power)