Building a House in the Philippines

@PalawOne Before moving to Baguio we were looking at a property north of PP, near the waterpark I think.  1000sqm with river frontage and the house was built by an American and his national wife.  Well, COViD didn't allow me to visit for 2 years after 3 ticket cancellations (what a nightmare 2020/2021 were).   Statistically, Palawan has the lowest risks of natural disasters in the country.  Enjoy life there.

Duonguhm writes, "PalawOne Before moving to Baguio we were looking at a property north of PP, near the waterpark I think. 1000sqm with river frontage and the house was built by an American and his national wife. Well, COViD didn't allow me to visit for 2 years after 3 ticket cancellations (what a nightmare 2020/2021 were).  Statistically, Palawan has the lowest risks of natural disasters in the country. Enjoy life there." -@duonguhm

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Ah, thanks Duonguhm.

And yes, so you were thinking of buying a river-front house with land nearby the waterpark? Good choice. It's certainly a very nice part of clean and green Palawan.

In fact, about halfway between the waterpark and PP City we have a building block overlooking Honda Bay. We may build there. And if so, we would have nearly been neighbours, if you had also purchased that waterpark property.

You would have driven north along the National Highway, and around Honda Bay, to get there from the PP capital.

Here's a photo of Honda Bay from our property. One can also just see the local Baranguy grader building the road. I'm sure you would have loved it here. But we know you now have a lovely place in Baguio you're very pleased with!

my wife's clan is Igorot of Baguio and Mountain Province.  Her mom has land up there.  What heaven on Earth it us.

Your view and lot are splendid.

@Enzyte Bob, you have a dry, very sense of humour.   $2.63 a gallon?  Yesterday, diesel was 76 pesos per liter in Baguio.   Baguio not Los Angeles.

Does anyone have building experience with container homes in the Philippines?

Thanks, Paul

@Enzyte Bob, you have a dry, very sense of humour.  $2.63 a gallon? Yesterday, diesel was 76 pesos per liter in Baguio.  Baguio not Los Angeles.
-@duonguhm

Diesel at P76 per liter is cheaper than one liter in the US

My Fuzzy Math:

(1) One gallon is 3.7854 liters

(2) P76 times 3.7854 is P287.69

(3) P287.69 divided 58.23 (P58.23 for $1) is $4.94

(4) Price of Diesel today in US is $5.31

(5) Diesel is P37 cheaper in the Philippines.

Sure it might be a little cheaper here but if you take into account the local earning capacity it does hit hard. 3 years ago was 2K to fill the tank, now 4K but the wages here never changed, doesn't bother me but obviously hits the pockets in all countries that can't afford.

My apologies to the OP/members for going off topic.

Back on track, my roof company that I have used since some of the old roof got blown off in the last typhoon a year ago, I ordered (for some new works) roof and flashings for the pump house, it involves tapered flashing on a parapet wall, the rep looked at my drawings and simply advised that they can't do that,,,, asked him to talk to the guys with the folder and let us know. Comes back a few days later with a quote to supply and a "sorry, they don't know what that is" and the drawings on his quote were not even close to those supplied.

Asked him to simply to supply the colour roof iron and 5 sheets 8 x 4 of coloured sheets and I'll get a local to bend what I want.

I was installing tapered flashings since I was 15 and not 8 foot long (that is the widest folder in La Union apparently)  but up to 30 feet long in Australia.

My over hang on the outside rendered fire wall was 3/4 of an inch with a half inch turn up, safety stiffening edge, the roof company had that at 5 inches and I queried that and the rep said as per my drawings,,,, showed him the original drawings (Photo copies supplied to them) and he simply shrugged his shoulders.

You have to be here on the ground to get what you want or risk plenty of heart ache.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Sure it might be a little cheaper here but if you take into account the local earning capacity it does hit hard. 3 years ago was 2K to fill the tank, now 4K but the wages here never changed, doesn't bother me but obviously hits the pockets in all countries that can't afford.

My apologies to the OP/members for going off topic.

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Please excuse me for continuing to be off topic again.

Originally duohguhm said he heard the price of diesel has doubled since the Special Operation in Ukraine. That statement was only partially true since the price has steadily gone up with change of the administration in the US one year prior to the Special Operation.

I wasn't considering the burden on Filipinos as the burden is worldwide.

The price was trending up regardless of the Special Operation. I interpreted his statement as a political deflection of blame on the root cause.

So back to thread of the rising cost of building a McMansion in the Philippine.

@bigpearl  Steve: your last comment 'about being here..." is very true. My wife has to manage the building process during the COVID quarantine years, and that was difficult. 

@Enzyte Bob You are right about P37 cheaper.  This is like P100 meal at Jolibee, which 20% of what I pay some of the Baguio workers per day.   I don't recall ever eating a lunch in USA costing 20% of my day wage.

Stay well.

duonguhm said. . . . You are right about P37 cheaper. This is like P100 meal at Jolibee, which 20% of what I pay some of the Baguio workers per day.  I don't recall ever eating a lunch in USA costing 20% of my day wage.
Stay well.

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It reminds me of my college days, I worked part time in the mornings at Skilsaw in the mornings making a $1.50 per hour. On the way to my college classes I would stop at McDonalds: 3 cheeseburger 19 cents each, milkshake 20 cents and fries ? (I forget the fries cost)

The bill was under a $1, so still in my mind a cheap meal for poor people like me should cost under one hour of wages. To bad pagpag was not available for me.

Like you Bob off topic again but it's not just fuel prices, energy consumption prices have risen dramatically over the last few years, gas, electricity as well as consumables especially recently and the ones paying the price are those that can least afford no matter the country. Will the prices come down eventually? Overall no, history doesn't lie.

Back on topic. Yes duonguhm (interesting handle) it's not fair but not up to us and them to fix the inequities in different countries. My labourers are happy to recieve P450 per day, less than 10 bucks US and right up to the lead mason on P700 per day or less than 15 bucks US per day. Labour here is cheap, material certainly costs. Mistakes cost more.

I never see my guys loafing, always busy and trying to be productive but you have to watch and guide them, like an apprenticeship, constantly advisingi9 and teaching new more efficient methods as well as telling them to use their brains and listen. We buy one or two crates of San Mig light every week  and I used to pay them a bonus every month of 500 pesos each, now We do that every 2  weeks, Supply their bottled water and gas for cooking, supply their snacks mid morning and mid afternoon, one of the guys cooks their lunch or Ben if they are busy. Supplied them with a large bunk house, 7 beds with 4 inch mattresses, a 9 cubic foot refrigerator, large kitchen with double bowl sink, Their own bathroom with toilet as well as access to a spare bathroom in the house, plenty of power and LED lighting, Last weekend half of them asked Ben if it was ok to stay on their day off, Ben asked why? Because this is better than our house,,, they were the single guys. The married guys always go home.

Seems that I look after them and they look after us but I need to be there every day, great guys all.

Cheers, Steve.

Steve bigpearl said . . . Like you Bob off topic again but it's not just fuel prices, energy consumption prices have risen dramatically over the last few years, gas, electricity as well as consumables especially recently and the ones paying the price are those that can least afford no matter the country. Will the prices come down eventually? Overall no, history doesn't lie.

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Maybe we should change our off topics to a new thread so I don't distract from the original informative topic.

Yes it is energy prices causing the inflation putting more pressure on poor peoples buying power. But one thing not considered is the middle class is shrinking downwards also.

Looking at it from from first world countries view, politicians blame it on Greedy Oil Companies. But who owns these Greedy oil companies? Millions of millions of people's 401K's, company and government employees pension funds, banks and credit unions, hedge funds and individuals.

So these people enjoy the dividends that these companies are responsible to provide. I'm ok with that except when domestic producing oil companies use world market price set by OPEC and not their real cost of recovery and production which is much cheaper.

I'm not sold on green power but it's gradual development, in a way that will not negatively impact the economy. When developed it will lesson the need for oil which uses 45% for transportation.

Sold or no on green power if we continue here off topic? Do it Bob create a new thread.

Cheers, steve.

Well, I'd say, please yourselves regarding a new topic or not gents

As the OP it seems to me that transport costs are certainly relevant

to the building industry in any country. However, maybe if you think

green power etc deserves an easy-finding thread then so be it gents.

So I'd say whatever you think guys, not that you need my permission

Appreciate what you say P1 but the OP was asking about "Building a house in the Philippines" And perhaps only for for me? Perhaps I misunderstood. Solar systems, the color one picks to paint or roof nor the width of the driveway or height of fences or what types of trees to plant is irrelevant and an individuals choice is required and all deserve it's own topic.

Most of the above have been discussed many times here and seriously deserve their own thread/topic or it all ends up a mess.

Cheers, Steve.

My continued whinge, 19 or 20 concrete posts poured with some 8/9 bags of cement each one, constantly correcting the workers to make them all plumb and on the building line,,,Some rebuilt, got me whose in charge, seems to be me.

The fence is 8/9 ft high  plus 4 ft in the ground, the garage wall is 10ft high plus 4 ft in the ground. They poured the first post for the garage last week after corrections yet again to make it straight/plumb. There will be 9 of these posts 14 ft long, they set the footings with 5/8  and 10mm rebar ties. 2 days ago for 2 more posts and I commented to the lead mason that the steelwork is laying over 5 degrees and he assured me they will make it straight with the boxing,,,, Like all the other posts I corrected?

This mid morning I went to have a look at what they are up to like a mother hen and guess what? The steel work that was out 5 degrees?  (yes 5 to 6 degrees) So was the boxing and no one noticed except me, yet again fix it. Told them my member was straighter than their work, another 2 hours lost on corrections for 5 guys. After 20 concrete posts installed you would think that straight and plumb is correct. Only 25 to go.

Makes me wonder every day, good thing labour is cheap here.

Be on the ground when building.

Cheers, Steve

Makes me wonder every day, good thing labour is cheap here.

Be on the ground when building.

Cheers, Steve
-@bigpearl

I find most of the handymen I've used are jack of all trades and masters of none. Lots of things have to be corrected often because of poor workmanship.

Like me Bob, jack of all trades but 45 years in construction and management gave me a few brains. Funny after a few pointers the block laying is much better now (Not the concrete posts and they are the bane of my life all the time, Doh, don't you know what plumb means?) but I can't fault their rendering, like artists with pride in their work and finish...... Lol the same guys that can't stand a straight post.

Up for the challenge and frustrations and as Ben reminds me, "keeps me off the streets".

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl  we had to change like 4 crews over two years.  These workers come from the province -- really rough 'diamonds'.  Some relatives suggest that we hire crews from the lowland (toward Manila) and housed them on property until they complete.  The idea is their increased motivation to finish correctly and on timely.  Well, an untested hypothesis for me.

Locally, there are stories that relatives cheat each other in shorting construction or planning to keep the money.  Wife's uncle was stiffed 50K peso by a painter.  And these local men. 

Sorry to hear that duonguhm, only sacked one person here, the lead foreman after only 3 weeks. A difficult decision as he is Bens cousin, 1 to 3 mistakes a day and couldn't organize a pig in its pen.

These guys that I have are hard and constant in their work with no slacking off, biggest problem is making a straight concrete post, after 20 of them so far you think they would know better.

We are in control of material purchases, wages and the occasional slap. 7 of them in the bunk house that has its own facilities, one in one of the spare bedrooms (Bens brother) and one that travels every day. Ben who is on the payroll and me the bunny trying to make a good job.

LOL, only 4 or 5 months to go.

Hope your project works out.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl Different local style and culture.  I would prefer to provide the proper tools, but wife does not think they are necessary.  For example, the original crew build walls that were not straight.  The second crew evened out the spots, but they use hands and sand papers.  Would have been faster and more precise had they used a sand machines.  But, hey, the local ways... and local wages.

If we need to build again, I'll do with container boxes.

@bigpearl Too late now re: your concrete post woes but did you consider CMU posts w/concrete core?

IDK sounds like you are the man to keep an eye on the work but been a long time since you were boots on the ground..

Photos?

Welcome to the forum Winter.Warrior.

Never too late, I am here every day and just came back in after yet again correcting the guys because a 300 x 350 concrete post? they were going to install 90 degrees wrong, what's new here.

As for CMU I googled it and sure they could be ok for lintels but not what we are doing here. Are you a salesman?

Cheers, Steve.

Welcome to the forum Winter.Warrior.
Never too late, I am here every day and just came back in after yet again correcting the guys because a 300 x 350 concrete post? they were going to install 90 degrees wrong, what's new here.

As for CMU I googled it and sure they could be ok for "lintels" but not what we are doing here. Are you a salesman?

Cheers, Steve.
-@bigpearl 

I tried to explain to my workers about lintels but they couldn't get their heads around it, they always wanted to make and pour a concrete form above windows and doors, the only thing available in Philippines resembling a lintel that you can buy is a fence post  but it took too long to convince them that you don't have to make form and pour concrete. The other alternative is to make your own lintels.

Yep hear you Findlay like most western countries, steel or concrete lintels, thing is here though the boys pour a continuous beam 5 to 6 meters long over doors and windows and all tied into the concrete posts and the rebar from the blocks, much stronger in an earthquake and typhoon prone areas

I recently had an earthquake here, like 5.5 and the whole house moved 2 to 3 inches north to south for like 10 seconds, frightening as my first but no crack or fractures aside from a few smashed bottles in the house.

OMO but better to go with the locals lintels/methods,,,,,, sometimes.

Cheers, Steve.

@duonguhm .my Crew uses phenolic and plywood to build solid concrete walls. no hollowblocks on my house. more stabile, less cement needed, and the walls are straight, don't need plastering.The prepairing time is longer than wuilding the wall, but later , at least, you are faster.

From Work done on my place, anyone that can cement 2 hollow blocks together considers themselves as builders. After buying tools and showing what to do, as soon as I left it was back to the old ways. They were more concerned about making the job (and the money ) last as long as possible. If they make an error, it does not come out of their pocket and extends the job. If you ask for a quote for a job so not to worry about padding out the time, you will be given a FOREIGNER quote of about 50% more than locals. Good luck to anyone trying to build, extend or renovate.

regards  Bruce

I have been very lucky my beautiful Filipino partner is project managing our house herself  she’s employed a foreman who has chosen his own crew. She has treated them like family with snacks and midday meal. But she’s there every day when she’s not bargaining for cheaper materials. They say madam is very strict but kind. One of the wives brought her a cup of rice in gratitude for the meals. She tells me I’ve known hunger myself and I have high standards so they need nourishment. I hope she’s not too strict with me when I get there in January.

Patient Pete writes, "I have been very lucky my beautiful Filipino partner is project managing our house.. They say madam is very strict but kind. One of the wives brought her a cup of rice in gratitude for the meals.. I hope she’s not too strict with me when I get there in January. -@Patient pete

`

Maybe bringing your partner a cup of cooked rice each day will keep her sweet?

Seems worth a try anyway mate. However, whatever you do, don't get in her way

Seems like she's doing a great job project managing. And, happy wife = happy life!

bigpearl said . . . .Sorry to hear that duonguhm, only sacked one person here, the lead foreman after only 3 weeks. A difficult decision as he is Bens cousin, 1 to 3 mistakes a day and couldn't organize a pig in its pen.

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Sounds like the foreman would be a perfect candidate to work in the BI Office . . . . .

Doubt it Bob as he makes constant mistakes.

BI I have never had a mistake, sometimes slow in Manila, not so slow in the airport and extremely quick here at my local office in SFC.

As the Foreman he was a hard worker but not a thinker nor listened, I have the same problem with the current foreman/lead mason and the steel worker but not as bad and as said once before keeps me busy on the ground checking and readvising what we talked about yesterday.

Any way I'm pushing on and deal with it every day and getting used to it.

Cheers, Steve.

I found workers worked very hard, yet poor craftsmanship. Electrical was/is my biggest concern. Indoor outlets used outside, undersize wiring for current needed. The solar hot water heater person needed a lot of direction, but i got what i wanted. They did not understand steps should be 7 1/2 inches each as some were 13 inches.  Seismic build was good( yes. I have lot of engineering background ). I opted for gas stove

and two split A/c units.

not all bad.

concrete drive perfect

many good things

yes we supplied. Cold water in pitcher with glasses and rice and sometimes bbq chicken/pork

good luck with permits

t from Texas

@duonguhm Do you not have an architect, engineer, and or foreman? I'm curious because yes just hiring workers, you would need to monitor and direct them closely. I'm curious because I have no background in construction therefore I would need experienced person to keep them on track

@Guest9272 thanks for sharing the useful information. I am thinking of buying land in Bulacan to build a house, with solar panels so as to save electricity costs. The off-the-shelf house design that I have seen in the Philippines so far seem a bit old fashioned. I like something that looks like those container boxes, but built like a regular house. I wonder if anyone has done that?

@aalottjr you and others here are doing a great job training the local workers, well done! for the rest of us who do not know about construction, we will just have to hire a licensed architect to supervise workers, and even then we will have to watch closely. Currently we live in a condo, and our toilet blocking and pipe leakage problems never seem to end even with so called plumbers.

My remodel of the guest house/garage (replace roof, Electrical, and plumbing, and paint.  Is coming to a close... it is a "daylight basement" style guest house on our rock overlooking our white sand beach in Dapitan.

  Large laundry room and generator room on bottom, and 2 car garage with 1 bedroom, small kitchen and 3/4 bath next to that.  scraping, sanding and Primer is almost done and will be painting next week... What I originally thought would be 4 - 500,000, is at 735,000... My neighbor behind my place(the coast guard lighthouse keeper) has been my project manager, and done an excellent job cutting cost where possible, and keeping the workers moving and productive.  I can honesty say it would have been another 100,000p without him... it pays to have 1 guy watching out for you!  I am there also, but I am not a construction guy... I definitely learned alot with this process.  Probably not alot of useful information here... lol... just some random thoughts while waiting for my wife while she gets a root canal... yikes!

Welcome to the forum yiqipo.

Yes if you have no or little experience in building/construction then an architect and engineer are advised but be prepared to ad 10 to 15% to your building costs. A trusted foreman with lots of experience can work also, operative word is trusted and communicates properly and then save money.

We had an experience 3 or 4 years ago with an architect that didn't know sh@t from clay and it was only new ceilings in the house, he also quoted us around 2M pesos for a 6 ft high fence and wooden unpainted gate around the property.

We have built 8 to 9 ft high with concrete posts, 10 ft hi on the garage boundary fire wall6 inch blocks and a 15 ft S/S remote gate, a 16 x 10ft pump/generator house with S/S entry door to match the gate, a 24ft x 26 ft double garage (not yet finished)

To date the tally is only 1.2M Pesos and we have a rendered fence, inside and out, pump house and extra large double garage, by the time the garage is roofed and the S/S remote roll up doors, power etc I estimate 1.8 to 1.9M pesos, a far cry from an architect that priced a 6 ft high fence with no garage or pump house and only 6 ft high and our rendered block fences are 30% higher than his quote.

I think the point here is that you know what you want and said it many times that reality dictates you are on ground zero or suffer the failures.

As an older tradie my experience is to simply manage the job to get what you want. No building experience might cost a lot more Pesos.

We wish you luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Were you required to have a soil test before building?

Good question Jackson, one I wondered about but wasn't required. Perhaps because only a double garage, pump and generator room did not require a permit (3.3 x 5M) and fences. We are absolute beachfront so it's all sand, perhaps building a house may well require soil tests.

The Mayor that owns the lot next door had a drill rig in testing for 2 days, down to bedrock, not sure what he wants to build there, rumour is 4 houses but drilling that deep seems to me multi story.

The footings for all are 80 x 80CM with 18mm rebar and posts 30 x 35CM with 18mm vertical and 10mm rebar. Tie beams and lintels all 12mm, the bagger mixer the boys have to put in an extra square mouth shovel full off cement as well as the block work the 10mm rebar is every 40CM instead of the 60CM they normally install. We had a preliminary inspection by Barangay and Municipal prior to issuing of the 2 permits and not seen them since, apparently random.

I see the biggest expense here is cement and steel.

Cheers, Steve.