greta-inbaja
Nomad
Posts: 132
Registered: 7-19-2006
Location: Truckee, CA
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obra negra
Hello , Does anyone know a ballpark figure for obra negra out on the estcape (solar, dir road, 1 hr from san jose) The lot is pretty sloped, seems
due to the slope the price increases quite a bit. +++ site prep per builders, Just wondering if anyone has any input since we feeling like we are
getting slightly gauged. builder wants solid cement/rebar vs block for the foundation due to the slope.
Thanks if anyone can help
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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I dont exactly understand your question but the word foundation should tell you something. Blocks without rebar....I dont think so.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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Greta, do you have any idea of how many feet the land drops over what distance? If it's more than a 3-4' drop in elevation from the highest point you
want the casa to be, you DO need to go with a solid cement & rebar retaining wall. Less than 3-4' of fill & compaction a
cement-filled block & rebar wall would be okay because the deeper the fill, the more pressure it exerts on the retaining wall. I noticed you only
referred to "foundation", with no mention of "retaining wall" in your post. Do you know if your building is planning on just beefing up the footings
& foundation of the casa & leaving the surrounding land as is....or is he planning to put in a structurally sound retaining wall (structural
specifications determined by a structural engineer specifically for your site & your house plan) & filling & compacting with the
appropriate soil to achieve a +95% compaction rate?
Have you gotten bids from at least 2-3 different builders based on the exact same criteria? I would recommend you do that...and let all of them know
they're in a competitive bid situation. But you want to lean more toward quality construction with appropriate structural specifications for your
specific site & casa plans...as opposed to simply opting for the lowest price.
I can't give you local rates, but I can tell you that labor & more so materials delivery costs are appreciably higher in that area than they would
be closer to town; transportation to the site for materials will be a substantial increase in your overall cost. The site-prep for your sloping lot
can also be a killer, depending on the degree of slope that needs to be compensated for.
Above all, don't do ANYTHING to the land whatsoever before you have an approved Environmental Impact Study approval letter in your hot little hand!!
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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All of my dealings with contractors, Obra Negra means Black job, otherwise Labor only no material.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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greta-inbaja
Nomad
Posts: 132
Registered: 7-19-2006
Location: Truckee, CA
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Hi thanks for your info. I had 4 bids, though not for the same exact work due to different opinions of the builders regarding water and septic
systems. The first 2 builders, who usually build pretty upscale homes (not for us average people) never commented on the engineering. The next 2
guys, just regular workers that have build quite a few houses in the area commented on the weakness of the engineering due to the hill. The plans and
structural engineering only called for block and rebar. The 2 low key builders both commented right away they were not comfortable with the
engineering and wanted solid cement foundation. The slope is about 20ft drop in 80 feet. A rough guestimate per sq foot has been 115 per sq foot for
foundation, 2 rooms and a bathroom. This area is build into the hillside.. We can only afford this much of our house right now. The upstairs living
area will be later on. It is will be obra negra with us doing the finish work, windows, doors, wiring. I think this is the most expensive part of the
project due to the excavation needed. The prices have increased substantially since we started planning 2 yrs ago. I guess I just wanted to bounce
this off some of you that are more experienced in this region. You all spend so much more time down there than most people that give me their opinion
in the states. I think I am lucky to have to potential builders that actually care about the quality. 115 per sq ft just seemed high, but what do I
know?
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