If it's important the builds long sides face north & south and the short ends east & west (obviously)

& I have concrete block walls (single skin) and i think concrete base

Good advice I think

Someone has promised a quote for a log cabin that will come in on budget - I am a little sceptical, however it is better than a portacabin

I think I may have picked the wrong architect - I think he is a High specification residential architect & I need a lower spec/utility commercial person......maybe?

Estimates marked * have been made by a local builder # means I want a greener alternative
Remove asbestos £6,544.75 See 2 quotes
Demolishion £4,000.00 *Reduce wall perimeter (60m) by 1.2 m & dispose of waste rubble block up existing windows & cut new windows & doors
Roof £9,000.00 *Replace with new trusses tile with concrete tile #considering a more green alternative-possibly onduline?
Water Connection £1,000.00 *dig ditch & connect to Edward's water
Harvesting £4,000.00 from green advisor in Norwich (normal domestic use approx £2000 extra to allow for storage requirements & multi toilet use.
Drainage £5,000.00 Estimate based on current prices for cess pits/sewage treatment plants
Windows & doors
Based on standard uPVC double glazed units
5 doors £1,250.00
1 french window £500.00
22 Windows £5,250.00
Total £7,000.00
Based on hardwood triple glazed argon filled units
5 doors £3,750.00
1 french window £1,250.00
22 Windows £15,000.00
Total £20,000.00
Anticipated Price £12,000.00 based on quantity discount & best compromise position
Partitioning & lining £6,000.00 *stud wall partitioning for auxiliary rooms
Ceiling £2,000.00 *plaster board & rough artex (type)
Electrics £7,500.00 estimate based on current prices for fitting elecrtrics - 1st & 2nd fix
Heating £10,000.00 estimate based on potential wood burner price and under floor heating
Kitchen & bathroom £10,000.00
Floor coverings
Marmoleum Tiles £6,000.00 £30 psqm supplied & fitted
Vinyl Tiles £2,000.00 £5 psqm to buy plus £5 psqm to fit
£2,000.00 based on quantity discount & best compromise position
Landscaping
Car Parking 600sqm 25sqm - £8,000.00 £4000 grass re-inforcement mesh +£4000 12 sqm reinforced concrete for deliveries or £11625 for rubber mats & gravel
Paths 50 sqm £1,500.00
Play area 180 sqm £2,160.00
Fencing @ £30 125 linear m £4,000.00

Grand Total £94,704.75

So where did I go wrong

Architect said heating is 4 times that, kitchen & bathroom are 4 times that.....I can't work out why???

Quick comments:
Heating is low esp for underfloor - boiler and storage will costs you £10-15k before grant.
Where is all the insulation? floor, walls roof.
Septic tank system is going to have to be a lot bigger than domestic
Does electrics include light fittings?

You really need to get some good professional advice here

You would have to assume a minimum cost of £800 per sqm plus VAT without all the goodies I think unless you can get free labour.

Gut feel says £160k plus VAT would be doable but you really need a decent architect.

Have you checked out AECB for a local architect with green credentials?

I have a £15K contingancy & yes the 140K was on top of my £100K

Fencing is for 4ft chainlink (put in by hubby - he could spend the next year just doing that)

Kitchen & bathroom figure has to have 4 mini loos, a disabled, an adult and the kitchen, a sealed floor stainless cupboards & countertops (extractor?) but no appliances

I will contact/look at AECB - but the biggest green architect in our area says his finance diorector won't let him do any more like me (not sure what that means!!)

Electrics would be for a 'dado' round the room at 4 ft to take the plugs, all the lighting, smoke alarm & security alarm, cooker feed & heating feed

I've been looking at boilers about £4-5K & I understood that the boiler/tank & UF heating would be eligible for a grant of 30-50%

I can't get a price in for insulation till I know what I am doing - it's my main problem...I am leaning towards external as the outside must be "finished" in some way anyway. So I just paint the inside.

I thought I'd put in extra for a septic tank - I'll need to do more research.

I can sacrifice the rainwater harvesting and retrofit & I already dumped the solar panels with the same idea - but the building needs to be usable from the start.

Where can I get the books to do the estimating - I might struggle with them but my dad used to be a structural engineer - so between the 2 of us we could have a go at it.

I can't afford a project manager & an architect so I'm kinda stuck with that bit iyswim

Thanks for you ideas and I welcome any other suggestions/ideas/advise

If your not going to employ an architect then who is going to do the building regs etc.
You will struggle on your own especialliy as this is a commercial building with particular fire, access and ventilation requirements.

You will also need to an SBEM calculation based on your insulation and M&E configuration to satisfy building regs.

One boiler should be ample but the LCBP grant only covers the additonal cost over and above the next worst alternative so it will not cover rads, DHW or the cost of an oil equivalent setup.

Onduline is £8 a sheet (2m by .9m) - so for the roof (12m with a hypotenuse of 7m....I think with a 30 degree angle) 20m long I think I need 12 along the length & 9 for the width so a total of 208 panels - that's £1700

Plus the trusses & labour....now I need a price for the trusses

Would the straw burner be better (with an accumulator tank?)

I'm still struggling with the cost for straw bales - I guess you cut in on an angle (with a chain saw) to do the window revels (is that spelt right?)

Can't I do LPG...I hate oil

Re u-value. A clay rendered 450mm straw bale will give you a u-value of around 0.26W/m2K

A little straw burner is about 4 or 5 K

Hello Katy

The Spons books are on Amazon. There are different volumes for different elements of the build. They allow you to calculate the cost of materials, labour, contractors profits with add ons for difficult sites/non standard working. Used with care they will get you near to a proper price for each element of the project and can help you to calculate where you can make savings by drafting in volunteers & using different materials.

Straw burners/solid fuel/woodburners are going to give building inspectors/planners kittens (= more delays, costs and scrutiny) unless you can house them in a seperate boiler room; the health and safety/fire regs side of things is a big cost where public buildings are concerned. I may be wrong but you probably won't get a grant unless the system is an automated log/wood pellet job. You will also give yourelf a full time job fueling the standard variety. I work in infant school at the moment and the starting temperature (before children arrive) is set at 20degC by the way (a lot of straw!). I would start with a fossil boiler (or even calor gas heaters + guards for a while!) and retofit the greener bits later (the fossil boiler will always then be a back up).

If I were in your position I would take a really deep breath and consider getting the building up and running in the simplest and cheapest fashion that will comply with the regulations and look at retrofitting all the green stuff later. The only element I would retain is the (super) insulation where it will be hard to retrofit but only if you can afford it and still complete. Not ideal, I know this is not a "Green Building" approach, but with your budget limitations probably the only way you will get it done, even then it sounds horriby tight.

I hope all this is helping.

S.

Printed out and to be read in bed tomorrow morning (hopefully with a cup of tea (if hubby obliges)

Didn't get it read - filing struck (about 4 months worth)

Won't the straw bales shade the windows (is that a bad thing?).....

Got lost after that??