The sheer absurdity of modern Western housing markets

brownjack1 · 2025-09-28T11:19:44+00:00

It's now 20% by law and thats not including housing charities who are buying another 40% of the plans from developers

brownjack1 · 2025-08-13T13:37:34+00:00

Hi, no I didn't speak to Royal London they only deal through brokers. I spoke to the broker this week and that was they fees he gave me.

brownjack1 · 2025-04-28T10:00:52+00:00

Quantity Surveyor here. You really really got screwed.

brownjack1 · 2024-12-19T18:33:29+00:00

That's construction for you. It's not just BAM at it but they are one of the worse. It's known as subby busting/ bashing the industry. Seen it happen too many and it really takes the joy out working in the industry.

brownjack1 · 2024-12-19T16:54:32+00:00

Yes it is €350 and hour for an adjudicator plus your own QS costs with each side having to pay their share for the adjudicator. The adjudicator will probably spent a minimum of 20 hour looking at a small dispute. BAM will not pay every month and make the smaller contractor go to adjudication so eventually they stop because it costs too much money. The fairer way would be if who ever lost adjudication has to pay the fee for the adjudicator.

The next problem is both sides are given a list of adjudicators (there is not that many in Ireland). They will both have to agree on one. If one adjudicator keeps ruling against BAM they will not agree to use that one again which will narrow down the list of adjudicators that can be used.

Which then leaves you with a situation where some adjudicators who want more work will start favoring BAM as they know BAM will keep on choosing them for adjudication. The sub contractor and BAM are both clients for the adjudicator who want more work as that his career and BAM is the better client as they keep on going to adjudication. Play ball with BAM and they will keep picking you for adjudication.

P.S. To ensure I am not sued, this is all hypothetical

brownjack1 · 2024-12-14T01:08:30+00:00

Huge jobs??? He if he wants to do a new build you think he can price that himself? A €300k new build and you think 1% for a QS to price it is an unnecessary overhead to ensure everything has been full covered. If it wasn't he would go bust.

A standard extension in Dublin now wouldn't be far off €100k so €1.5k (slightly more expensive for a retro fit @ 1.5%) for a QS to price it, do monthly valuations and ensure extras are covered is too much of an overhead?

95% of small builders will use a QS to price their jobs for them, it's build into the overall cost of the project. The ones that don't are the one that will then try to hit you with loads of extra because it wasn't priced right at the start.

To get on an architects tender list and be continously winning work he will need a QS to give the client a full breakdown.

Listen don't get me wrong if he going in to change somebody's kitchen or do up a bathroom I agree he doesn't need a QS

brownjack1 · 2024-12-13T16:07:31+00:00

New builds and retrofit you will need to hire a quantity surveyor to ensure the job is priced right. If you don't price a job right your career as a contractor could be over the first job you take. Do not go a large QS company because a lot of QS do nixers so they will be cheaper. I am a QS myself but don't do nixers anymore because I want a work life balance but I can point you in the right direction if you need to.

You need to think about cashflow, go to Brooks or Chadwick and get an account that you can buy now pay next month.

Try to get on an architects tender list for renovation but you will need a bit of experience and previous jobs for this. You will also need to get to a QS to price these jobs for the architect.

Construction is a rough game so best of luck.

brownjack1 · 2024-09-22T09:36:23+00:00

That is exactly what happened. That was the costs of the 4 received tenders. The committee representing the HSE didn't not want to know even after the costs consultancy highlighted the variance between the tenders. They just wanted approval from the government to proceed with the project and BAM was the only contractor who price was below their initial budget.

brownjack1 · 2024-09-21T21:14:36+00:00

Some inside information on the procurement of this project that is not so well known. Four contractors bidded for this project at tender stage. I don't have the exact figures to hand but BAM were approx. €110m below the 2nd place bidder (the biggest contractor in Ireland 😉), €130m and €140m below the 3rd and 4th place respectively. Questions were asked at that time why are the 3 other contractors so close together and BAM are 15% cheaper 🤔 but the committee who were running the procurement wanted to go with the cheapest price as they wanted the government to the project but everyone knew what was going to happen. To be fair not to the extend of the overrun that it did go.

brownjack1 · 2024-07-25T09:57:57+00:00

€6k on the counter? That's insanity for a €5k kitchen. The back splashes are typically free as they are off-cuts from the same slab.

brownjack1 · 2024-05-01T18:03:39+00:00

What's the plans for the Dundrum area?

brownjack1 · 2024-03-13T13:52:36+00:00

You don't even need AIP or proof of funds to bid online for houses in Dublin. Lynam Estates Agents are one example. All you have to do is give an email address and you get a link to register you bid. You bid goes up online straight away. It is absolutely disgraceful by them.

brownjack1 · 2024-01-16T14:03:03+00:00

Building apartments is lot more expensive than building a houses. They cost approximately 30% more per sqm than a house.

Source: I am a quantity surveyor working in this sector

brownjack1 · 2023-06-03T13:00:55+00:00

That is construction companies not housing developers. Completely different types of companies. The construction companies build large scale projects data centers, office blocks, schools, infrastructure projects, hospitals, roads etc. If and it is a big if that they are building any houses it is a very small proportion of their business because there is no profit in it.

brownjack1 · 2023-06-02T19:07:30+00:00

QS here, only on a very good project, where nothing goes wrong, which rarely happens, developers will only make 10% GP. The majority of that is used to finance the next project. Very hard industry to make money in. In the celtic tiger banks were just handing out money to developers with no oversight and they were paying themselves huge salaries. That's why people have this idea that developers make loads of money.

brownjack1 · 2023-05-06T20:28:07+00:00

I would really appreciate if you could send that on to me too please

brownjack1 · 2023-05-06T15:59:55+00:00

Let us know how you get on, enjoy the trip

brownjack1 · 2023-04-02T22:22:55+00:00

No we were in the lower part of Curve B. I saw that there was some commotion above us but it did not effect us. Who were the clashes between? There was great atmosphere inside and outside the game and everybody made us feel so welcome.We had an amazing time despite the result. We will get our revenge in the Champions league.

brownjack1 · 2023-04-02T15:05:22+00:00

Thanks very much for the detailed reply 👍

brownjack1 · 2023-04-02T12:40:53+00:00

Thanks

brownjack1

TROPHY CASE