2019-07-01 Homebuilding & Renovating

194 homebuilding.co.uk

How I beat the

cost estimator

B

efore starting my last self-build project,

I sent my Building Regulations’

plans off to an estimating service and

received back a detailed breakdown of each

stage of the build, with costs divided into

labour and materials. In this series, I look

at the key stages of the build (as outlined

above) and explain the costs involved.

Happily, on this project I managed

to bring the cost of my build in under

estimate, so I’m also passing on my words

of advice on areas where savings can be

made without compromising quality.

This month, we look at the roof covering.

Up until this point, even after the roof

trusses have been raised, the build is still

just an open shell. The covering of the roof

turns this enclosure into a shelter and from

that point on, so much more can happen

on site (and particularly inside the build),

regardless of the weather.

Before any slates or tiles are laid, the roof

needs to be covered with the underfelt and

battened out with timber battens spaced so

as to create the correct lap or overhang to

the slate/tile below. For my project, I chose

slates. The other main choice is tiles, which

can be clay or concrete.

Inthis newseries,serialself-builderDavidSnelltakes

a goodlookat thecostsfor hischosenroofcovering,

Spanish slates,set againstoriginalestimates and

budgets,and shareshiscost-savingtipsalongtheway

DAVID SNELL

The author of

Building Your Own

Home, David is a

serial self-builder

and has been

building homes

for 50 years

NEW SERIES

In this new series, David Snell will also

be looking at the costs associated with:

O CARPENTRY AND JOINERY

O ELECTRICAL PLUMBING AND HEATING

O PLASTERING, DRY LINING, TACKING AND FLOOR

Part Four: Roof covering AND WALL TILING

The Build BUILD COSTS by David Snell

IMAGES: DAVID SNELL