COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS

[stewart]

Hello all,

I'm in the final stages of buying my barn in the Correze region of Limousin, and if all goes well i'll be spending most of 2007 converting it.

I've been a builder with my own business in the UK for the last 25 years, so if i was carrying out this barn conversion in the UK I could cost it out to the nearest £100 But as i've no idea of the cost of French building materials its proving impossable to work out my figures.

I've been on a few French merchants web sites, but they are not in English, and my French is limited at the moment (but i am learning!!)

So my question is, does anyone know of a French builders merchant that has a site, in English, I can get prices from????

Thanks for the help,

Stewart 

[Heath]

I think you'll be lucky. I don't know of any French builders merchants that have their entire range of construction materials listed and priced in French, let alone English.

Also, I don't see much point in costing a renovation as you see it before purchase. You ideas will change, lots of issues will arise in the course of the work, you will find prices vary considerably from one supplyer to another and prices will have gone up by the time you start work. If you want to come up with a budget, use UK prices as they're not that much different. With 25 years experience you can probably get a figure to the nearest 10,000 Euros in five minutes on the back of a fag packet.

[Cassis]

I presume you're over to France occasionally - why not pop in to a couple of merchants and pick up their brochures?  Also Brico Depot have a nice thick catalogue and their prices are not dissimilar to builders merchants.  It gives you a good idea of the types of materials that are in use here - not everything is the same as in the UK.

[Dave&Olive]

hi

ok try point-p they have a web site but....... like most shops in france its a franchised shop . we live half way between 2 of them so say i want a bag of plaster the one in a is €2.5 more expensive than b but b  is cheaper than a for !!!!!! and so on . If you get regd as a builder with your number you can open accounts this then gives you the discount prices.other than that its buy when they have the promos this could knock off 50% of your build costs eg bought a load of chevrons last year in brico pro for €3.55 for 4mtr lenghts now they are €6  , plaster board is now €7.25 a sheet paid €4.56 in the prom ect ..ect

   sorry

      dave

[Alan Zoff]

I'm in Allier and have mainly used BigMat for materials. They seem to have depots in Limousin, too.

Try:

http://www.bigmat.fr/frontoffice/admin_accueil/rech_carte_pdv.asp 

[sharkhunter]

You could try going with a list of materials to do the job, as accurate as possible, to a local builders merchant, point p, reseau pro or big mat etc and ask them to do you a price for the items on your list and any discounts for bulk orders. Then give them a time schedule for deliveries, approximate, and a regular stage payment or payment on delivery, they may go for this and may not. Perhaps once they met you often enough then you could try this approach, hugh.

[stewart]

Thank you for the very possative advce, so prices will have gone up in 4 months? I have bought the barn! my ideas won't change, I know exactley what i'll do with the place, i've completed the drawings, waiting for the architects stamp as soon as the final completion, I can cost it to the nearest £100 and I don't smoke.

Have you had a bad experience with builders?

[Keni]

If you are anyway near to Vayres (87), although not a big company BCMD are a good company - Bernard will deliver as well if he can and has a lot of dealing with us Brits. He speaks a bit of our language, but pretends he doesn't. He is patient and will usually help with costings - he has helped us a bit when we are stuck for things/prices and goods. Although not a big flashy place, you could try there for information.

 

Keni & Chris

[Deimos]

In my experience prices go up and down in a month, let alone 4 months. Last time I purchased wood some sizes had increased in price, others decreased (to the point that you £100 would have been well thrown out - probably). On occasions they have manually reduced the prices of the items that had increased to match the previous price. All a bit variable, and they are a mainstream large builders merchants.

Also, the price you get from a builders merchant can depend on "how they rate you". I'm not a company, just a private individual and have been unable to get any discount from Point-P. However, at another company I've managed to get on one of their "high volume" contractor price lists. Don't quite know how I did it as I don't buy anything like enough to justify it. Having managed, each time I take in the prices I paid last time and ask for "cheaper" and they don't seem to question why I'm getting the discount I am so I stay on that pricing.

I was told by a local builder that Point-P have at least 5 different pricing structures/discounting levels and which you are on can depend on a load of factors (and, depending on your local branch you might find your level of French language skills might have an effect). Certainly I thought when I managed to get on the "hight volume" discount list at my builders merchant (not Point-P) I thought going there when they were not too busy, having a good laugh about everything (including my French) probably helped.

One thing you will also need to take into account is the differences in building practice between France and the UK. I'm not a builder but am familiar with some things and certainly you do not just do everything in France as in the UK. For example, electrics is quite different and you will have to consider French practice if you are looking to get your estimates to within £100. Do not underestimate the differences between French and UK building practice if you are looking at doing accurate costing (and if you are doing the work yourself). If you did everything as you would in the UK you would find e.g. EDF refusing to connect your electricity supply.

Will you be doing it as a business in France or as a private individual as this will have a TVA implication (and probably other complexities). You might find it easier to get better materials discounts if you have a Siret Number but then that will also introduce a load of other complexities and costs.

As Dave says, I also keep an eye on the little promo brochures that get delivered occasionally from the Bricos as some of their offers are definitely worth getting whilst available if you can store without things going off.

Ian

[Heath]

[quote user="stewart"]

Thank you for the very possative advce, so prices will have gone up in 4 months? I have bought the barn! my ideas won't change, I know exactley what i'll do with the place, i've completed the drawings, waiting for the architects stamp as soon as the final completion, I can cost it to the nearest £100 and I don't smoke.

Have you had a bad experience with builders?

[/quote]

Price rises are usually 1st January but some products/suppliers may be later than that. Over the last 4 years the average rise across the range of construction materials has been about 8% a year. If an Architect is required for your planning permission (SHON>170 sqare metres) then they are not, strictly speaking, allowed to stamp up your drawings. As someone else has said, building techniques and systems are quite a bit different in France. Don't go the Siret no. route, unless you are going to take on commercial work, as any discount you may get with trade accounts will be swallowed up in the fixed social charges (equivalent UK NI) you would have to pay of about 400 euros a month. Useful priced catalogue is Lapeyre for bathrooms, kitchens, joinery and tiles at www.lapeyre.fr , in French only but loads of pictures. In my opinion the best you can do is to make a list of what you need and when your next here go to your local merchants and get them to price it up. If you commit to buy everything from them they will usually give you a reasonable discount on the lot.

No, I don't have a problem with builders for reasons which should be obvious, but I do get fed up explaining to naive Brits that it just not as easy as you think

[Deimos]

I have a suspicion price rises might become a bit more variable in future. Take for example the recent price rises is copper pipe and fittings. Also the increase in the cots of flue tube.

Ian