Great stuff guys!

it seems there is no shortage of tricks to skim away from potential home burners opting for own construction.

Which is best source of sand for construction? I have heard there is a bagful of tricks here as well....eg. pouring water on the sand whilst still on the lorry only to be told that's its the best sand from the river bed of river so and so...and that's why its wet!!

Yea ...had to print and file some Pablo's replies ...just in case

@Sheep
Quite true. Pablo has been very generous with information/advise. We've learned a lot from his experience. Am now raring to go and when i get the experience, i will also help the "next generation".
@Kishindo
Good to see you back. I almost thought all professionals in construction had taken off

@Pablo, great work keep it up. A few issues you have forgotten:
1. Props and timber for form work.
2. Trappers
3. Bar bending labour as separate from walling labour.

- I have a project in Kitengela, a a few tricks on labour: When doing the walling use Pablo method, for the chuma work sub contract, for form work (i.e timber to support the slab), use sub contract and for the actual slabbing (koroga) tumia do sub contract. Have your foreman to oversee.

- When the issue of quality of workmanship is important, there are fundis who specialize in all areas, from trenching to koroga. For instance my slab area is 510.5 square metres and costs me 40k for koroga, timber work 15k, 35k for bar bending (chuma).

- To avoid costly lessons when slabbing esp on quality and consequence of poor work, it is highly recommended that you be sure abt the fundis doing the job.

@Pablo, pole the area is 150.5.
Never attempt to deal with koroga guys as a mob - which they are. I have an excellent guy (my engineer took him to do some sites), and was full of good words of him. The same to the chuma guy.