[quote=Rahatupu@Wa_ithaka, black cotton is tricky, though depends on depth to the rock or murram. if its not too deep (<5 feet) you may factor in cost of excavation, maybe 100k-120K per 100 by 50 plot. Else if its deep beyound 6 feet consider suspending the house. This will reduce the cost of back-filling once the foundation is ongoing.

For red soil there is no excavation cost as you can dig trenches right to the rocky bottom. [/quote]


@rahatupu, very useful information here...thanx. Btw i was considering buying an old lorry to help save $$$ on excavation costs. Where does that soil go? and what do soil dumpsites charge? any idea?

Rahatupu-do u know Ngong Muthaiga?

@jkwaititu

That old lorry will finish your budget for building. Managing an old truck is not for the feint hearted. Not that I am suggesting you are

please advise us about your progress and completion when you are done... this thread is unbelievable... 14k per square meter???

why did i bother to school coz i think i am the fool here? if i am not then majority of contributors of the last 10 posts are fools (pardon me, fool means 'one who is yet to gain experience')..

what are we going to be doing next... calcining/making cement at the backs of our houses... making roofing tiles out of mud and plumbing using bamboo sticks... with this kind of technology who needs plumbing any way?

Question to everyone..
When constructing in an area that has black cotton soil, why do we dig up the whole area and then fill it up again with murram/red soil? Why not create an underground parking or garage? would that make the building weaker??
I remember paying for tonnes and tonnes of murram to fill up a 6-7 feet deep hole and now in hindsight i wonder if it wouldnt have been cheaper to put a slab and an under ground garage..or even storage space.

@Alpha2, a smart and excellent idea, to create the basement parking. AS Chaka has highlighted, the problem comes to mitigating flood water. You have to invest handsomely in good engineering works. The cost almost comes to the more or less the same as back filling if not more. The expertise is in most cases what is lacking, and when available could be costly and not 100% assured.

Keep the political nonsense to the political forums/topics. This thread is going to be a book for kenyan do it oyursekfers. Bure tu.

@Alpa2,
Cost of the land?

A standard 2br flat is approximately 80 - 100SqM. This would include all amenities plus a balcony.

In my view the cost mentioned of 2M per flat would be cost of a turnkey project where the contractor does everything and hands you the keys. Finishes would be average.

To construct an 16 block unit of 2Br flats with good finishes would definately not be more than 80SqM x 14,000/- per Sq M x 16 = 18 - 22M. This works out to between 1.1M - 1.4M per flat.

However it also depends on the type of soil.

@Rahatupu - How much did it cost you to do the foundation for your flat?