Stay
up-to-date with all that's new at My-Island-Jamaica,
Click Here to subscribe for my updates and don't miss a thing!
Building a house in Jamaica - What are the costs?
by Shannon
(Bermuda)
Building a House - Contruction Site
QUESTION: Can you tell me the price of a bag of cement in Jamaica and also the price of 6,8,10 and 12 inch block please. I would appreciate it. Thank you
ANSWER: by Wellesley
Hi Shannon,
Thanks for the question. It's very nice to hear that you are considering building in Jamaica.
I made some calls and here are the prices - at today's date, for the main items used in the building construction process.
January, 2020 updates in purple
- 1 Bag of Cement - JMD 760.00 (Now JMD 1170.00)
- 6 inch blocks - JMD 74.00 (Now JMD 112.00)
- 8 inch blocks - JMD 100.00 (Now JMD 153.00)
- 10 inch blocks - not available
- 12 inch blocks - not available
- 1 length of 1/2" steel - $920
- 1 length of 3/8 steel - $650
- 1 yard stone - $3,588.20
- 1 yard sand - $4,357.10
- 1 sheet construction ply - $3,495
- 1 sheet 1x3x16 lumber - $664
- 1 sheet 2x4x16 lumber - $1645
As you probably already know, building a house is, generally speaking, much cheaper than buying one, but it does assume that 'all other things are equal'.
Some important considerations are location, clearing of land, drainage, security of materials, fixtures, transportation, and last and by no means least, demand and the general economic state of the industry and country.
You'll also need to consider having the right professionals Shannon, from the land surveyor to 'finshers' (painter, tilers etc).
Having the right professional could be key to ensure it turns out more economical - quality work and professionalism thus preventing 'overuns'.
By the way, Avia Collinder of the Gleaner posted a very informative article sometime ago that should provide you some useful info. You might want to have a look at it (link below).
It included a breakdown of % cost for a typical 2 storey- house.
Here is an extract:
BUILDING
a. Foundation 11.1%
b. Walls and wall finishes 21.3%
c. Floors and foor finishes 15.2%
d. Roof and roof finishes 7.0%
e. Staircase and balustrading 3.4%
f. Doors and windows 7.6%
g. Joinery fixtures, fittings 2.9%
h. Ceiling finishes 3.4%
j. Sanitary appliances, plumbing 1.4%
k. Electrical Installation 4.8%
Sub-total 78.0%
2. EXTERNAL WORKS
Drainage, water supply, etc 13.2%
GENERAL PRELIMINARIES 7.3%
CONTINGENCIES 1.5%
TOTAL 100%
You can find the article here.
By the way,
Damian Edmond has a great ebook called, 'The Home Builders Guide', created to help persons consider building a home in Jamaica. I recommend that you
check it out on Amazon.
Don't Miss: The Jamaica Travel Guide.
Note: This Q&A will also be posted on our popular facebook fan page so I am inviting you to follow the responses over there as well. Our address is https://facebook.com/myislandjamaica
Regards,
Wellesley
Sharing IS Caring... Its now YOUR turn to...
If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter, My Island Jamaica Digest here.
It tells you each week about the new information that I have added, including new developments and great stories from lovers of Jamaica!
Back To The Top Of This Page
New! Talk To Me
Was the information helpful? Something needs changing? I welcome your feedback here.
Recommended For You ...
Other Great Articles You Might Have Missed
data-matched-content-rows-num="2"
data-matched-content-columns-num="3"
Please help me get the message out by sharing this article with your friends on social media (links below). Thnx ;-)
Also connect with My-Island-Jamaica.com on Social Media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Thank You!
P.S. Didn't find exactly what you were looking for? Still need help?
Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It works!
Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question.
About The Author
A patriotic Jamaican who adore its culture, Wellesley has been using this medium to share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with the world' since April 2007.
To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day.
His
efforts have earned this site featured positions in local publications,
including the Jamaica Gleaner's Hospitality Jamaica, Carlong Publishers,
as well as recognition from numerous prestigious international agencies
and universities. Read more about him here.
He invites you to subscribe to this site to stay updated on all the latest and check out his unique Jamaican products on his Etsy store.
If you are on social media, here are the links to follow his latest posts
You are also invited to join his exclusive JAMHearts community where like-minded Jamaican enthusiasts discuss all things Jamaican.
