Building a Boundary Wall: How to Start Planning and Allow for Costs

Planning your New Wall

Determine the actual position of the boundaries where the walls are to be built. If it is a shared boundary between your property and your neighbours', you can approach them to take part in the planning, building and cost of your wall. Should any existing wall, fence or any other division between properties be taken away or adjusted higher or lower, make sure you consult with your neighbour first.

Local Municipality regulations. Different areas have different prescriptions. More on this in next week's article, but find out what your area's prescriptions are at your local Building Plan submission offices.

Trees in the area that could damage or adversely affect the structure in future need to be taken care of. Before removing them, rather consider the following:

Approach a tree specialist and find out whether the root system is aggressive or not. What are the chances of the root system damaging your wall's foundation.

Find out how to treat any damaged roots to prevent the plant you so dearly tried to save from dying anyway. I recall a story of an architect that revised the plans of an entire block of apartments to save an old tree. Three months after completion of the project, the tree died due to damaged roots, but I digress...

If there are roots in the way, a ground beam or lintels can be spanned from one column to the next. This replaces the foundation and the wall is built on top of that. Consult an engineer of expert in the field if trying to attempt this.

Step the wall back from the boundary line and build around the tree. This is also a good way of breaking the monotony one gets from a too long continuous wall surface.

If building on a steep slope, you might want to level your ground to create a flatter, more usable ground surface. This means your boundary wall will double as a retaining structure and will have an impact on the design of the wall structure. It also means that an engineer has to be involved in your building project.

There are also other ways of retaining soil, these include gabions (wire baskets filled with stone), precast concrete retaining blocks and even used tyres. The method of retaining soil will depend largely on space available, budget and the type of division to be built on top of your retaining structure.

DIY or Using a Contractor

In these financial trying times, we all try to save on any expenses. If approached correctly - and taken into account the difficulty level based on retaining, finishes and so on - you may be able to save some money by doing it yourself. This should be approached with care and proper planning.

Using a contractor obviously has its advantages. If a reputable builder undertakes your project, this can free up a lot of your time and can save you quite a few grey hairs. They have a good general knowledge of standard building practices, problem solving and materials.

Ultimately the choice is yours, but be sure to take all factors into account.

Costs

The list of costs of building your boundary wall can include many factors. Here are a few standard expenses to consider:

The design, dimensions and length of the wall including size and finish of gates and openings and automatic motor gates.

Type of Materials used. This will depend largely on your design style and finishes used:

Brick, stone or concrete walls, palisade timber or wire fence?

Will it be plastered bagged or face-brick, painted or unpainted

What kind of bricks will be used, imperial or maxi's, clay or cement or maybe concrete blocks?

If opting for steel trellis or palisade fencing, will it be galvanised (A good option in coastal towns) or painted?

If building a stone wall, can it be locally sourced and what will the extra costs be of employing a good stone mason?

Slope of the ground: A steep slope will probably mean more concrete for foundations. If, as previously mentioned, a retaining structure is to be incorporated, the fees of an engineer and extra material are to be added to your costs. You shall also have to allow for drainage of storm water damming up behind the wall.

The type of ground on the property can have an impact ot the type of construction and materials used. Normally, this does not affect boundary walls so much, but if in doubt, consult an engineer or a contractor familiar with the area to ensure correct construction method and appropriate footings are used.

Security cameras. Intercom systems including video, electric fencing, beams, security lights. What type of extra security measures will be added to the new wall? make sure to adhere to local Building Regulations, Plans and Approval if adding security measures on top of your wall.

Drawing of plans. Although not all governing bodies do not require that your plans are drawn up by a SACAP* registered person, a knowledgeable architect or draughtsman will be able to produce proper building plans which are in line with Local Municipality regulations, NBR* and SANS*. They are also good with advice, problem solving and design related issues.

Submitting & approval of your building plans at the local municipality. This is normally a small, fixed "Minor Works" fee, but enquire at your Local Municipality's Plan Submission Offices.

Building costs. These can vary based on abovementioned styles, materials and physical features of the property.

Plumbing: Any existing plumbing will have to be protected. Drainage of water build-up may have to be addressed.

Finishing: Lighting, repairing your garden and overall finishing off on and around the wall.

In next week's article, we shall look at:

Building Reulations, Plans and Approval: What you need to find out before designing your walls

Style, Design and Wall Finishes: What style should you go for and which materials to choose

Common Pittfalls: Things to be on the lookout for

Techniques and Processes: What techniques should be followed for your particular wall or fence

List of Abbreviations:

*NBR: National Building Regulations

*SABS: South African Bureau for Standards

*SANS: South African National Standards

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How To Save Money on Construction

Here are 10 simple ways to save money on your construction project, be it a small renovation/remodel or building a new house.

1. Set a Budget! It is important that you control costs. The best way to do this is to start with a, "not to exceed number," set down on paper and in your mind. You can get a rough estimate of the cost of construction that you want done by searching the internet and talking to contractors. This will give you enough information to set your rough budget.

2. Add 20% to your budget to be used for unanticipated costs which you will label your," contingency fund." This total should be the final amount you will pay under any circumstances. Make this number work for you and do not release any part of this money without carefully exploring all alternatives.

3. Decide how you want to proceed, either acting as your own contractor doing all of the work yourself, or, do some of the construction yourself and subcontract some parts such as Electrical and Plumbing, or, hire a General Contractor to handle the project you decide to build. This is your first opportunity to stay within your budget and reduce your construction costs. You do this either by negotiation or competitive bidding. You can further reduce costs by furnishing some, or all of the materials.

4. Material Costs- Once you have determined what you will be building and the method you will use to get the work done, a material list will be needed to enable you to go shopping for the best prices. Here is an area where you can reduce costs by comparing prices, for example; between your local lumber store and home depot. When you make this shopping list be sure you are pricing apples to apples and oranges to oranges and that the quality of the material is roughly the same.

5. Material Substitution- There can be substantial savings by substituting top of the line material with lower priced products. You do not want to get carried away with this approach by going to the very bottom of the quality barrel. You need to consider how long this product will last and how good it will work for you over time.

6. Building Permits- There really is no good way to get around permits and associated fees without taking the risk of an inspector coming around at a later date and making you take part of you building apart, to enable the inspector to determine that the materials and installation conform to the local building codes. They have the authority to do this in most areas of the country. You do not want to make the mistake of starting a building project without having a permit from the local authorities along with the required inspections or you might find yourself having to take apart and redo some of the work.

7. Insurance- Yes you do need insurance coverage while your construction project is being built. Check that any contractor you hire has insurance prior to signing any contracts. Your homeowners insurance may protect you for uninsured workers on your house, but check to make sure you are covered and if there will be an added cost. If there is an added cost you may want to bid this out, but as I mentioned earlier, when taking bids make sure you are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

8. Legal- If you are going to be signing contracts, you should seek some legal advice regarding any contract before signing. Lawyers should be shopped for price and quality prior to agreeing to use their services. Here is an area you can save money. Careful shopping for an attorney will get you good advice at the lowest possible price.

9. Contractors- I could write a book about working with contractors as there is a large diverse group out there and they all want your business. My uncle Harry was a purchasing agent for a large corporation and his criteria was, "Quality, Price and Dependability." This is a very good rule and it requires you to do some investigative work by checking references and reputation before engaging. Once you have determined the contractors you would like to have, allow them to give you a competitive bid or negotiate the price of the work. This is a critical time for adjusting the costs to conform to your budget, and for saving money.

10. Starting the Work- This is where you can prevent extra charges to your construction project by scheduling the work to enable the different crafts to be on the job when they are needed and not when they cannot do the work because of someone else's unfinished work or lack of materials. If you are furnishing the materials, to save money, you will need to ensure that they are at the project when needed by the craftsmen or face additional charges when they must come back numerous times.

There you have some of the ways I have learned to reduce construction costs, be it a remodel/renovation or building a new house. There is one final item I would like to add, and that is attitude. Craftsmen that are treated with respect will generally respond in kind. Yes you are paying the bills but remember the Golden rule and treat the workmen with dignity. Trust me on this and it will pay off for you in unimagined ways. Wishing you Good Luck on your next project.

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