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- Falmouth was one of the busiest Ports in Jamaica.
- Above Ground Swimming Pool in Jamaica
- I am Back after 7 months
- Jamaica has changed Significantly!
- Who is to blame for the chaos?
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- Going Green in Jamaica
- Stop the Deceit!
- What Jamaican Construction Customers want, Now!
- We need to be seen by the Rest of the World!
- Our Quick Contractor Business Tip – Changed Mind? Change Order
- 3D Presentations of your Construction
- AutoCAD in Jamaican Architectural Engineering
- Your Jamaican Kitchen
- Villa Design in Jamaica
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Nov15I am Back after 7 months
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Seven months ago, almost to the day, I last updated my JA Projects Blog and felt at the time I had to make my views heard regarding the change’s in Jamaica. Now seven months down the line I am still frustrated about the changes here in Jamaica. I have since had several clients and emails from you guys requesting me to give a more detail idea regarding the costing of labour in Jamaica.
Costing in Jamaica is a very serious thing, or should I say ‘ting’, and only after spending time in Jamaica can you see the difference on the working of an estimate in the construction industry in Jamaica. For you the foreigner about to build your dream Villa it could be costly or a lot cheaper than you think.
The different ways to do costing. Lets look at an example and lets see if it makes sense to you the property owner from the USA for an instance.
LETS BUILD A WALL
You are building a wall 12 feet high by 36 feet long.
Foundation Stage
The digging of foundation, approximately 18ins x 18ins deep (cost per foot), 3 rows of Steel lying at base of foundation and the vertical Steel every other block (cost per foot) and all this is cemented into place with a solid mix of concrete which is also cost per foot.Cost at this stage: Around JA$32,400
First Stage
A total of 372 blocks are used and the cost to lay each block is JA$40.Cost at this stage: JA$14,880
Second Stage
Then you have the columns, needed to lock the blocks together, a total of 5 columns were used. These have to be Boxed and Cast at JA$560 per foot.So 60 feet of columns at JA$560 per foot equal Cost at this stage: JA$33,600
Third Stage
Now it’s time to add the finishing touch which comes in many forms but lets go for the costing of the quickest and cheapest way, one coat of sand and cement which is measured in yards.45 yards of Wall (one side only) at JA$300 per yard equal Cost at this stage: JA$13,500
The above work would normally take 3 men, one mixes the cement, one puts it onto the wall and the other creates the finish work.
The cost for Labour only: JA$94,380
Keep in mind the above cost is for labour only. The guy that creates the finish work gets a whopping 77% of the cost! Also if you add the cost of a contractor your cost will go up even further and that’s just the costing for a block wall with a finish on one side.
JA Projects method of building
JA Projects tends to go for the other way of costing to give the client a fairer pricing, employ your men and pay them based on there experience, persons we can trust and will do a honest day work.Below is the steel work for a swimming pool we built for one of our clients, the cost here would be huge if the estimate was based on the costing of steel work alone, we saved the client over 1 million Jamaican dollars by using our method of costing.
Check with your Contractor if he pay’s his men for contract work or if they are employed, this would be the way to go to save you, the property owner, a lot of money.For JA Projects Website GO HERE
Val Barclay
JA Projects – Keeping an eye on your Construction in Jamaica.Apr17Jamaica has changed Significantly!
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Has it?
Have you heard this before “in the last 10 years you will find that Jamaica has changed significantly” I am sure you have? I am a returning resident and lived here for over 6 years and I can tell you Jamaica has not changed in over 50 years. Sure most Rasta’s have a cell phone and cable TV but can we call that changes.Jamaica’s new Highways are still being built but can we also call that a change or is the Government getting outside people to help build these roads and amazing Hotels. I have to face the truth and so too have a lot of returning residents here in Jamaica, where is the change.
Third World Country!
The real problem is the fact that we are still considered a third world country and until we can get away from that fact we can never change, so why am I saying all this. My aim is to let you all know that Jamaica is still one of the most beautiful countries in the world with some of the best beaches and views you can find anywhere with sunshine all the year round, that I hope will never change.But candles are still sold here by the bucket load and the significant change you will find is mainly on the North Coast of Jamaica, where the Tourists visit and mainly stay and that is not always good for Jamaica and it’s people.
Don’t think you are going to come to Jamaica and get into Internet Marketing because PayPal, the most used money transfer on the Internet do not recognize Jamaica. We have no Zip Code here so P.O. Box has to do and you have to travel to the Post Office and stand in the queue to get your mail, just as it was 50 years ago.
As for local shops to get your groceries, no, use them for bits to see you through the week and usually at a much higher cost, you have to travel to the supermarket in the main town, no change there. You need to have transport if you are going to live here, so think hard about the swimming pool you were going to build as this could get you your transport. And also keep in mind that Jamaica is the only country that the value of a second hand motorcar goes up in value, else where in the world the moment you buy a car it goes down in value!
Do I sound Negative?
Good! You need to know the truth about Jamaica and it’s problems that will never change. (Let’s face it that is what makes Jamaica!)In most case the Chinese and the Asian Indians are making a good living here, why?
Because they know poverty in there own countries and know what is needed to fight it here and do well in Jamaica. Japanese cars are everywhere, in fact Japanese cars account for 95 percent or more of cars on the Jamaican road, so the Japanese are doing well here in Jamaica. Even the Irish with Digicel phones are making more money than the Jamaican government, so where is the change?
If you are a labourer working in the sunshine all day you can expect to earn $1500 Jamaican Dollars a day, that’s less than £11.50 pounds – US$17.00 a day and if you have traveled to Jamaica the first thing you will say is “Jamaica is very expensive”, yes it is!
The imagination of Jamaicans!
I could go on and on about the Jamaican way of life but I do not wish to prolong the ‘where is the change’ discussion any more, I just want you to see some of the ‘real Jamaican problems’ that all Jamaican has to face each month. Yet we come to Jamaica and build these amazing Villas with all the money you have and get some of the cheapest workers around, no change there!Without the imagination of Jamaicans trying to stay alive and ‘eat a little bread’ each day you would not have your Villa. How many Americans, British, Chinese and Asian Indians do you see building homes in Jamaica, very little if at all, you could not afford them. I remember going to Florida and visiting a food hall in the shopping center, I have never eaten so cheap in my life, try doing that in Jamaica!
Now, put all this together and you will find that building your home in Jamaica can be cheaper than America or the UK and the main reason for this is labour cost, material is costly here, just like anything else.
Now I am not saying you should pay more for the work, that is for the government to make that change, not you, but maybe you can buy some of the tools for the workers to use giving you a faster turn round, tools you can keep after the work is completed or sell some of the items. Small Cement mixers are cheap aboard and can easily be fitted in a container and shipped down with your other items, that alone can save you a vast amount of cost. A Gas Cooker for the workers to make a ‘pot’ of food instead of them spending what amounts to a fortune on food each week. That is what I call changes in Jamaica, believe me just those simple items will not only save you money but also give you some of the most loyal workers around.
Your work friend!
We need changes in Jamaica and Returning Resident and Overseas Owners are the people who will change Jamaica for the better, not the Government, the people are still crying out for help and changes will never come in the next 20 or 50 years unless you take responsible measures to do so. Be part of the build and do not use the workers as indispensable items but your work friend. Trust in each other ideas and you will both learn from the experience and as you know Jamaicans can be some of the most helpful people around, that will never change!For JA Projects Website GO HERE
Val Barclay
JA Projects – Keeping an eye on your Construction in Jamaica.- val@japrojects.com
Build without always being in Jamaica.
"What a great way to to keep an eye on our new home in Montego Bay. We live in Massachusetts and now we feel we can build without always being there".
It works for me!
"Thank you, what a great way to save time and money, it works for me! Having already constructed the outside of our Villa/Hotel we wanted to fill it with Jamaican furniture.
We posted the style and discuss the arrangement, all through JA Projects, the database did the rest, knowing our discussion and pictures were private. It's a great way to do business!
