Galway and within 60 km
We build family homes from the foundation slab to completion, renovate apartments and houses, and insulate external walls. A fixed price and a completion date are part of the building contract.
Your project
Guide price
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excl. VAT
Schedule and guarantee
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Process and guarantee
Prices exclude VAT and assume a normally accessible site and standard conditions. The exact price comes from the itemised estimate after the site visit — it's usually within 15% of the calculator.
We carry out three kinds of work with our own crews. Electrics, heating and plumbing are done by regular subcontractors, coordinated by our site manager.
From setting out and the foundation slab through to handover for completion. We build in clay block or concrete block, to your own design or a catalogue plan.
Complete refurbishments or single rooms. If you're living there, we can split the work into stages so you keep a working kitchen and one bathroom.
External insulation systems for family homes and smaller apartment buildings. We calculate the insulation thickness so the building meets Part L of the Building Regulations.
Six completed jobs. Each shows the location, scope of work, area, duration and contract price excluding VAT, so you can compare it with your own project.
Showing all projects: 6
R-01 · Galway – Knocknacarra
156 m²
two-storey block-built house, pitched roof
A house built in clay block with a concrete floor and a pitched roof. Handed over with plaster, screed, floors, doors and sanitaryware fitted, ready for completion.
R-02 · Athenry
132 m²
dormer bungalow
The shell up to and including the roof: foundation slab, damp-proof and radon barrier, walls, ring beams and roof structure with concrete tiles. The owner did the finishing work themselves.
R-03 · Galway – Doughiska
68 m²
apartment block, two-bed apartment
Stripping out the bathroom core, new plumbing, drainage and wiring with its own consumer unit, a new bathroom and WC, skimming, floors and internal doors. The noisy work was done in the first three weeks.
R-04 · Oughterard
92 m²
two bedrooms, bathroom and landing
A structural assessment of the roof, four triple-glazed roof windows, insulation between and under the rafters, a vapour barrier with taped joints, drylining, services and floors. The family lived in the house throughout, and the work was done from the top.
R-05 · Oranmore
245 m²
family home, two storeys, plinth
An external insulation system with mineral wool and silicone render, including plinth insulation, new sills and flashings. We checked the finished façade with a thermal camera and handed over the survey with the job.
R-06 · Tuam
180 m²
pitched roof, 38°
Stripping the old covering and battens, replacing two damaged rafters, a breather membrane, new battens, clay tiles and new gutters and downpipes in coated steel.
At the site visit you'll get the phone numbers of two clients we've done the same kind of work for. You call them directly, without us.
By arrangement, we'll take you to a site that's under way. You'll see how tidy the site is, the materials going in and the site diary. We arrange a time by phone.
Eight steps every job goes through, each with the time within which we'll have it done.
We find out the type of project, the area, the location and the timescale you have in mind, and tell you straight away whether it fits our capacity.
within 24 hoursWe come to the site or the apartment, measure what's there, record the critical points and go through what you need.
within 5 working daysYou get an itemised estimate with quantities, material and labour prices, and a timetable split into stages.
within 10 working daysThe contract sets out a fixed price, the completion date, a late completion penalty and how any variations are handled.
1 – 2 daysSite facilities, temporary services, a skip for rubble, protection of surrounding areas and the first entry in the site diary.
2 – 4 daysEach stage has its own date and sign-off record. Once a week you get a photo report and an update on the budget spent.
per scheduleBefore handover we go through the work with you, make a snag list and fix everything on it.
5 – 10 daysA handover record, test certificates, material guarantees and a service contact for the guarantee period.
on the day of handoverTypical phase durations for our three most common projects. You get the same breakdown in your estimate, with exact dates.
| Phase | Turnkey house, 156 m² | Apartment renovation, 68 m² | External insulation, 245 m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site set-up and scaffolding | 2 weeks | 3 days | 4 days |
| Groundworks and demolition | 3 weeks | 2 weeks | — |
| Shell, floors, ring beams | 12 weeks | — | — |
| Roof structure, covering, flashings | 5 weeks | — | — |
| Electrics, plumbing, heating | 4 weeks | 2 weeks | — |
| Windows and external doors | 1 week | 3 days | — |
| Insulation and render | 5 weeks | — | 4 weeks |
| Plaster, skim, screed | 6 weeks | 2 weeks | — |
| Tiling and floors | 5 weeks | 2 weeks | — |
| Sanitaryware, doors, painting | 3 weeks | 1 week | — |
| Snagging and handover | 2 weeks | 1 week | 1 week |
| Total time, with phases overlapping | 11 – 13 months | 8 – 10 weeks | 5 – 6 weeks |
The phases partly overlap — while the roofer is working on the roof, the services are already going in inside. So the total row shows the real duration, including the overlap and a margin for weather.
We pour concrete down to −3 °C with an admixture, and stop below that. We apply render between +5 and +30 °C, and never in direct sun.
Cement screed dries at about 1 cm a week, anhydrite faster. We only lay floors after measuring the residual moisture, even if it means a week's delay.
We usually have capacity 6 to 10 weeks ahead. Smaller jobs of up to 3 weeks can sometimes start sooner, if a crew is free between two stages.
We choose materials to suit the project and the budget. Every item in the estimate is named, with its thickness, size and unit price, so you know what's going into your build.
Clay blocks for external walls, and calcium silicate blocks where sound insulation is needed between apartments and rooms.
external 380 mm · partitions 115 / 175 mm
EPS for most façades, and mineral wool on timber frames and wherever non-combustibility is required.
façade 120 – 200 mm · roof 300 mm
Concrete or clay tiles on pitched roofs, and coated steel for gutters, downpipes and flashings.
40/60 mm battens · breather membrane
uPVC and alu-clad timber windows with triple glazing, and front doors with a thermal break.
Uw 0.75 – 0.95 W/m²K · 6 chambers
Bituminous membranes against damp and radon, and liquid waterproofing under tiles in bathrooms.
2 membrane layers · 2 coats of liquid membrane
Anhydrite and cement screeds, vinyl and laminate floors, large-format tiles, gypsum skim coats.
screed 50 – 65 mm · skim 2 – 3 mm
The guarantee is set out in the building contract and runs from the day of handover. Materials also carry the manufacturer's guarantee, and we hand over the guarantee documents in print.
| Type of work | Guarantee | Defect inspection within |
|---|---|---|
| Shell and structure | 60 months | 5 days |
| Roofs and flashings | 60 months | within 48 hours |
| Insulation and render | 60 months | 5 days |
| Waterproofing and bathrooms | 60 months | within 48 hours |
| Plaster, skim, painting | 24 months | 7 days |
| Floors and tiling | 36 months | 7 days |
| Supplied materials and equipment | per manufacturer | 7 days |
We count the completion date in the contract in working days, and it already includes a margin for normal weather. If we delay the job through our own fault, we pay a penalty of 0.05% of the contract price for every day of delay.
Frost below −5 °C for wet trades, changes to the brief during the build, waiting for a planning decision, or waiting for materials you chose to supply yourself. We record every such delay in the site diary.
Report a defect by phone on your number here or through the form on this page. We always acknowledge it within 48 hours, and inspect within the time shown for that type of work in the table. We fix ordinary defects within 15 working days, and come straight away for anything that stops you using the building.
Prices are for labour only, without materials, unless stated otherwise. They exclude VAT and apply to jobs within 60 km of Galway.
| Labour | Unit | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laying 380 mm external walls | m² | €26 – 32 | excluding blocks and mortar |
| Laying 115 mm partition walls | m² | €17 – 21 | excluding materials |
| Foundation slab including reinforcement | m² | €78 – 96 | including materials and concrete |
| Machine-applied internal plaster | m² | €11 – 14 | excluding plaster mix |
| Demolishing partitions up to 150 mm | m² | €14 – 19 | excluding rubble removal |
| Rubble removal and disposal | 7 m³ skip | €210 – 280 | including landfill charges |
| Labour | Unit | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| External wall insulation including render | m² | €62 – 86 | including materials, depending on thickness |
| Insulating the ground floor soffit | m² | €28 – 36 | including materials |
| Scaffolding | m² / month | €4.20 – 5.60 | including delivery and erection |
| Pitched roof covering | m² | €22 – 30 | excluding tiles and battens |
| Plasterboard ceiling | m² | €24 – 31 | including studs and boards |
| Wall and floor tiles up to 60 × 60 cm | m² | €27 – 38 | excluding tiles and adhesive |
| Skim coat and painting | m² | €13 – 18 | including materials, two coats |
| Item | Unit | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bricklayer, tiler, dryliner | hour | €32 | small jobs outside the estimate |
| General operative | hour | €22 | preparation and clean-up |
| Site manager, technical supervision | hour | €38 | also on other companies' jobs |
| Site visit and quote | job | €0 | within 60 km of Galway |
| Travel beyond 60 km | km | €0.95 | one trip a day is charged |
Tell us the area and type of work, and we'll arrange a site visit. Within 60 km of Galway, the site visit and itemised estimate cost €0. We reply to enquiries within 24 hours.
Office: Monday — Thursday 7:30 — 16:00, Friday 7:30 — 14:00. Site visits 7:00 — 18:00.
You don't pay for the whole build up front. Each instalment is tied to a completed stage, which you sign off in the site diary.
By bank transfer against an invoice with 14-day terms; we issue a deposit invoice when you sign the contract. We accept cash payments up to €300, always with a receipt. We don't offer card payments or finance.
Crew labour, site overheads, travel within 60 km, site facilities and a clean-up when we finish. Materials are a separate line in the estimate, with the unit price shown.
We hold public liability insurance for our work. The policy number is in the building contract.
The building contract you sign has the same wording. We publish it in advance so you know the terms before the site visit.
| When you withdraw | What you get back | What we charge |
|---|---|---|
| Within 7 days of signing, materials not yet ordered | the whole deposit | €0 |
| After materials are ordered, work not yet started | the deposit less the materials ordered | materials and delivery, per receipts |
| After work has started | the balance of the deposit after the final account | work actually done and materials on site |
| Moving the start at your request by more than 30 days | the deposit stays in place | €0 |
| Withdrawal on our side | the whole deposit within 14 days | €0 |
Every change from the estimate has its own variation order, with the price and the effect on the timescale. We don't start anything or invoice anything without your signature on the variation order.
If you drop an item from the estimate, we deduct it in full, including materials. Omissions go on the same variation order as additions.
A rotten joist, a cracked lintel or aluminium wiring can't be seen in advance. We stop work, record what we've found and propose a solution with a price. We only carry on once you agree.
We can only withdraw if the information provided was untrue, if we're kept off the site for more than 30 days, or if a payment is more than 30 days late. In that case we refund the deposit within 14 days.
An inspection point is where work is checked before it's covered up. The record and photo from each point are part of the documents you get at handover.
| Inspection point | What's measured | Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation slab | level and dimensions | ±5 mm / 2 m |
| Walls and lintels | plumb walls, lintel bearing | ±5 mm / storey |
| Plumbing and heating | pressure test before covering up | 6 bar, 60 min |
| Electrics | completion test | Safe Electric certificate |
| Screed before flooring | residual moisture, CM method | up to 2.0% |
| Bathroom waterproofing | continuous coating, including corners | 2 coats, corner tape |
| Façade after insulation | thermal bridges, thermal camera | no linear thermal bridges |
Blockwork, façades, tiling and drylining are done by our own crews. Every job has one site manager, and you get their phone number when you sign the contract.
We hire for sites within 60 km of Galway. You're home every evening, and we drive to site in a company van from a pick-up point by the office.
Laying external and partition walls, formwork and pouring ring beams, setting lintels. You'll need at least 3 years' experience and your own hand tools.
€22 – 28an hour
Wall and floor tiling, including large formats, liquid waterproofing in bathrooms and silicone joints. We're looking for someone who checks their own falls and levels.
€22 – 27an hour
Keeping the site diary, coordinating crews and subcontractors, signing off stages with the client and tracking the budget. A construction management qualification is an advantage, not a requirement.
€55,000 – 70,000a year
Preparing materials, running the mixer, keeping the site tidy, helping the bricklaying and façade crews. We'll train you, and after a year you can move up to bricklaying.
€15 – 17an hour
Paid weekly, with no wages held back. We provide work clothes, boots and PPE. Power tools are company-owned, including servicing.
Fill in the form in the Contact section, with the job and your years of experience in the description. We'll get back to you within 3 working days and arrange to meet on one of our sites.
The office is on the corner of Mason Street and Brick Lane in Galway. We sign estimates and contracts here, and do site visits at your place.
The office entrance is on Mason Street, just round the corner from the junction with Brick Lane. Behind the building is our yard with the store and equipment, which is closed to clients — we deliver materials straight to site.
There are 6 reserved visitor spaces outside the building, free and with no time limit. If they're taken, the next car park is 120 m further along Mason Street, away from the centre.
The nearest bus stop is 200 metres towards the centre; from there, walk straight along Mason Street. It's about 12 minutes from the bus and train station.
It's 4 km from the M6 junction. At the junction with Brick Lane, turn right; the office is the second building on the left, with a dark façade and an ochre stripe.
The entrance on Mason Street is step-free, and the meeting room is on the ground floor. If you need help getting in, give us a call before you arrive.
| Town or village | Distance | Travel to site |
|---|---|---|
| Galway city and suburbs | up to 8 km | included in the price |
| Oranmore | 15 km | included in the price |
| Athenry | 22 km | included in the price |
| Oughterard | 24 km | included in the price |
| Tuam | 30 km | included in the price |
| Loughrea | 34 km | included in the price |
| Other places beyond 60 km | over 60 km | €0.95/km, only for jobs over €60,000 |
The questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, put it in the form.
No, it's a guide. It's there so you know whether your plans fit your budget at all. The final price comes from the itemised estimate after the site visit, with the actual quantities, materials and site conditions. The difference between the calculator and the estimate is usually under 15%.
Use the form in the Contact section. Your message reaches the company inbox just like an email, and we reply within 24 hours. If it's urgent, call us during office hours.
Yes. The smallest job we take on is about €3,000 excluding VAT — a bathroom renovation or new floors in an apartment, for example. For smaller work we charge the hourly rate from the price list.
No. For renovations, it's enough for us to come and measure what's there. For a new build we need drawings, but we can arrange them through the architectural designer we work with, including planning permission.
Normally we supply the materials, and you'll see each one named and priced in the estimate. If you'd like to buy some items yourself — typically tiles, sanitaryware or flooring — that's fine, but they need to be on site before that stage starts, or the date moves.
For a complete renovation we don't recommend it — for the first three weeks the apartment has no water and there's dusty demolition work. For a partial renovation of one room or the bathroom you can stay; we seal the area off with a dust screen and only turn the water off at agreed times.
We only do noisy work on weekdays between 8:00 and 17:00, never at weekends. We cover the common areas with sheeting and clean the corridor every day. Before work starts, we put up a notice for the neighbours with the dates and the site manager's contact details.
A rotten joist, for example, a cracked lintel or aluminium wiring. We stop work at that spot, record what we've found, propose a solution and put the price on a variation order. We only carry on once you've signed it, so the invoice holds no surprises.
We do site visits from 7:00 to 18:00, including early evenings. On Saturdays we'll come by arrangement, if nothing else works. Sunday is our day off, and our sites don't run.
Usually up to 60 km, which covers Galway, Athenry, Oughterard, Loughrea, Oranmore and Tuam. We only go further for larger jobs over €60,000, and travel is then charged as per the price list.
Tell us what you need built or renovated. We'll get back to you within 24 hours and arrange a site visit.
your number here
Call during office hours. Outside them, use the form and we'll get back to you the next working day.
KVADER — building contractors
26 Mason Street
Galway
The meeting room is on the ground floor, with the entrance on Mason Street. There are 6 free parking spaces outside.