Building materials/home construction on the EC coast

MahindraDog wrote:

I have brought any tool that will fit in a suitcase.  All types and especially if used no issues

Good to hear! Maybe I was just really lucky but when we just flew into Guayaquil we literally just walked through customs no issue, had new iPhone and Ipads in boxes in addition to the used phones and tablets and computer parts, car parts, etc. no questions asked.

Mike Machaskee wrote:

First time posting here...thanks for all the great info over the past year.  My wife and I will start building a home in Canoa in the next year...does anyone have any good builders to recommend?

I do, but we might be competing for his time. When next year? High end or budget construction? This guy is cheap, quality is okish, you'd need to be living in town and keeping a close eye on the project, and you'd probably want an architect. My project is, as always happens, being pushed back a bit. It might start by December. I'll post progress on my project here so you can decide if you want to use my guy.

@suefrankdahl hello I love to heard who you get the garden soil from. I am getting ready to buy a land in canoa

@TerrazzoGuy so did you have a design done for you   

Neither Sue nor Terrazzo have posted since 2015, would not expect a reply.

Neither Sue nor Terrazzo have posted since 2015, would not expect a reply.
-@mugteck

it's been 7 years. 80% chance they probably don't live in Ecuador any more tbh

@cccmedia hello I just bought a land near Canoa, can i have my plans done in Canada ?

Common sense suggests planning

for architecture or construction

on the Ecuador Coast ..

in Ecuador, not in Canada.

cccmedia

As CCCMedia suggests, A designer in Canada will have no idea how buildings are planned, laid out, or constructed in Ecuador. Bringing drawings from outside of South America will only create A great deal of frustration for both the builder (Who will likely be insulted, confused and justifiably indignant) and for yourself, in trying to interpret and impose North American drawing traditions, building materials/techniques, and terminology on Ecuadorean construction traditions, use of construction materials, and tradesmen Quality/knowledge. depending on the Miss Palite they may require a local architect to review, re-draw, attach their professional seal to the drawings that will end up being actually used. Not to mention misinterpretation is very likely when trying to translate Canadian drawings (in North American textbook Spanish) to local Spanish terminology.

In Canada a building is laid out to the nth degree by a surveyor, and the plan marked out, and re-marked out at every stage of construction… In Ecuador a contractor will likely have a surveyor visit once, bang several posts in the ground to locate the outside corners of the building, with sticks attached near the top, angled to indicate approximately where roof slopes will occur, and maybe even some strings or ropes tied between the posts to guide the bricklayers / stonemasons to keep the wall straight as they go up; Craftsmen (and many of them do deserve the title) who nonetheless may or may not be able to read, never mind being able to interpret technical drawings from Canada.

Design should always be done by somebody on the ground, in Ecuador, who is aware of:

-Site conditions: Ground water, local bedrock, Trees (roots) and plantings, path of the sun in the sky For maximum daylight, soil stability and drainage.

-Local materials: what’s available, what’s the quality, what size is it; I would be shocked if there was a standard size for local brick, concrete block, wood… but it would definitely not be to the exacting standards, strength, and minutely accurate dimensions found in North American construction materials.

-Location factors: where’s the view, what buildings, structures, or volcanos are next-door? Where is the best place to put the house on the lot, which way to face it, where are local water and sewer connections underground, and how far does a house need to be away from those services? is the lot plan accurate or does it need to be re-surveyed?

How it looks on plan will never end up being the “correct” Location, layout, or orientation on the ground, in person, for you.

Best advice is to search for and ask questions about the local Architects, builders, available trades, and ask them about the quality and sources of local materials, and any challenges with delivery. Find a good interpreter who understands LOCAL construction terminology, who can help you communicate your expectations to the architect and builder (and at the same time educate you on reasonable expectations possible in Ecuador). Someone who can guide you through the legal process of permitting, documents, regulations, fees. And if your expectations are high and exacting, find someone in Ecuador who has experience and knowledge of construction, electrical safety, and plumbing standards in Canada or the US, who can help to adapt your expectations to the realities in Ecuador as far as it is possible.

…omg… “ municipality“… not “miss palette” 😂 Damn voice to text