Building - what to do and what NOT to do

I am further north. Masonry, and a pitched roof. Termites are crazy bad. The house I rent is foam with concrete core.

Cutiepie23;

I am not sure exactly what stage you are at but from the research I have done and the comments of many others on forums I contribute to and follow, as well as over thirty years in the Canadian custom home construction industry, I would say there are a few precautions to take.

1. Stay involved with the build - It is best to be there (on site) daily to protect your interests. If that is not possible then hire a reputable project manager, reputable being someone you trust for more than just his pleasant smile and manner. Someone with a proven track record, verifiable references, and hopefully even referred by others you know have work done and you trust not to steer you wrong.

2. Do your own measuring to confirm materials required. Then select, order and purchase materials yourself or at least accompany the contractor when he does. Receive material deliveries and count what is shipped and then be sure it is being used on your project.

3. Work out progress and payment schedules. In other words pay a set amount when a set amount is done. Careful not to fall prey to the hard luck stories for more money sooner.

4. In General be aware, be diligent, and be as informed on how the building processes work as possible. (Again, manage the project or hire someone)

5. When getting quotes have a budget (only you know about this one) for extra costs, very few projects finish on time or budget. Even with contracts.

Many people have great experiences building their own places and many others have nothing but nightmares. I believe the more you stay on top of the build the better the experience will be. If you know nothing about construction, ordering, and processes of completing tasks, then the extra wage of a construction supervisor that works for your interest and not the contractor, will pay for itself in the long run.

Hope this helps. I am sure you will get several other perspectives soon as well. Hopefully some great references as well.

I also would appreciate some references for builders in southern toledo district as well if anyone has experience down there. While in Belize over the holidays, I took two builders to my property to discuss where I wanted my house built. I also provided my own drawings, including perspectives, and floor plans with detailed measurements. Before I left, one of the builders presented me with a very detailed quote. While I appreciated the level of effort he put into preparing the quote, I was not comfortable with the quoted price. I want to pay a "fair" price, and fully understand the cost of materials, especially in the south, as I had to purchase some other materials myself for another project on the property. However, I felt that I was getting the "foreigner" price, and have to decided to put my construction plans on hold for the moment. I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that the best approach would be to on-site and act as my own general contractor as "billdoesbelize"has suggested.

lumber is often sold unkilned and will warp if it isnt kilned.  concrete can be below standards.  there isnt much in the way of a building code that I am aware of.  Consider doing the first floor concrete and second floor lumber.  if you are on a beach the first floor should be on stilts to allow storm waves to pass underneath

A couple of comments.  I am a builder in the U.S. and have just built my own house on the Placencia peninsula.
First,  there IS a building code, it is the same code as the U.S. and the Central Building Authority enforces it.  They are great people and can be helpful especially the two inspectors that work the southern coast.   Submit your plans to the CBA and follow the process.  They will help keep any contractor honest.
Second,  call Vairon Arregis at 501 610 2010.  Best builder in southern Belize without question. Very honest and very qualified.
As someone else said,   be involved.  Be active in your project.

i have spoken to several people who have built houses around the villages in Southern Toledo district and that the build process is much different. They did not go through CBA, and no permits were required when building in the countryside. I even spoken to an insurance agent for one of the main insurance companies who said that no permits are required when building in the countryside of a village (ie outside the capital city of the district). Anyone aware of this?

There may be two things happening,  the law vs real life.   By law a building permit is required for any structure.  Structures larger than certain sq ft limits must be designed by an Architect, or Engineer, or both.

In real life, in the rural areas,  many people have yet to accept the law which is only a few years old.   Always a risk of getting caught.   It is worth submitting to the CBA and let them tell you if an area is exempt from permits or if they are handling a certain region differently.

Additional thoughts,  depending on how remote or rural you may or may not be.
If you start building your own house without a permit and you are in an area with any population,   a local builder may report your project to the CBA because he didn't get the work.  I have seen that happen.