# foreigner tax



## bairdlander (May 23, 2012)

Just wondering what average costs for square foot of tile and some kitchen cupboards would cost.I was quoted 80,000peso .Thanks


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bairdlander said:


> Just wondering what average costs for square foot of tile and some kitchen cupboards would cost.I was quoted 80,000peso .Thanks


In the provinces you could build a house for that. If you are being quoted for an US or european style kitchen units they are eye wateringly expensive in the Philippines.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*It's very cheap to build anything*



bairdlander said:


> Just wondering what average costs for square foot of tile and some kitchen cupboards would cost.I was quoted 80,000peso .Thanks


Buy the materials and hire workers, don't hire to many of them, the pay will be from 150 - 500 peso's, depends on their skills or if the worker can get the job done in one day, we've paid 1000 peso's to have our bathroom done, it was tiled on the walls and floor.

Kitchen is much larger and requires 2 workers and yourself, I work along with them carrying the cement. 

We just lost our roof (Typhoon Glenda), it's a very big house but we had all the materials except for nails and roof patching tape, worker got 300 peso's a day on hard days, slack days half that amount we had our roof back on a couple weeks, I helped tote the wood and patch the roof.

Bottom line is that you don't want to send money here to have things done, you'll need to be here and do it yourself or significant other, be prepared to fire and rehire several times before you find a valuable worker. Common issues with workers, they slow down and drag the job out, require to much food and want the employer to buy drinks later on in the evening, skip the food if their getting 300 peso's a day but give a merienda, skip the party just pay them for the day.

Neighbor across the street is building his own home, he pays nothing to his workers, feeds them fish and rice and sometimes a little drink at night (Lambanog) it's dirt cheap.


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

My best guess about kitchen cabinets would be approx. 10k-15k for some nice hand crafted and installed cabinets. A "skilled" carpenter might get 300-350 pesos per day. Beware, many pinoy say they are carpenters, but they are not..........building bamboo nipa huts don't qualify as a skilled carpenter. Ask if he has his own carpentry tools. DON'T include lunch or snacks, only water. If they insist on food and snack, then lower the salary by P50. 
As experienced above, try to be involved with the project, mixing, cutting, carrying tools or materials.....just to keep the job moving and prevent laziness. 
Skilled Filipinos can do a beautiful job, but you must keep an eye on them.


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## 197649 (Jan 1, 2013)

J**** that is dirt cheap 80k. You get what you pay for. I worked 45 years not to live in a NIPA hut or a home that is lower quality in product and workmanship. 
Quality tiles cost about 425 peso each you can get mariwana but that's if you want low quality. 
60 X 60 Homogenous 
40 X 40 Homogenous run about 300+
Cabinets made of concrete or cheap wood will last about 2 years then you'll be doing them again. I know this as the cabinet we had were concrete. Cheap hinges means the doors will fall off. Counter tops will stain or can be cut if you get junk. 
Bottom line is you get what you pay for. After all it is your home don't you deserve the best. By best I don't mean the most expensive.


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## bairdlander (May 23, 2012)

*thanks*

Thanks for the replies,@Gary D,you realize I wrote 80,000pesos?If you can tell me a province where I can build a 4 bedroom home for $2000 USD,let me [email protected],yes I was there when the roof was being put on,(should have said from the start,this is a second floor on my wife's family home,a place for us and the kids when visiting for aa few months a year)was told by some local "association" that spoke to my father in law that the work had to be done by them,with my in law supervising.Pay was 300p a day,and they were provided with lunch.I watched the process,no slacking off,arrived on time daily.As for your neighbour paying the people rice and fish and nothing else,Im sure he is quite popular there.Realley cant stand foreigners like [email protected],yes you are correct,I did some more research,found a tile for 100peso a piece.The area is not huge,maybe 800 sq ft,so yes,the quote does seem in the ballpark.Thanks again everyone.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Ne*

I'm the only foreigner in the Municipality my neighbor is Philippine and he works for the Barangay, I guess my point is that the Philippine citizen won't pay much for work, my in-laws pay the same way "not much" and from what I've heard from other family members that work for Philippine citizens in our area, they don't pay very well or break out the fancy dishes so when the citizen gets a job from a Westerner the term I've heard them coin is "Jackpot".


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

One thing that is not mentioned here in this thread, and I feel it is important, is the cost to build the house and what will be used to build it. We have a friend who is about to purchase a 64SQM plot of land and the cost of this land is 200,000 PhP. The house that can fit on this land will be about 60SQM and it is possible to make this house an up and down type dwelling. A decent house like this is built on a 4" cement slab with septic tank, pluming under the slab, and connections for sewerage and running water. The house itself would be made of cement filled cinder blocks with a high peaked root. Sixty Square Meters is plenty big enough for 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, a comfort room, and possibly a living room with a 12SQM patio. In most places in the Philippines you can't grow out but you can grow up. Make sure that the electric wiring is done to European standards.


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