What would my house cost to build?
By Denis Jjuuko
Last week, an article I authored more than a year ago resurfaced on the internet and in many WhatsApp groups prompting many people to send emails. The said article was on housing and how somebody can easily build their residential house. The said article was given a headline that was perhaps misleading or sexy hence the said interest.
The emails I have received were largely on how much a 3-bedroom decent middle-class house would cost to build in Uganda. I subscribe to a housing group where every week, somebody inquires how much it would cost them to build this and that. Somebody can come up and say Shs20m and another says Shs200m and many figures in between. I try as much as possible to answer all the emails that I receive but I know this is a question that won’t go away.
So here are some of the answers I give people who ask me how much a house would cost to build.
If you are to build a house, the most important part is to acquire land. This determines a lot in what it will cost to build. The labour costs and some materials such as bricks, sand, and coarse aggregate (made by hand ones are cheaper) among others are cheaper in towns far from Kampala. In Kampala, the costs are much more. A clay burnt brick costs on average Shs350 in Kampala metropolitan area but about half the price in towns upcountry. In places like Masaka, they make roof trusses, rafters and even purlins using encryptus trees straight from the forest. They just remove the bark and they are good to go. So, a house in a place like that would always be cheaper than in Kampala where we largely use lumbers.
The other big issue when it comes to land is the topography or landscape. Is it swampy, flat or hilly? This determines the cost of the foundation. A swampy area for example will require a lot of hard-core stones than an area in a flat area. A hilly area may need grading or cost more to deliver materials there. A flat area may also need a lot of backfilling. Most people may not mention it but murrum costs a lot of money and then it has to be compacted.
Once land has been zeroed in on where to build, then there is need to engage the services of an architect who should then work with at least civil and structural engineers to come up with a design of your needs. What is the size of living spaces and what amenities have been planned? How many bathrooms will the house have? What about a walk-in closet? Many houses in Uganda today are being built with large doors and windows with lots of aesthetics which obviously increase the overall cost of the building.
There is an increased interest in high ceilings so that the house is not only cooler but enable the installation of decorative materials (gypsum ceilings) and lighting such as chandeliers. That would require a bit more money than the standard three meter high house.
When it comes to structures, a storied building is much more expensive but also the cost of materials of even the same size is not the same. For example, the cost of a 16-millimeter iron bar entirely depends on a company that made it. Some companies sell such a bar around Shs20,000 more than their competitors. The price of a 50kg bag of cement is also not the same. Manufacturers determine the prices differently.
When it comes to roofing, it is not the same as well. Even if you are to use iron sheets, the cost varies depending on the gauge and patterns. So you could buy iron sheets that look exactly the same but gauge 28 is more expensive than gauge 32. Some iron sheets require rubber washers when being nailed to minimize leaking and that will cost a bit more money.
Then finishing. What materials are you using? Ceramic floor tiles or porcelain or marble ones? The costs are different. Windows and doors? Steel costs less than aluminum profiles. Euro or Greek standard aluminum profiles are more expensive than Dubai or China standard. Even tinted glass costs more than the one known as Clear. The thickness just like in steel matters here too.
So the best way to have an idea of what your house will cost is by engaging an architect first for the design (ensure he visits the land where you want to build) and then engage quantity surveyors.
The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

#OutToLunch: It is our turn to eat, the politicians have eaten enough
By Denis Jjuuko After nearly five years of planning, positioning, and scheming, it is time for implementation of strategies that could lead many people to their coveted offices. For some, the first hurdle is to convince their parties that they are qualified to stand for election in the primaries to represent them. To others, it is to decide whether to stand as independents and in which particular constituency. The political fever is rising across the country. At funerals, weddings, sports, religious and cultural events, candidates are aligning themselves sometimes with causes they don’t believe in while many times mudslinging others. Resources are not being spared. Unfortunately, human beings are not being spared too. Ssembabule seems to be an epicenter of violence. An incumbent even threw in the towel claiming the violence is too much. Before the ink on her words dried, a youth was shot dead! It is going to be long eight months or so. Just like it was in 2021 and in many general elections before. Usually, the news that comes out is of violence and tension leading to many people to fear. Internet is usually cut off at some stage. Some radio stations also get blocked. Tear gas becomes part of the oxygen people breathe in. But should politics be like that? Over the last few years, it has become a job. An assurance for many of those who win to earn significantly over a five-year period especially for those at the top end of politics—those who end up as Members of Parliament. They are not only paid well; the president usually appoints a significant number of them into his cabinet—an opportunity to earn even better. Maybe that is the reason it is a do or die for many candidates like we have witnessed so far in Ssembabule. Of course, many of those who stand for office won’t be elected and even many incumbents won’t win their positions back. Ugandan politics below the presidency tends to give an opportunity to a lot of new comers. They call it a ‘turn for someone else to eat.’ Issues are less discussed on what can really transform a country yet that is where we need to go. The country cannot develop if we are voting people because it is a “turn for someone else to eat.” That way you send people to elective offices who stand for nothing and therefore go wherever the wind blows. That way the country remains poor because politics is a core component of economic development. People who have no values won’t fight for anything that affects the poor. They will only be concerned about themselves and their immediate families. A few millions in their pocket, and they pass laws that lead the country to nowhere. Corruption becomes their middle name and scheming the religion they believe in. Yet the issues that affect all of us affect them too. If the road to a Kampala suburb is potholed everywhere, a politician who steals money to build a residence or rental apartments or a hotel will suffer too. He may have a government Landcruiser but for how long? His tenants or patrons could shun the apartments or the hotel because of inaccessibility. The building may end up as a white elephant. And if he is voted out, he may not have the resources to renovate it. When there are no doctors and drugs in health facilities, the politician may not have enough time to be flown to Uganda’s referral hospitals for the rich in Nairobi or New Dehli. At the end of the day, stolen money at the expense of public services won’t be able to save him. As we spend more and more time on radio and television talkshows and watching TikTok clips on a loop of politicians, we need to put them to task on what they tend to do. Particularly, how are they going to enable young people find meaningful jobs or any job at all? How are they going to help the elderly live decent lives? What is their plan on education, health, transport, and agriculture among other key sectors? Also, there is a need for civic education so that our people understand that the best thing for them is not to be given a t-shirt or a piece of soap or even a hoe, rather to have something that they do that can enable them buy such stuff on their own. It is time for the population to eat. The politicians have eaten enough. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com