How much does it cost to build a cob house UK?
How much does it cost to build a cob house UK?
It will depend on site accessibility and how much adjustment is required to the onsite sub-soil, but usually the cost of the cob itself, including labour and materials, will be no more than £300 per cubic meter. In practice, this means between £25,000 and £40,000 for a typical three bedroomed house.
Can you build with cob in UK?
It is an ancient method of construction and one that is found all over the World. Although cob doesn’t spring to mind for most of us as a house construction method or self build option in the UK, there is a long tradition of cob building in the Southwest of England, and to a lesser extent in Cumbria.
Do you need planning permission for a cob house UK?
As with all builds, it is necessary to get planning permission and satisfy Building Regulations.
Is building a cob house expensive?
Cob building is a very economical building material both financially and environmentally. This is because all of the materials used to build the home can be found locally, instead of having raw materials manufactured and transported to the building site.
Can I get a mortgage on a cob house?
Cob houses are generally acceptable to most mortgage companies, but it is worth checking with a financial advisor before making a mortgage application. Like many other older building methods, thatched roofs offer excellent thermal properties, as well as looking particularly attractive on the top of an old cottage.
How long can a cob house last?
How long does cob last? The oldest cob house currently standing is 10,00 years old. If this doesn’t speak to how strong and durable cob houses are, then nothing will. Cob houses are built to stand forever as long as their roofs are maintained, and they are properly looked after.
How long does a cob wall last?
How thick should cob walls be?
between 18 to 24 inches
How thick should cob walls be? The thinner that cob walls are the less load bearing capacity and thermal mass that they will have. I recommend the width of cob walls be between 18 to 24 inches as a standard. This gives plenty of load bearing capacity for a one story building and plenty of thermal mass.
Where can I find clay to build a cob?
The subsoil beneath has very little organic material and is where you’ll find the clay-rich soil suitable for cob. You will usually notice a very distinct change of color between the topsoil and the subsoil. Many people have the misconception that you need to have clay to make cob.
Why are cob houses so cheap?
The raw materials for cob are cheap: soil, aggregate, straw, and water. But you also need to factor in the huge amount of labor to process these materials into cob or whatever earthen material you’re using. And the cob walls are only one portion of the whole building.