Testing a PHP 20,060,000 budget for an older 80 m² Manila condo

I have checked that PHP 20,060,000 can cover a broad refurbishment of this 80 m² Manila condo on paper. What remains unclear is how much of that figure would survive the exclusions once contractors inspect an older building.

The likely work includes a new kitchen and bathrooms, replacement finishes, repainting and a review of the electrical installation. Before tender, should I commission targeted moisture, plumbing and electrical investigations, or ask bidders to price those risks separately? I also need to understand what they may exclude for building permits, management approvals, restricted working hours and access to shared services. My priority is a realistic contingency and programme, not a more expensive finishes allowance.

At this early stage I’d model a 15–20% contingency, then reduce it only after intrusive items and exclusions are clearer. More important: is PHP 20,060,000 a construction-only figure, or does it also contain appliances, professional fees, building charges and temporary accommodation?

Ask each contractor to identify assumed wall and floor conditions, inaccessible plumbing, electrical replacement versus testing, waterproofing limits, debris handling and anything priced as an allowance rather than a fixed item.

That distinction is helpful. The PHP 20,060,000 is still a top-line budget test rather than a properly separated contractor price, so I need to pull the non-construction items out and make the allowances visible.

Would you open selected areas before tender, or leave hidden plumbing and wall conditions as provisional sums? I’m wary of paying for exploratory work that the building may restrict, but equally wary of comparing bids built on different assumptions.

I would not start by opening walls. In a condo, first ask the building administration what investigation and work it will allow, whether there are available plans, and what approval timing applies. Some walls may contain shared services even when no structural work is intended.

Begin with non-destructive moisture checks and inspection through existing access points. Then agree a small number of targeted openings if they will actually answer a pricing question. Provisional sums are useful for what remains unknowable, but they should describe quantities or scenarios rather than become a general bucket for overruns.

Also make every bidder price the same sequence. I’d set it out as: building approvals and permitted investigation; targeted opening-up; design and material sign-off; electrical and plumbing work; waterproofing and wet-area testing; closing walls; finishes; final checks.

Have contractors state material lead times, shutdown or access assumptions, and which delays are excluded. Keep the contingency outside the contract total rather than letting it disappear into generous allowances. That should make the bids easier to compare and show whether the programme—not the finishes—is driving the risk.