Here’s another dirt cheap earthbag house – this one is in Mexico. I just found a new video about the house, and the owner’s daughter who helped build the house said it cost about $2,000! We need more stories like this. At some point people will stop paying ridiculously high prices and switch over to earthbag building and other natural building methods.
This price, or something close to it, reveals the true cost of construction using earthbags. If you’re paying substantially more, then your money is going toward inflated prices for things. Sure, things are more expensive in the US than Mexico, but watch the video and see what I mean. That $2,000 house would cost maybe $125,000 (or more) in many places of the US. Part of the solution is to build your own small, simple house and avoid credit.
Of course, in expensive countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, etc, ANY structure buildable for $2000 or less will pretty much always lack electricity and running water. What you would have is a bunkhouse at best. Even rough plumbing would DEVOUR that $2,000 in a heartbeat, so a more realistic budget for building a small dwelling of alternative materials with basic electricity and plumbing is more like $28,000.
Owen; do you know any work-in-progress in México?
Im very interested in a earthbagbuilding house made by my own, maybe with a little help. i can´t find any workshops right now, do you know someone doing it in méxico?
Thanks o lot!
Mexico is one of the most popular places for earthbags. Trouble is, most people don’t advertise. They don’t want a bunch of people showing up. You might try posting an announcement on our free Bulletin Board. See link at top of page.
It could help many people in my country!
Hola Alejandro,
Nosotros vamos a organizar un taller para construir un domo de earthbag a finales de mayo, en Veracruz, si te interesa te mando detalles.
Saludos!
Dear Owen,
I am presently engaging in aquaculture in a rural area of Ghana and I’ve been thinking how cheap can I house myself well and my workers. I am a retired merchant marine officer.
I am now so much fascinated and inclined-to build an earth bag house than any other.
I am in my early seventies but very strong due to my life habits.
Kindly help me by connecting me to an Earth bag house architects who could assist me. Regards,
Peter N. Steele.
Peter, did you see this project in Ghana? http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/proposal-design-for-arts-village-at-abetenim-ghana/ They may know of someone who can help. Or you should be able to glean enough information from our websites, my book and videos to figure it out. Pass your final plans past a local architect and that should do it.
hi ,
can u tel me what is the durability of a eartbag house?
Earthbag is very similar to tamped earth construction, which can last hundreds or thousands of years: http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/ancient-rammed-earth-structures/ The main difference is no wooden forms are needed. The bags are the forms.
Hi,
I’m desperately searching for a bag supplier in Mexico that I can order from on a continuing basis. I’ve found companies but many don’t have the required 10×10 grid and also cant provide gusseted bags. At this point Ill diddle the bags myself but I need a suitable supplier for earthbags any suggestions?
Hi Dave,
I found this guys Polysnop http://www.rafia.com.mx/ 5203 8787 in México City they manufacture and sell tubular rafia in any width and in 10×10 or 8×8, also there is Mexplast http://www.mexplast.com.mx 5797 6766 in México State. I hope you find this info useful (almost a year late).
We are about to build our first earthbag dome in Huatusco Veracruz, by the end of May 2012 and we will use Polysnop’s tubular polypropilene tubular fabric.
Always get a sample and make some earthbags to test. Tamp them as hard as you can to see if they rupture. Leave them in the sun for a month. See if the soil turns very hard, etc.
Excellent sugestions! Thank you very much Owen.
Mónica, que gusto y muchas gracias por responder, me interesa mucho y por supuesto que le entramos. Saludos
Alejandro, te dejo mi correo monica.pellicer(a)gmail.com, escríbeme y te cuento más. Saludos!
I am interested in building such a house in england. Are you aware of anybody in Britain ever getting planning permission, as it is very strict here?
Not that I’m aware of. The only structure I know about is a children’s playground structure.
But you may be able to get approval through an engineer. We work with Precision Structural Engineering, Inc. in Oregon. They have cooperative agreements with engineers in other countries and may be able to handle your job.
http://www.structure1.com/
We’d love to see some photos of your project. And you’re welcome to post a message on our Bulletin Board: http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/bulletin.htm
Our email addresses at on our About page.
Hi Owen,
I want to build an earthbag home. Can you recommend any good locations in the U.S. that are appropriate for this type of construction?
Thanks,
Brendon
I can’t think of any areas that are not appropriate, except for obvious places like the middle of a swamp or on top of a landfill, that sort of thing. Earthbag is excellent for any climate. Do a search on earthbag superinsulated or earthbag scoria to learn how you can build lightweight insulated earthbag walls.