We don’t publish a price list, because two farmhouses of the same size can cost quite differently. These are the things that change it most:
FARMHOUSES
Farmhouse construction near Hyderabad
A farmhouse or a weekend home on your land outside the city, designed and built by ZB EcoTech with earth blocks. We work turnkey: design, materials and labour, from the soil test to handover.
Earth walls suit a farmhouse well. The blocks can often be made from your own soil, right on your land, and thick earth walls keep rooms cooler on hot afternoons.
Plan my farmhouseBefore you plan: check the land
- Land use. Find out whether your land is recorded as agricultural, and whether a house on it needs conversion or a permission from the gram panchayat or the planning authority. The rules depend on the village.
- GO 111 villages. Some villages in Moinabad, Shankarpally and Chevella mandals fall in the old GO 111 catchment area of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, where building has been restricted. Check your village before you spend on drawings.
- Road access. Trucks with materials, and our block press, need to reach the site, including in the rains.
- Water and power. Block making and curing need water on site, and building needs a power connection or a generator.
We help you find out what applies to your land, but for title and land-use questions, please have your own lawyer check the documents.
Designing a farmhouse you visit on weekends
Easy to lock up
A house that stays shut through the week needs good doors, grilles and a simple plan to close up quickly.
Low upkeep
Earth-block walls can be left bare, with no plaster to crack or repaint.
Shade and breeze
Deep verandahs, roof overhangs and windows placed for cross-ventilation keep the house comfortable when you arrive on a hot afternoon.
Water planned in
A sump, an overhead tank and rainwater harvesting, planned with the house rather than added later.
Why earth blocks suit a farmhouse
- Blocks from your own soil. When the soil tests suitable, CJ EcoTech Supply, our sister company, brings its own press and operator and makes the blocks on your land. Less to truck in, less to throw away.
- Cooler rooms. Thick earth walls take in the day’s heat slowly and give it out at night.
- A natural finish. Walls can be left exposed, so the house looks like it belongs to the land around it.
- Strong walls. The Auroville Earth Institute measures an average dry strength of 7.5 MPa for well-made blocks, about twice that of country-fired bricks.
Strength numbers are the Auroville Earth Institute’s, from Auroville conditions. Hyderabad numbers will come from our own tests.
What changes the cost of a farmhouse
- The size of the house and the number of floors
- The soil: whether blocks can be made from it, and what kind of foundation it needs
- Access to the site, and how far materials travel
- Water on site for block making and curing
- The roof, the finishes, and the doors and windows you choose
- Work around the house, such as a compound wall, a sump or paving. Tell us what you want so the quote covers it.
After a site visit and a soil test, you get a quote that lists what’s included.
How we build your farmhouse
Site visit
We walk the land with you and talk about how you’ll use the place.
Soil test
We check whether blocks can be made from your soil, and with which mix.
Design and drawings
A design around your land, the views and the way the sun moves.
Permission
You, or your representative, sign the application. We prepare the drawings and guide you through it.
Blocks and building
Blocks are made on your land, cured for about four weeks, and we build through to handover.
Questions about farmhouses
Can the blocks be made on my farm?
Often, yes. If your soil tests suitable, CJ EcoTech brings its own press and operator to your land. It needs open space for the press, the soil heap and curing, a water source, and about four weeks of curing before blocks go into walls.
Can you build in a GO 111 village?
Only where building is permitted. The rules for these villages have been under review for some years, so we check the current position for your village before any design work.
How far from Hyderabad do you build?
We cover Hyderabad and the areas around it, including Chevella, Moinabad, Shankarpally, Shadnagar, Kothur, Maheshwaram, Adibatla, Sangareddy and Kandi, with no extra travel charge. Beyond these, we quote case by case.
Can we start with one cottage and add more later?
Yes. Many people start with one building and add to it. We plan the site so later buildings fit in.
Is a farm-stay with several cottages a farmhouse project?
If you plan several buildings for guests, see our layouts and multi-home projects page.Layouts and projects →
Related pages
GET IN TOUCH
Tell us about your land.
Where it is, roughly what you’d like to build, and how you’ll use it. We’ll call you back, usually within two working days.