House building question

[Kenneth Brown]

On average what is the material cost per square foot to build a home. No marble floors but no pissant plastic hardware either. Just middle of the road.

 

[roscoe]

Re: House building question

$60 ?<br />Less for 2 story house, more for single story.<br /><br /><br />Major decisions that effect the number:<br />basement?<br />garage?<br />Vinyl siding/brick face?<br />steel roof/asphalt shingles?<br />extensive cabinets?<br />large or extra windows<br /><br />I think the "average" will tell you little.<br />Local consrtuction trends and quality of components vary greatly.<br /><br />A local builder that does most of the work "in-house" will be able to give you a better number.<br /><br />I can't wait to hear what everyone else has to say.

 

[Ron G]

Re: House building question

Roughly $80,Roscoe right alot of variables,and the location playes into that to.

 

[EZLoader]

Re: House building question

Roscoe is right...<br /><br />

Originally posted by roscoe:the "average" will tell you little.<br />Local consrtuction trends and quality of components vary greatly.A local builder that does most of the work "in-house" will be able to give you a better number.[/QB]

There are too many variables in the construction of the house and in local building codes/costs (i.e. - permits, utility costs/fees, labor, materials, methods of construction, finishes, etc.) to have out of state numbers mean anything to you.<br /><br />Contact some established local homebuilders that are building the quality and style level of product you like and tell them what you are wanting to do. With enough information they can give you a relatively accurate price. <br /><br />If you choose a straight forward house plan or style they are already building then their bid numbers should be close to dead on with budgeted allowances for your level of interior/exterior finishes.<br /><br />But if you choose something totally custom to them they will bid it all over the board and usually high just to make sure they're protected.<br /><br />This is what I do for a living.

 

[KRS]

Re: House building question

$60??? that was 10 years ago. With plywood, OSB, studs, and concrete up... you can be careful and build it yourself for $75-80, but that is pretty tight. This psf cost is Arizona.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: House building question

I am damn sure glad I live in Texas. For custom homes the starting price is $75 to the contractor for material and labor. Throwaway houses usually run $40 to $65 m&l. I am wondering what it'll be just for the material. <br /><br />Roscoe is right about variables so I'll narrow it down a litlle. 2 story, 1350 liveable, 2 1/2 bath, 1/2 wrap porch and deck.

<br /><br />I AM going to build this next year, one way or another. I plan on adding 3feet more width because its just a little too small for me. I have a very close friend who is a contractor in the San Antonio area. He wants to vacation on my farm for about 3 months and build this for me. He will sub everything out and still be under 50k he says. My intentions are to sub what I can't do out and do what I can. I am budgeting for the entire thing to be subbed so nothing will be a (big) suprise. Overall it appears that I 'll be doing the foundation, sub the framing and dry in, and we do the rest. I'm sure that areas like HVAC will have a pro come in and finish out so to make sure. Oh well, its just a dream I'm trying to make happen.

 

[EZLoader]

Re: House building question

Nice looking house!

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: House building question

Thanks EZ. I don't plan on having the fireplace. I would like it but its a little too pricy for meWhat I will probably do in that area is use one of the old cast iron wide body stoves. They measure about 2X3 and look really nice in a farm house setting. I say old but they are available new so.... This shows to be built on a foundation but I will do it over a crawl space. I will have beams poured for a solid foundation to start with. As I said before I am adding 3 ft. The dining/living will not be 26.7X11.9, it'll be 26.7X13.9. Bedroom 1 will be 17X12, or maybe even 17x13. This will increase the upstairs rooms also. Should be just about right after the mods are done. Heres the floor plan.<br />

<br /><br />

 

[njlarry]

Re: House building question

Can you post the floor plan or a link to same?

 

[njlarry]

Re: House building question

Crawl space will limit heating and water heater options. Looks like a great plan. The Vermont type stoves are excellant and give off alot of heat. Where will the site be, if very hilly and rock free, a walk in basement should not add much to the cost.<br />Let us know when the open house is.

 

[EZLoader]

Re: House building question

Ken, <br /><br />Good idea widening the living/dining room. You might even consider making it more than 13.9 because it will still be tight for both your living room furniture and the walking path you need from the front to the rear of the house. You also have to consider that your first floor staircase landing will be in that walking path area as well and you should plan for that.<br /> <br />I always have my clients layout and place their intended furniture on their plans at scale so they can see if any modifications are needed. Much better and cheaper to have too much floor space and width than not enough. Plus it adds value to the home. Another reason to consider the actual width in your living room is the fact you intend to have a woodstove. You should plan on how that stove will affect your furniture layout as well.<br /><br />I see lots of good looking houses with totally disfunctional floorplans that just a few, inexpensive modifications would have fixed. <br /><br />You're on the right track by modifying your plan to fit your needs before actual construction begins when it gets expensive to make changes.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: House building question

Thanks Larry and EZ. This will be in the central/East Texas area. Basements are out of the question here. I am looking for the stove more for decoration than heat, thats what makes the rock fireplace so out of my range. My wife is easy irritated by the smoke so it won't get used much. I am thinking of something like this-

or this-

<br /><br />There is also the thought of using this so there will be no smoke-

<br /><br />Initial plan is to use the tankless water heater, three of them actually. It will cost quite a bit more to do but should save considerable money over a few years. Plus I don't have to find a bif area for them. I do plan on having 2 separate HVAC systems, one up and one down. I realize all of these things I want are going to increase my initial cost but should return the investment shortly. <br /><br />I'm also open to suggestions on anything anybody has. This is all a new venture to me so we'll see how it ends. Maybe this post will last for 2 years. I done plenty of day labor as a kid on construction crews so I am familiar with everything, but for sure not a quailified builder on anything. The sructural parts will be farmed out for that reason, plus I don't have that much time or patience. My work scedule allows me to work early morning so by 1 pm I am at home so I have the flexibility I need for a project like this. I have retired in laws who need something to do and enjoy this type of stuff. And if all else fails I am planning the budget on completely subcontract, and me doing no physical work. I just have the desire to save the money, and more importantly, to say I built my own house, almost.

 

[KRS]

Re: House building question

A company in New Mexico manufactures Structural Insulated Panels for homebuilding... a 6" panel (similar to a 6" wall) has an "R" value in the 40's. The material is a little more expensive than stick framing, but the labor savings compensates (it is easy to build a wall).<br /><br />I think it's www.kcpanels.com<br /><br />Check them out, good luck, keep us updated.

 

[KRS]

Re: House building question

One of the additional savings of tankless heaters (are you using electrical or gas?) is you only run one waterline to jsut below the faucet, then it gets split to supply the heater, then it goes to the faucet... so aren't running two lines next to each other from the souce throughout the house.

 

[KRS]

Re: House building question

KB, do you need some cost estimate forms to help you along, I have some excellent ones, let me know....<br /><br />email is: fyrfytr at aznex dot net

 

[dhammann]

Re: House building question

Have you considered modular? There are some manufacturers like “ALL AMERICAN HOMES” that will allow you to finish the house once it arrives on site. The factory will leave unfinished (except structural) whatever you feel comfortable doing yourself. Even a turnkey job will only run around $60/SF for a structure that is superior to site built. I own a custom site-built 2800sf home and recently built a 2300sf modular vacation home….the modular is by far the better built house. I suggest that you do some intranet research on modular home building, it is the wave of the future. I like your floorplans, you could find something very similiar in modular and finish the upstairs yourself.

 

[Ron G]

Re: House building question

KB,Whats behind the kitchen,to the right of the laundry?is the laundry room an offset ,if it is to get more room you could expanded it all the way across the back.When i built the parents last house it had a bathroom offset,i wish i would've straightened it all the way across,would of been cheaper too straightening out the roof line,alot of people like the cut up roofs for looks but id rather have the space and the more useable living space.<br /><br />Lookes like its a nice home,love wraparound porches!!

 

[K Hultgre]

Re: House building question

I agree with Ron, that would allow a breakfase nook. Hope you have a stackable Washer and Dryer, current design requires it.

 

[D Grass]

Re: House building question

Ken, I am from wisconsin and I am sure being in texas you take air conditioning a little more serious, but I was wondering why you would put in 2 hvac systems in instead of zoning one unit for 1st and 2nd floor? this way you wouldn't have to buy 2 air handlers and 2 air conditioners, You could buy one of each.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: House building question

Thats why I posted this here D grass, so people can teach me about such things.