Alan L. said:
I can't put my finger on what is costing so much, it is so spread out. EVERYTHING is too high.
My contractor friend that is helping me on this gave me these figures, which he says is pretty much what the cost will be. I do his taxes, so I know he always makes money and I've never seen him underestimate his costs.
Hi Alan,
A couple things jump out at me that you might want to consider. You're really going to the extreme on your insulation. There is a point when you spend way more than you get in return. It reminds me of a friend who spent hundreds of dollars on a titanium byclicle seat to save a few ounce on weight. He's fatter than I am and hardly ever rides, but he got it in his head that he needed this seat. It's a total waste of money.
My concern is that you are building your dream home based on all the cutting edge, latest discoveries and techniques that won't be significantly better than standard construction. I'm very hesitant on new technology and the latest methods. Tried and proven mean allot more to me than a study put out by the manufacturer. Also realize that the numbers used sometimes don't have real world benifits.
Your high ceiling will be an issue to cool, but the difference in type of roofing material you use is almost insignicant to the feel of your home. I think you get a better job of insulating with the spray on foam, but if you double up on ceiling fiberglass, you save a ton of cash, but get as good, or better R value.
Overall, your numbers are on the high side. I'm not sure if it's labor in your area, or if your contractor is using safe numbers to be sure he's under budget and adding 20 percent to everything.
Before going any further with him, I'd call in a few other builders and see what they say. Get some opinions from different contractors on what you want to use and the benifits of using these materials.
The biggest mistake people make when building a home is to hire a family member or friend to do the job. In allot of cases, it ruins these relationships. I've been called in to finish off jobs because of this.
I don't know your contractor and I'm sure he's very competent and qualified to do the job. But until you shop around, you don't know your options.
Are you relying on your contractor for prices of materials? Don't.
One thing that I've never understood is where they buy your materials from. Most contractors have a supplier that they like to use and use all the time. Here there is a store that allot of guys use that is just allot more expensive than anybody else. There lumber is no better, there service is no better, but there prices reflect premium grade everything. I use McCoys for my jobs and with my discount, the difference is substantial on materials.
Ask what he's paying for certain materials and then price them yourself at different stores. Things like OSB, studs, PT lumber, sheet rock and anything else that you can think of. I've seen .50cent difference in the price of a single framing stud. When you buy a thousand studs, that's a huge difference.
One way to save a few bucks is to go the the post office and get a change of address packet. Home Depot will give you ten percent off on anything you buy with it up to a certain point. I usualy buy my appliances at a specialty store, but lately, they have lost touch. I went to Lowes with the Home Depot discout and they honored it. I then went to Home Depot with the same discount card for other stuff. You can only do this once at each store, but it's a good way to save some money.
Paintable doors are allot cheaper than wood grain.
Carpet is the cheapest flooring, but be sure to shop around. Most all the carpet comes from the same supplier in Dallas, but the retailers all have different prices. Good Carpet is $20 a yard installed. Don't get berber, it's comes apart and doesn't last very long.
Tile is the same way, but installation can kill you. I priced the exact same tile, from the same manufacture, and found a $5 spread per sqare foot. The most expensive was from the same company that so many builders like to use for everything else. I have an account with a smaller flooring company that doesn't carry any inventory. You pick out what you like, they order it and you pick it up.
Cabinets can be one of those things that you really like, or really hate. Are you getting wood grain, or painted? My experience with cabinet builders is that most of them are not very great. They can make a decent cabinet, but the finish is what fails them. Allot of time, the painters have to finish the cabinets. The results can vary ALLOT. The very best cabinet makers have a finishing crew that specializes in staining and sealing there cabinets. They are very good and you pay for those results. For what your paying, I don't think you will get that level of quality. More like $20,000 for a home.
I like Home Depot for kitchen cabinets. They have a good selection and every one of the brands there will have a fantastic finish on them. Baked on under ideal conditions. If something isn't right, you return it and they get you another one. No chasing down the cabinet guy to redo something.
I don't know how big the kitchen is, but from the size of your house, I'd imagine you could get some real nice cabinets from Home Depot and have them installed for half of what you have in your budget. If not, it's always good to look at them anyway to see what you might like that you hadn't considered. Also be sure to see some of work done by the cabinet guy if you go that route. You don't want to be suprised by how they look when they are installed.
Lighting can really add up. Most builders have there electrician who wired the house also install the lights. At $65 an hour, it's kind of pricey to have them connecting lights!!! Shop around on the lights. A specialty store will have entire families of lighting that you can pick that will tie the whole house together. They will deliver and include the bulbs too. Much, much cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes. Also remember that you can paint light fixtures sometimes. If you see one that you like, but it's the wrong color, you can paint it allot cheaper than buying the more exensive one in the same color. Of course, that doesn't apply to the shiny metals, if that's what you like.
Shop around on bricks. I didn't undurstand your pricing, but most brick is around a quarter each. Some will be more. I think you ment to put .42 cents each for what your buying. That's kind of top end. Is there a big difference in that brick and some for allot less??
Mueller is a good source for materials, but putting in those steep roofs is tricky because they are so slippery. Did you ask the sales guy at Mueller who they recomend to install the roofs? They deal with allot of contractors and know the good from the bad. If you like the look of a metal roof, than putting shingles on will not only change the entire look of the house, but you won't be as happy with it either.
Eddie
