Come along as we build a custom home Thread II--Construction
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Anonymous
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Decided to start a second thread, since the first was getting pretty long. First thread is on pre construction/site prep. This one will be on construction itself.
Here's the link to the first, post. https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1150870.page And, a few details on the house itself: 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom. 5500 sq feet across three levels. 10 foot ceilings on each level. Has closets 'stacked' above each other on each level that could be turned into an elevator in the future (special foundation accommodations needed for this) Basement (1300 sq ft): Has exercise room (could be turned into a second family room if desired) with electric fireplace to avoid gas venting issues, bedroom, full bath, office. Not a walkout as the lot is flat. Main level (2000 sq ft living + 500 ish for garage): wheelchair accessible, Guest bedroom w/full bath, roll in shower, vanity that accommodates wheelchairs. Ramps out to garage & back entrances. Powder room, 1st floor small/stacked washer/dryer in mudroom, screened porch with gas fireplace (17x14), open concept family room (gas fireplace)/eat in kitchen, dining room. 2 car garage. Second level (1600 sq ft ): 3 bedrooms, incl primary. Primary bedroom suite includes 2 walk in closets, bathroom, and separate sitting room (a place to watch TV nearby, but without disturbing partner). 2 bedrooms for kids with shared hall bath. Main laundry room, utility sink + cabinets. Exterior: brick with some stacked stone at base, some insulated vinyl siding on southern exposure, outdoor deck about 1/3 the length of the house + grade level slab connecting screened porch with deck (and connecting ramp). Wanted bluestone for slab, but might do a textured concrete depending on how costs are running. |
Anonymous
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Just to transfer over from the previous thread--builder had us select appliances first thing, as supply chains were still pretty slow until a few months ago. Used ABW Appliances and got Thermador-- counter depth refrigerator (freezer at bottom), freedom induction cooktop + vent...hood will be part of the cabinet order) dishwasher, electric double ovens
LG stackable washer/dryer for mudroom. Did NOT get: built in microwave (I think they're awkward to reach, so we'll have a regular one sitting on the countertop, but it'll be 'hidden' in a nook beside the wall ovens). My parents are giving us their full size, front load washer dryer that are only a year old and they decided they didn't want. Debated a larger fridge or refrigerated drawers, but will instead have a second fridge that we already own, in the garage. Total appliance cost: 23K |
Anonymous
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We also ordered cabinets for kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room early on. At the builder's recommendation, we used Reico, though we did visit a few other dealers.
Whoa, cabinets are expensive. You can really go wild. We wanted cabinets to be flush with the ceiling and not have the gap to catch dust. That added 10K to the cost though. So we rethought the design and are doing a soffit/bulkhead + crown molding that will meet the top of the cabinets--so there won't be a gap but also won't need a second row of cabinets on top. Went with Merillat cabinets for kitchen, primary bath, and first floor guest bath, powder room (they have different 'lines'-Masterpiece is most expensive but with more color and design options. We did that for the kitchen, and used their "classic' and 'basic' lines elsewhere. Went with Green Forest (less expensive) for other cabinets (laundry room, basement guest bath). Total cost: 50K, which was about 4K higher than the original budget. |
Anonymous
| One thread was enough. |
Anonymous
Some of us are still finding this really helpful and you are free to ignore/go away. |
Anonymous
| OP, if I read you correctly in the prior thread, you are aiming around $253 per sq. ft for 5500 sq. ft, and that is doing cost-plus with a builder and you are somewhat involved in the process. And, decent finishes above builder grade?. So somewhere around 1.3-1.4 build cost on top of land? |
Anonymous
Yes, exactly. We're aiming for $1.4 (ish) million to build, and that's construction costs + builder fee. Pretty decent finishes--at least, from my point of view. I'll post the brands we chose for tile, plumbing, cabinets, appliances. And for brick etc. Definitely possible to save money here or spend a lot. |
Anonymous
| Thanks for sharing, I doubt I will ever do this but it is interesting to follow along and learn about the process. |
Anonymous
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Does your build contract include passing private inspections as well as the local city/county inspections?
Was talking with one of the tradesmen doing work on our remodel. He was talking about going through 42 inspections ( not him personally) on a housing development as the developer required the construction company/gc to pass both private inspections and public inspections. This doesn’t always happen and is why so many new builds end up with problems. |
Anonymous
I know that the County has inspectors on site perpetually. They're checking that each stage is built to code, but that is a minimum standard. Our contract did not include outside inspectors, however, our builder had no problem with us hiring our own inspectors to review work. From what I've read/heard, there are three times when having your own inspector is good. 1. Foundation inspection, when its poured, footers etc are in, but before soil is moved back in place around the foundation 2. Pre drywall, when all the plumbing, wiring + HVAC is installed 3. Final inspection. We used our engineer to take a look at the foundation, and hired Enlighten Home inspectors for pre drywall ($600). I wouldn't want the outside inspections as part of our building contract, we found them ourselves--which is better for being fully independent from the builder. We did discuss with the builder ahead of time, who was completely unfazed by this. If he'd been resistant, that would have been a red flag. Pretty normal to hire. |
Anonymous
| Do all hardi plank |
Anonymous
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Oh, another note before getting into individual components. Way back before we'd signed with the builder, we had a document from our architect that listed a bunch of specs for the home, divided into segments: "Exterior of Home", "Interior", "Mechanical", "Electrical". The document was 5 pages and many of the specifications repeated what various components of building code call for. But not everything.
For example: we specified we wanted waterproofing for the foundation (not just damp proofing). Most of the document was fairly technical. eg "Perimeter foundation drain at exterior of all new areas of construction. Perforated drain tile to be embedded in minimum 6" pea gravel cover and located 6" below the top of slab. Gravel to be covered with filtration fabric." Builder and architect were always willing to answer questions--but as a layperson, much of this was not familiar to us. I wouldn't have known if something was left off. We could (and did) deviate from this upon really getting started for certain things: for example, the aforementioned waterproofing rather than damp proofing, but its a good starting point for estimates. |
Anonymous
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Thank you.
I am thinking of custom built home too, and taking ideas. Love the idea of having stacked closets that can be converted to elevators. Here is my list thus far - ensuite bathrooms in each bedroom and ample closet space (or walk-in closet) - A big, separate attached pantry - A side entrance with an attached bathroom and a place to bathe the dog or wash muddy boots. - Main level in-laws suite - bedroom, bathroom, sitting area, ramp, attendant room and kitchenette, separate entrance. - Upstairs laundry room. - Basement apartment that can be its own unit with separate entrance from outside or from the garage. (in addition to having other things in the basement - hall for entertaining, bar, theatre, AV system, storage, kitchen, bathroom, gym etc). |
Anonymous
Hope this is helpful. With a main level in law suite--maybe a small washer/dryer as an auxiliary to the main, upstairs laundry room would be good. Neighbors of ours have a basement apartment--which they currently use for the au pair. |
Anonymous
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There are 55 separate budget line item categories for construction of this house. So when we make decisions, we're keeping in mind what was allocated/estimated for each. They are:
Foundation Waterproofing Termite Protection Structural Steel Framing & Labor Lumber Trusses/Roof Trusses/Floor Rails-Exterior HVAC Plumbing Labor Plumbing Fixtures Sprinklers Electrical Labor Lighting/Fixtures Security System Sound System, TV/Phone Roofing Masonry Fireplaces Windows Garage Doors Interior Doors/Locksets Exterior Doors Insulation Trim-Exterior-Material Exterior-Labor Decks/Rear Porches Gutters & Shutter Siding Painting Tools & Supplies Drywall Rails-Interior/Stairs Hardwood Flooring & Stairs StoneTileVinyl Flooring Trim -Interior-Materials Trim -Interior- Labor Cabinets & Vanities Countertops Appliances Shower Enclose Acc Mirrors Deck Building clean up Landscaping Concrete Walk & Pavers Driveway & Paving Curb/Guttering/Apron Storm Drain Options (Addtl) Walk through punch list Builder Fee Warranty Port a toilet Temp Utilities |