Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

wrote:

Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

Plenty of help here, but you have provided way too little info
for an informative answer. With the info you provided, I
would give you a range of $85 to $300 per square foot. If you
get really crazy, it could go up to $500 a square foot. How
many gold fixtures are you going to use? Did you want
imported Italian marble on just the floors or will you want it
on the ceiling domes as well?

Single story or three story? On a flat lot or a 45 degree
slope? Completely self contained and off the power grid or
did you want electric service from the power company?

You get the picture.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Your question is totally pointless, just as asking how much to buy a car or
how much does food in a restaurant cost! Way too many variables involved for
a flat answer.


wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 17:02:48 -0500, "EXT"
wrote:

Your question is totally pointless, just as asking how much to buy a car or
how much does food in a restaurant cost! Way too many variables involved for
a flat answer.

I could tell the OP the Sate Bird!



wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 16:08:41 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

I don't know the answer without the question

I presume you are 235' above sea level?

Oren
--

1) Building is (not to be rude) nuts. I would say the same thing if
you were trying to set your hair on fire. The housing bubble means
that thre will be tons of houses in FL available at low low prices.
FL is the worst housing market on earth. In 2008-2009 it will be a
bloodbath of reposessions, fire sales, etc.

"Over the next five years, the futures contracts are pointing to
losses of around 35 per cent in some areas, such as Florida,
California and Las Vegas. There is a good chance that this housing
recession will go on for years." - Robert Shiller

Links about prices:

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2007/12/...-collapse.html
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business...a-jobs-utility

2) For God's sake avoid Mr. Build and other craptastic methods. If
you want to save money, wait til the bubble bursts even more and
stroll in and buy what you want. If you still want to build - and
you'll be one of the few doing this - contractors and trades in FL
will be desperate for work.

On Jan 2, 6:08*pm, "
wrote:
*Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

You can't fight all the battles alone. Get some professional help to
plan and execute. Consider hiring a qualified architect (see if he has
his diplomas on the wall) and plan on being his Gofer and let him
settle the arguments with the contractors, subs, etc. Unless you've
been in the trades you don't have the knowledge or contacts to find
the top talent. Take your time, interview and inspect, chat with
anyone connected with the trades, and expect that any budget you think
is fair will be off by 30%. Whatever, good luck.

Joe

On Jan 2, 6:08 pm, "
wrote:
Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

Taryn, I really can't say what building costs are in Florida. Where I
live, a basic new house runs 150 a square foot, but that is here in
the frozen north. Prices in Florida SHOULD be lower, but I don't
really know.

With all due respect, I think you are over your head in trying to be
your own general. You really need to have a pretty good understanding
of the building process to serve as your own general and your question
leads me to believe that you're not there. Some homeowners have
successfully contracted their own homes, but I bet they started out
with a better than average knowledge of the process. You have to know
quite a bit about every trade to effectively coordinate them, for
example: How high do you want to set your house? Where will you
bring the utilities in at? What if the framer complains that the slab
is out of square? What if the plumber runs a vent in the only spot for
an HVAC duct? Oops, you forgot the thermo wire. Was that the
electrician's responsibility or the HVAC guys? Are there enough
screws in the sheetrock? Who scrapes the floor after the tapers? Do
finish floors go in before or after setting doors? Yes it has been
done, but it will be a lot of mental anguish. These are just sample
questions. Many subs have tunnel vision, and they will always try to
do what is easiest for them. The GC is the one with the big picture.

Think of it...instead of finding one good GC, you will have to find a
good concrete guy, excavator, framer, electrician, etc. etc. They are
all used to working for contractors, not homeowners, so you will be at
the bottom of their priority lists. I do this for a living, and
running the subs can definitely be the most frustrating part of the
job if you get the wrong ones. And not only should you know what each
sub does, you should know what they charge. It's all pretty
overwhelming for an amateur.

I would focus instead on finding a good contractor. Ask around--word
of mouth is the way to go. Good contractors are out there, and the
good ones don't advertise in the yellow pages.

about 300,000 basic and about 450,000 if you like yuppified things.

s

wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

In article
,
" wrote:

Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

A starting point for cost:

http://www.building-cost.net/

Smitty Two wrote:
In article
,
" wrote:


Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson


A starting point for cost:

http://www.building-cost.net/
Hi,
Have any experinece with residential home construction and all the phase
of sub trade? If not I'd advice hiring trustworthy general contractor
who will oversee from A to Z in building your house. You have to specify
what you want precisely and honestly, every thing in writing. Good
communication is very important. After having built 5 houses and a
cabin, I learned quite a bit at least to know what's going on when house
is built. Also go green as much as you can for long term benefit.
Good luck,

In article c3fbf666-3c5c-45b3-bb5b-
,
) says...
Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

Do you have any experience with rural living? Rural homes tend to be
smaller and more spread out. A 2500 SF house, a 2000 SF detached
garage/shop, another 1500 SF barn for hay and livestock and another shed
(fairly near the shop) for equipment storage. An RV pad with a full
hookup will be a big attraction when you sell the place. Just don't
dump an RV holding tank into a septic tank. You will overload the
system. In Florida, you can probably pass on the greenhouse, but a
couple of large cold frames would be nice if someone in the family has a
green thumb. Don't put all your money into a house, when other
buildings will do you more good.

To develop maximum value, you need to plan the estate. Setting is
crucial in the country. You need to integrate the buildings with the
landscaping and fencing. Don't forget garbage and recycling. Plunk an
unmodified urban house down in a rural setting and it will take a lot of
work to keep it from looking like a junk yard. Drive around and look
for really attractive country places to get some ideas of what is
possible.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

On Jan 2, 11:40 pm, "SteveB" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

It's just like a girl on the stroll. How much is it going to cost?

Depends on what you want.

It's that simple.

Pretty much... depending upon what you know.

If you feel a need to inquire here, you might add 50%.

If you don't know what you're doing, I think it's best to buy an
existing home. If you want the education, build as much of it as you
can yourself, and be prepared to pay, perhaps dearly, for tuition.

If you're 25, that education might be worth it. If you're 55, cut 20
years off your life expectancy, and go ahead and die upon occupancy.
The savings in assisted living fess will please your heirs.
-----

- gpsman

wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

The going rate is between $75 and $750 per square foot. Dirt work and
landscaping extra. Pool extra. To find the exact cost, keep track. At the
end, divide the amount spent by the square footage, and you will have a per
square foot price.

How much that figure is depends on your management, organizational, and
professional skill level.

Steve

wrote in message
...
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

It's just like a girl on the stroll. How much is it going to cost?

Depends on what you want.

It's that simple.

"marson" wrote in message
...
On Jan 2, 6:08 pm, "
wrote:
Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

Taryn, I really can't say what building costs are in Florida. Where I
live, a basic new house runs 150 a square foot, but that is here in
the frozen north. Prices in Florida SHOULD be lower, but I don't
really know.

With all due respect, I think you are over your head in trying to be
your own general. You really need to have a pretty good understanding
of the building process to serve as your own general and your question
leads me to believe that you're not there. Some homeowners have
successfully contracted their own homes, but I bet they started out
with a better than average knowledge of the process. You have to know
quite a bit about every trade to effectively coordinate them, for
example: How high do you want to set your house? Where will you
bring the utilities in at? What if the framer complains that the slab
is out of square? What if the plumber runs a vent in the only spot for
an HVAC duct? Oops, you forgot the thermo wire. Was that the
electrician's responsibility or the HVAC guys? Are there enough
screws in the sheetrock? Who scrapes the floor after the tapers? Do
finish floors go in before or after setting doors? Yes it has been
done, but it will be a lot of mental anguish. These are just sample
questions. Many subs have tunnel vision, and they will always try to
do what is easiest for them. The GC is the one with the big picture.

Think of it...instead of finding one good GC, you will have to find a
good concrete guy, excavator, framer, electrician, etc. etc. They are
all used to working for contractors, not homeowners, so you will be at
the bottom of their priority lists. I do this for a living, and
running the subs can definitely be the most frustrating part of the
job if you get the wrong ones. And not only should you know what each
sub does, you should know what they charge. It's all pretty
overwhelming for an amateur.

I would focus instead on finding a good contractor. Ask around--word
of mouth is the way to go. Good contractors are out there, and the
good ones don't advertise in the yellow pages.


I tend to agree with Marson. Unless you have had some experience with other
houses or additions you may be in over your head. Of course it depends on
your circumstances as well. If you are retired and have a load of time on
your hands and you have two or three years to build, then you can brush up
on your construction knowledge. If you are working full time and are not
living near the site, it would be best to find a good general contractor
that you can work with.

The important thing is to have good plans as well as good specifications to
go with the plans. You should have all the details worked out BEFORE you
begin. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to wire a kitchen
without a kitchen detail. So my work comes to a halt as does the plumber's
until the owners figure out where the sink and stove are going to go and
what kind of appliances they will be installing. If you want undercabinet
lights I would need to know before the wall gets covered up; Not after the
cabinets are installed. I recently wired a detached garage with an upstairs
apartment. I had to wait six weeks after we signed the contract because the
owner did not choose a roofing material ahead of time. I went one day to
try and get a head start and it started to rain inside and outside. I had
to stop my work because I couldn't let the wiring get wet. When the roof
was on I went back to do my work.

First get an architect to draw the plans for your dream house. Ponder it
for a few weeks and make notes about changes and additions. Then go back to
the architect and have him or her incorporate your changes into the
drawings. Keep doing this until you have a clear picture and very specific
drawings. Then make up a list of specifications such as all kitchen lights
to be such and such brand and model number. Have specifications for each
room down to the last detail such as what type of outlets you want
installed. Next hire a kitchen designer to draw your dream kitchen. Make
sure to have specifications and locations for all major appliances. Don't
forget utility closets for the furnace and water heater or will you have a
basement? If you are retired you may not want to have too many stairs.

When you have all of these plans and specifications finished and refined to
perfection make up five copies of each and give them out to five different
contractors for pricing. This way you can compare apples to apples when the
contractors come back with their estimates.

"gpsman" wrote in message
...
On Jan 2, 11:40 pm, "SteveB" wrote:
wrote in message

...

Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

It's just like a girl on the stroll. How much is it going to cost?

Depends on what you want.

It's that simple.

Pretty much... depending upon what you know.

If you feel a need to inquire here, you might add 50%.

If you don't know what you're doing, I think it's best to buy an
existing home. If you want the education, build as much of it as you
can yourself, and be prepared to pay, perhaps dearly, for tuition.

If you're 25, that education might be worth it. If you're 55, cut 20
years off your life expectancy, and go ahead and die upon occupancy.
The savings in assisted living fess will please your heirs.
-----

- gpsman

I've built one home, remodeled two TOTALLY, and am adding a 1,000 sf casita
to my present house.

It ain't rocket surgery. It is a lot of work. Each project has its own
peculiarities. Things can and do go wrong.

It's just a poor place to immerse one's self. In particular, the size and
scope of the project the OP describes.

He intones that he has little or no experience with subs. If that's the
case, then he'll be eaten alive.

It is impossible to learn it all on one project. On my first, I studied it
all for about a year, and then went forth. It went pretty well. The others
varied. Point is, if someone is intelligent, does a lot of preparatory
study, and manages and supervises people well, things should go okay. That
is not to say some things turn into a nightmare, but in my experience,
unless you go into high end granite work, complicated plumbing, out of the
ordinary loads that require engineering, complicated roof structures, or
other costly alternatives, the standard construction can be reasonably
predictable. It's just when you get into specialties that it can go crazy.

There's a million details to keep straight and all at once. Ordering.
Payroll. Quality control. Exhibiting a presence so the subs know you are
at least watching what's going on. Calling them on bluffs, overruns,
add-ons, and bull****. Working out change orders on paper. And then
there's the financial aspect, whether you're doing an OC construction loan
and have to have everything inspected and verified, or you're working out of
pocket and it works a little more fluidly. Flow charts, projection spread
sheets, graphs, and all kinds of stuff can be done in advance, and that's
good. Then there's the reality line that is penciled in as it goes.

After having done it, I would never have a general do the total job, but use
a general for the major part, and handle some of the subs myself. Most
contractors are okay with this unless they are involved in high end houses
and want to make all the money. And those are the ones that will cost an
arm and a leg. Everything will be fine in the end except a big hole in your
wallet.

On my casita, I have saved money on almost every aspect by shopping subs,
and getting good referrals. Only had one doofus on the drywall and ran him
off after three hours. I'm doing a portion of the work myself, and saving
even more. I buy all materials, except for the framing, trusses, stucco,
hvac, rough plumbing and slab. So, if you know how to do stuff, you can do
more yourself and know when someone's jerking your chain.

A lot of it depends, too, on how much time you can take off. A lot of
people can't take off long enough to build a house. So they have to pay
someone to do it.

In this current market, I think I'd just buy a ready built one. I'm sure
there's lots of NEW houses in that area which would be a better investment
than risking a lot on a first time project of this proportion.

Steve

On Jan 2, 1:55*pm, "
wrote:
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3 baths.
We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does anyone have
any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs, making sure work
is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

Thanks in advance.
T. Stevenson

Hi Taryn,

I think if you have no experience in building, or have familly /
friends who are in the trade, then I would avoid trying to do it. I
built a home in New York from the ground up, including blasting rock
with dynamite. However I had a very good General contractor and an
Architect.

The most risk on a build is the site. I.E. no one knows what is under
the land. Will it support the weight of the house? Is it swampy? In my
case I had to blast, and no one knew the cost of the excavation /
foundation. Once the foundation is in, the rest of the house pircing
can be predicted pretty accurately.

From your E-mails it looks like you already have a site. Maybe it is
familly land or are you thinking of buying it. If you need to buy the
land, bring along an expert. Can something really be built there?

If you already have the land, I think your next step is to hire a good
architect. A good one will know the cost of a build, and be able to
advise you. My Architect charged about $US 100 per hour. So if you are
at the exploration stage, you need to keep a tight rein on his work
hours. All you need is to see how much you need to spend to see if you
can afford what you want and what is possible. This should be no more
than maybe one site visit, and maybe another 3 hours or so work. At
the end he should be able to sit down with you, and tell you where you
are at.

Costs are really difficult to predict, but in general I would say
whatever you think + 30%. I would also say about $US 250 a square foot
is a "Nicely Equiped" house in car buying parlance. On top of the 250
per sq foot, I would add additional money for basics: Well, Sewage,
Electricity, Driverway. My land was very rocky so I had a $US 100,000
charge for all the blasting and rock work, so do not get caught out on
the basic infrastucture costs.

Good luck and I hope you achive your dream. Note that houses around
you are cheap due to the property crash. However I would also say,
construction costs are also cheap. Material costs are lower,
construction peoples prices are lower. Also less lag time in trying to
get a good carpenter etc.

Warmest regards, Mike.

wrote:
Hello everyone,

We are looking to build a 3000 sq ft home in Fl. 4-5 bedrooms 3
baths. We are looking at some of the owner builder programs. Does
anyone have any advice on cost and how to go about hiring subs,
making sure work is done right?
About how much would a project like this cost?

As others indicate, cost depends on what you want. It also depends on
where in Florida you are...SE or SW are going to be a bunch more than
Polk County where I am. What I did a dozen years ago...

1. Buy land
2. Rough out floor plan
3. Refine plans via architect or "home designer". The latter are
basically specialized and knowledgable draftsmen and are what I used.
They can also tell you what trades you'll need and can probably make
recommendations.

4. When I had the needed plans I started talking to the various trade
contractors to get bids. I also talked to generals.

5. I can get along OK in wood but had zero experience with concrete
which is what most Florida houses are so I hired a general to act as a
construction manager through "dry in". He was to come everyday to
check work, act as liason between me and subs, pass payments from me
to them etc. I used some of his subs - slab/block/framer/plumber -
and his trade accounts; i.e., subs told him what they needed, he
ordered from supplier; supplier billed him, he gave me bill, I paid
him, he paid supplier. It worked out fine, saved me some on the
materials and didn't have to set up accounts with the suppliers (or
COD). I paid him a flat fee...IIRC, $5000. In hindsight, I think I
over paid him (at that time) by $1000-1500.

__________________

Being your own general can save you a bunch. To get to dry in cost me
around $25 sq.ft in 1996 (figure about 35% more now). That got me a
shell...textured drywall inside and all built in electrical (fans,
cans), insert fire place, HW heater, gas, 2 heat pumps, bare concrete
block exterior, tar paper on roof. Adding stucco, tile roof, paint
inside and out was around another $5.00 sq.ft. Total was at least 40%
less than if I had hired a general. Building out the inside also
saved a bunch...total overall (inside/outside) would be 1/2 or less
than the lowest complete builder bid.

Downside is that you are totally responsible...if something gets
screwed up it is your fault and you have to fix/get it fixed..
_________________

SUBS

Finding subs isn't hard...the yellow pages are full of them. Finding
good ones is harder. You have to assess them the same way you do
anyone else...can you communicate with them?...do they behave and
operate in a professional manner?...license and insurance up to
date?...stable?...been in business for some years?

Ask around too. No, not your neighbors but at stock houses. Need an
electrician? Go to an electrical supply place, skip over the fixture
showroom and talk to the order counter guys...they know who is good
and who is a flake.

Get several bids from each trade so you get an idea what is a going
price. Some - like slab guys - will give you a per square foot price
over a phone for labor, you can compute concrete costs by figuring
square yards and calling a supplier.

The building inspector will assure that the subs' work meets code.
That doesn't mean it is good; however, any sub that has been in
business for a few years will probably be doing decent work. Your
eyes will tell you too. BTW, never let a sub work on your
money...NEVER pay in advance.

Once you have your subs lined up, they will tell you what needs to be
done before they can do their thing. For example, the plumber has to
do his initial work after footers and foundation/fill but before slab.
________________

SUBS YOU'LL NEED

Concrete - may or may not do site prep and footers. If not, you'll
need a tractor man to scrape off the overburden and a layout man to do
footers.

Block

Fill

Plumber

Framer

HVAC

Electrician

Roofer

Drywall

Stucco

Painter

Finish carpenter

Others?
_______________

RANDOM THOUGHTS

To me, the two most important things in a house are the bottom and the
top...the foundation/slab and the roof. Don't skimp on either.

There are two types of slabs generally used in Florida. One
incorporates footers - the slab support - in the slab itself by having
it thicker around the perimeter. The other involves digging a trench,
pouring separate footers then the slab (after adding any needed block
and fill as foundation). The slab can be "fiber cement" (has
fiberglass) or use steel. I still know very little about concrete but
I prefer separate footers and slab. And steel. As many footers as
possible, lots of steel. If any fill is needed before pouring the
slab accept nothing other than clean fill free of organic material and
the fill needs to be VERY well compacted.

Builders here abouts generally use 1/2" (7/16") flakeboard as roof
sheathing. I prefer plywood. If you are going to have a tile roof -
worthwhile IMO - I'd certainly go to 3/4 ply.

The simplest shape to build is a rectangle. Any inside corners mean a
valley on the roof. Valleys are a PITA particularly if there are any
trees dropping debris on the roof. Built out wall areas may need a
separate little roof- probably cheaper to push the whole wall out.

Florida has hurricanes. Any gable ends provide more wind resistance,
IMO, the best Florida roofs are hip roofs. If you are going to have
tile, make the pitch 5:12.

Floridians seem to have a love affair with small, two story, roofed
entrance porches. With columns yet! Not cheap to build and look
preposterous IMO, YMMV.

The roof is about the most expensive thing. Definitely is if you use
tile. The cheapest way to frame the roof is with trusses. Trusses
means that the attic area in unuseable. The alternative is "stick
built". Don't know how much more it would cost but wish I had used
it.

Try to plan space sizes to fit material sizes. If you want to save
$$, eschew stuff like tray ceilings, crown molding, etc. If you want
something other than flat ceilings, consider scissor trusses for the
roof. Instead of a horizontal bottom they have a bottom that slopes
up (at a lesser pitch than the roof) which can give you a sloping
ceiling in parts of the inside.

Windows will cost somewhere between Ouch and MY GAWD! Cheapest are
single pane (PGT is a decent brand). If you are located where the
climate is pretty mild - neither super hot nor cold - you might
consider them. You can mitigate the heat transfer through them with
shade outside, drapes inside.

If you get stuck, there are all sorts of people - architects,
engineers - that you can pay for hourly info/advice.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

wrote:
Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question


Probably between $100 to $200 per square foot.

My advice is to not hire the wrong GC. Hire the right one.
Ask for references and then call them. There is a reason us
GCs are making big bucks (Bwaaaahaaaahaaaa!).

Seriously, you can't imagine the problems that you will face
on a daily basis as your own GC. To make the right decisions,
you need to know the answer and it is not something that you
will probably know without having experience. I have 35 years
of it and I still get hit with questions that I have to
research.

It is good to have a GC. They will pull their hair out and
let you keep yours.

I just finished a small remodel job. The owner wanted to do
some of the work and I did the rest. When we were done, she
told me that she will never again do anything other than call
me. She said that she never realized how much work went into
a simple remodel job and she NEVER WANTS TO GO THROUGH THAT
AGAIN! That job was only 2 months long.

Everything I did flowed smoothly while everything she did was
a disaster. Now, she had her share of bad luck and sorry
subs, but it can happen with good luck and good subs if you
don't know what you are doing. You especially need to know
how to talk to subs. They aren't your children but they often
need to be sweet talked, or yelled at. It just depends. If
you yell when you should be talking sweet or vice versa, it
can be bad. Very bad. Lawyers bad. You don't want that.

Find a good GC and you can sleep at night while he stays up
and does the planning for tomorrow.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

In article KE5fj.7984$v_4.3829@trnddc03,
(dadiOH) says...
SUBS YOU'LL NEED

Concrete - may or may not do site prep and footers. If not, you'll
need a tractor man to scrape off the overburden and a layout man to do
footers.

Block

Fill

Plumber

Framer

HVAC

Electrician

Roofer

Drywall

Stucco

Painter

Finish carpenter

Others?

Just off the top of my head, they will also need a well driller cum
water system installer, septic system installer, insulation contractor,
cabinet maker, counter installer, flooring contractor for each different
type of floor, maybe tile setter and/or brick mason, entertainment-
telephone-data-alarm system pre-wire, and perhaps a landscape
contractor.

If they buy off-the-shelf cabinets, the finish carpenter can set them,
but they will still need someone to do the counter tops. The world has
moved past self-edge and Formica.

The expense of modern homes is the feature set. The structure is still
pretty much the same, but standards of performance have snowballed.
Nobody wants to pay a fortune for air conditioning or heat, which means
attention to energy efficiency. For that matter, nobody wants to live
without central heat or air conditioning. I was a teenager before my
parents installed their first furnace, and was almost 40 years old
before I owned my first furnace.

The newest thing is the expansion of data lines into a service utility
just like power and water. In the near future, you will need to connect
your home entertainment system to the internet, and nobody has yet
proposed a wireless standard that will transmit a 1080p signal. You
need a megabit ethernet cable to a surprising number of locations. I
have been pulling cable through my crawl space, but if you have a slab
house, that's a problem. I pre-wired HDMI and audio cables during my
last remodel, but now I wish I had done more. This may seem minor, but
it all adds up.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

On Sat, 5 Jan 2008 14:35:14 -0800, Larry Caldwell
wrote:

In article KE5fj.7984$v_4.3829@trnddc03,
(dadiOH) says...
SUBS YOU'LL NEED

Concrete - may or may not do site prep and footers. If not, you'll
need a tractor man to scrape off the overburden and a layout man to do
footers.

Block

Fill

Plumber

Framer

HVAC

Electrician

Roofer

Drywall

Stucco

Painter

Finish carpenter

Others?

Just off the top of my head, they will also need a well driller cum
water system installer, septic system installer, insulation contractor,
cabinet maker, counter installer, flooring contractor for each different
type of floor, maybe tile setter and/or brick mason, entertainment-
telephone-data-alarm system pre-wire, and perhaps a landscape
contractor.

If they buy off-the-shelf cabinets, the finish carpenter can set them,
but they will still need someone to do the counter tops. The world has
moved past self-edge and Formica.

The expense of modern homes is the feature set. The structure is still
pretty much the same, but standards of performance have snowballed.
Nobody wants to pay a fortune for air conditioning or heat, which means
attention to energy efficiency. For that matter, nobody wants to live
without central heat or air conditioning. I was a teenager before my
parents installed their first furnace, and was almost 40 years old
before I owned my first furnace.

The newest thing is the expansion of data lines into a service utility
just like power and water. In the near future, you will need to connect
your home entertainment system to the internet, and nobody has yet
proposed a wireless standard that will transmit a 1080p signal. You
need a megabit ethernet cable to a surprising number of locations. I
have been pulling cable through my crawl space, but if you have a slab
house, that's a problem. I pre-wired HDMI and audio cables during my
last remodel, but now I wish I had done more. This may seem minor, but
it all adds up.

I pre-wired HDMI and audio cables during my last remodel, but now
I wish I had done more. This may seem minor, but it all adds up.

(Powered by AMIMON's WHDI Technology, the Belkin Solution Will
Wirelessly Connect HD Sources and HDTVs Throughout the Home) *

About WHDI

WHDI-based products will enable a new level of entertainment
experience; consumers are now free to wirelessly distribute HD video
content anywhere around the home:

-- Multimedia PC: From the PC in the office to the wireless HDTV in
the living room

-- Gaming: From the gaming console in the kids' room to the projector
in the basement

-- Home Theater: From the media server in the closet to every HDTV in
the home

-- Lifestyle: From the DVR in the master bedroom to the Wireless HDTV
in front of the treadmill in the garage

*
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=806865


Oren
--

In article ,
(Oren) says...

(Powered by AMIMON's WHDI Technology, the Belkin Solution Will
Wirelessly Connect HD Sources and HDTVs Throughout the Home) *

About WHDI

WHDI-based products will enable a new level of entertainment
experience; consumers are now free to wirelessly distribute HD video
content anywhere around the home:

1. It's not available now.

2. It is a lossy transmission scheme

3. It still doesn't support 1080p resolution.

There are lots of "High Definition" standards. This one might be OK for
duplicating a signal to a small TV in the bedroom or garage, but it's
not ready for prime time. It also doesn't solve the problem of getting
data from the internet to the home theater.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

On Sat, 5 Jan 2008 16:00:27 -0800, Larry Caldwell
wrote:

In article ,
(Oren) says...

(Powered by AMIMON's WHDI Technology, the Belkin Solution Will
Wirelessly Connect HD Sources and HDTVs Throughout the Home) *

About WHDI

WHDI-based products will enable a new level of entertainment
experience; consumers are now free to wirelessly distribute HD video
content anywhere around the home:

1. It's not available now.

Announced on the 3rd


2. It is a lossy transmission scheme

3. It still doesn't support 1080p resolution.

Not yet?

(including uncompressed 1080p) *
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/mmfram...ttachid=657392

There are lots of "High Definition" standards. This one might be OK for
duplicating a signal to a small TV in the bedroom or garage, but it's
not ready for prime time. It also doesn't solve the problem of getting
data from the internet to the home theater.


Oren
--

On Jan 3, 9:07 am, Robert Allison wrote:
wrote:
Okay to be more specific--

One story home on almost 10 acres, with a well and septic, completely
flat cleared land. Just a basic house I guess, nothing out of the
ordinary.
We want quality, energy efficient, but no marble
Maybe pergo or some type of laminate, tile, nice but not over the top,
affordability is important, which is why I am asking.
How do I go about planning a good project without going way over
budget. We want a nice house and heard horror stories from hiring the
wrong GC, so were considering taking it on ourselves. I am wondering
are the questions I should be asking and how do I go about finding
quality work?
Does this answer questions? If I need more specifics please ask, as I
don't know the answer without the question

Probably between $100 to $200 per square foot.

My advice is to not hire the wrong GC. Hire the right one.
Ask for references and then call them. There is a reason us
GCs are making big bucks (Bwaaaahaaaahaaaa!).

Seriously, you can't imagine the problems that you will face
on a daily basis as your own GC. To make the right decisions,
you need to know the answer and it is not something that you
will probably know without having experience. I have 35 years
of it and I still get hit with questions that I have to
research.

It is good to have a GC. They will pull their hair out and
let you keep yours.

I just finished a small remodel job. The owner wanted to do
some of the work and I did the rest. When we were done, she
told me that she will never again do anything other than call
me. She said that she never realized how much work went into
a simple remodel job and she NEVER WANTS TO GO THROUGH THAT
AGAIN! That job was only 2 months long.

Everything I did flowed smoothly while everything she did was
a disaster. Now, she had her share of bad luck and sorry
subs, but it can happen with good luck and good subs if you
don't know what you are doing. You especially need to know
how to talk to subs. They aren't your children but they often
need to be sweet talked, or yelled at. It just depends. If
you yell when you should be talking sweet or vice versa, it
can be bad. Very bad. Lawyers bad. You don't want that.

Find a good GC and you can sleep at night while he stays up
and does the planning for tomorrow.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Well said Robert. I forgot all about the need to know how to deal
with people. I worked for a woman one time who brought in her own
electricians for some reason. The first day, she sets up this big
digital clock so she can track their every minute. Needless to say,
it didn't go real well.