autosuggest123

autosuggest123 OP t1_izxalbs wrote

Follow up question: can a builder or someone knowledgeable about this stuff give me a rough break down (in percentages) of where the ~$300/sf gets spent on a new design/build? Like is it 10% for the foundation, 40% for the framing/shell, 30% finishes and 20% systems for heating/cooling/electric? Or are there any basic rules that apply here? Just curious as to where the money goes so I can maybe save money by doing some of it by myself or doing it in stages.

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autosuggest123 OP t1_izuqntz wrote

Thanks yeah, I called a few builders about a year ago when I first started my research but I basically got the impression that they were all so slammed and didn’t seem to want to even waste their time with someone who didn’t already have plans in hand. Maybe that has changed or maybe there are builders who aren’t as busy but that is how I started—I called builders first and they all told me I needed plans for them to give me a meaningful estimate. Maybe I need to think outside the box, not sure what that entails but I need to build something for my aging parents and custom design/build is really all I can think of. All this feedback is much appreciated.

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autosuggest123 OP t1_izuok96 wrote

Dumb question but how do you get a builder to estimate the cost of the build if you haven’t already had full plans drawn up by a designer or architect? All the builders I called asked me is I had building plans, which I don’t. Which is also why I’m trying to gather more info (albeit somewhat generic) so I know what to tell the designers to design…

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autosuggest123 OP t1_izufjdw wrote

So the actual building itself is going to cost you $230k? I’m expecting site work to be its own cost, not built into the price per sq foot…the architects/designers I’ve talked to so far we’re saying 200-250/sq which includes all the building materials and finishes and the excavation for the foundation (and the foundation itself) and systems…hope that reduces the variables but yeah I get that it can vary widely. Thanks for the data point.

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