Building costs in Lenoir City on Ft. Loudon

[maryville]

I had a custom home constructed 2 + years ago. Cost per sq. ft. can vary widely based on many factors. Our home is a ranch style (2,760 finished plus 3 car attached garage-24 ft. deep) with a 12/12 pitch roof with several gables. The more roofline and higher the roof pitch the more it costs.

We used Andersen 400 Series casement windows and sliding doors, ThermaTru fiberglas entry doors, finished on site hardwood and ceramic tile (no carpet), 9 and 11 ft. ceilings, all Kohler fixtures , except for Bain Ultra air tub (no water to settle in lines and get black from stagnation and soap residue), wet bar w/U-Line wine cooler, coffered ceiling in great room, trey ceiling in master suite and dining room and vaulted ceiling in 1 bedroom, high end cabinets, stainless appliances w/wood panels on refrig & dishwater, tile backsplashes for kitchen and quartz countertops (do not have to seal like you do granite), whole house stereo w/surround sound, smart house wiring (cable, internet & phone, security system, walkup attic with finshed flooring and fully insulated over garage, all brick with extensive details, blown in wall insulation,crawl space insulated, garage walls insulated (you would be surprised how many houses do not have insulation in the garage or crawl space) on demand hot water, extensive woodwork and built-ins, and trim, bull nosed brick on all steps and back covered patio.

Our builder charged us 10% of cost estimate (allowance) plus cost for worker's comp, office overhead, fuel, etc. We spent almost 20% more than his estimate with added upgrades and additions not planned initally. He did not charge us more fee for adding these additions.

Lighting, flooring, kitchens and baths can vary widely depending on the grade used and the bells and whistle you choose. If you want pull out shelves, metal glides on drawers and dovetailing, 42 in. cabinets etc (kitchen will cost you much more.) Lighting can vary widely based on fixtures you choose and how many lights. We have over 50 can lights in our home. We wanted a quality home and purchased what we thought was the best products we could afford for the money.

In my opinion, people do not pay enough attention to buying the best windows and doors when this is an expense that can save you in the longrun on utility bills and maintenance. I believe the verdict is still out on fiberglas frame windows, although they are a great improvement over aluminum and basic wood windows. Pella, Marvin and other windows are very good but I am partial to the Andersen 400 Series casement window. Casement windows give you the best seal from air infiltration.

All of the above have now introduced what I call more of a builder grade window to capture more market share, for Andersen it is the 200 Series. I also believe that fiberglas entry doors (again expensive) are the best way to go. They do not warp (like wood) or dent (like metal) and the better quality look like wood doors.

Another product I believe is great is Tyvex house wrap. It's just that most builders do not install it properly. It should go on before windows and doors and cut and folded in at door and window openings. Pieces should overlap to prevent moisture from getting behind it and ALL SEAMS SHOULD BE TAPED. I see very few builders who tape the seams when installing TYVEX. Our builder even had the brick masons tape over the holes from their scaffolding supports. In addition, all windows should have a special tape sealer applied to keep moisture out. A PRODUCT CAN ONLY MAXIMIZE ITS POTENTIAL IF INSTALLED PROPERLY.

To many people get caught up in buying as much sqaure footage as possible and do not look at the details. You can purchase a home of 3,000 sq. ft. for $100 per sq. ft. or over $200 per. sq. ft. The proof is usally in the details and qaulity of products used. A 2 story home wil cost less than a comparable single story because of the additional roofline and foundation. Most builders use what is referred to as (BUILDER GRADE) products in new construction-this is not nornally what is considered high quality.

My suggestion is to find a builder who built their own home and ask to look at it. Also, find a builder who builds maybe 4 or 5 (or less) homes a year. They are usually the best builders and have pride in the product that they put out. I would use my builder again in a heartbeat-he is very honest, has pride in his work and has a good eye for detail.

We have about $515,000 in our home including the lot that cost $60,000. Again, we have 2,760 sq. ft. finished on one level with an attached 3 car garage with 823 sq. ft. The 12/12 pitch roof with several gables really added to the cost but the home is beautiful- even if I do say so. We have a sunroom that is 14 ft. by 20 ft. that has 12 - 3 ft. by 6 ft. Andersen casement windows that made our cost for windows quite expensive but I would not change a thing.

I remember when I met our builder and I showed him our plans. I told him I wanted Andersen 400 Series casement windows and I did not want him to try and talk me out of them. He advised that his personal residence he was constructing had Andersen 400 Series casement windows, and after he let my wife and I look at his home, I knew that he would build us a good home!

Hope this is helpful to someone.

[jaggersk]

We did just that...we are a builder and built our own home (you can see it) and don't build more than 4 a year. I don't want to break rules and advertise... you can contact me directly

[Barking Spider]

Acting as your own GC can be a mixed bag, especially if you have little or no experience. Lining up, scheduling, and managing subs can be a nightmare. It is not for the faint of heart, or for someone that can not be on the job all of the time. It is not as easy as it looks on TV.

I also don't think that Knoxville area builders are setting out to take advantage of people. They are trying to make a living and make a profit.

I heard an interesting fact this week from a Realtor friend. He was talking to a developer of a large tract. He told him that his diesel costs for the heavy equipment was running $1000/day. I know I didn't even think about these "hidden" costs.

The way copper is going up, a person may want to buy the wiring for the house NOW, and hold on to it for a year or two.