Owner Builder Question On Price Per Square Foot (Granite: wood floors, sale)

[jberenyi]

For all you home builders out there that acted as their own general contractor in the last six months, could you tell me what you ended up paying per square foot on your main level finished. Do not include land, bonus room or basement. I'm building a 2550 sq. ft. rambler and would love to know what some have ended up with. I'm estimating $100 per sq. ft. for my project so please help me come up with some comparables. I plan on using granite countertops, stone/brick/stucco on the outside and a three car garage. Nothing cheap but nothing really expensive either.

[BuhByeCalifornia]

Hi there...we're in the final stage of our custom build. Ours is coming in at about $135 per square foot.

We have pretty high end finishes...wood floors, travertine tile, granite, custom cabinetry, decorative painting, custom light fixtures, upgraded windows, home automation, lots of trim carpentry - both stain and paint grade, natural stone on the exterior, etc.

I think that price also includes our builder fee as we're not generalling it ourselves (though I wish we had and sometimes feel we do!).

[Aerorick]

We're finally going to break ground on a 1,450 sq. ft. house on property we own. There's just two of us so we've designed it to be very simple with one bedroom, two large bathrooms and a very large kitchen. The rest will be open living space. All the water using appliances will be centralized to keep the hot water runs as short as possible. But as an owner/builder planning this for a year and a half I have learned a couple of very important facts. As far as some of the local "contractors" are concerned, if your from California you have a half-million dollars from the sale of your house before you came. It is such a strong belief in Utah there is nothing you can do to convince anyone otherwise. And you are not very well liked because of that and "contractors" will not hesitate to quote you $20,000 for something that shouldn't cost $5,000. And if you don't know any better you'll pay it. Be absolutely sure YOU GET EVERYTHING ON PAPER! especially time of completion. It is the norm for people to get to something when they get to it. Many "contractors" have full-time jobs doing something else. Lip-service and a handshake may be the standard for locals but remember your not one of them and never will be. For some "contractors", hooking up with and controlling the construction of a house from someone from the "city" is like winning the lottery. Granite counters and travertine tile floors are nice but don't forget that the foundation, plumbing, electrical and framing are 90% the cost of a house. Beware!

[Aerorick]

One other thing. Get to know some elementry building code. Utah uses the International Residential Building code with some modifications from the local building dept. It's a very common practice to over-build a project because "contractors" make a buck off materials. Get a bid itemized so you see what your being charged. Be sure you get the general contractor to SIGN off that he is responsible for paying ALL his sub-contractors and that he is responcible for their work. I have become so cynical with the experiances I've have so far that I'm buying all the materials directly and hiring my own labor for what I can't do.

[jberenyi]

I love to read all your experiences and advice but I'm still hoping to see some sq. ft. prices listed here on this thread.

[Aerorick]

The whole idea for the "owner/builder" concept is to allow a property owner to act as their own general contractor without the licenses required of a general contractor who builds for hire. If you have plans drawn or buy existing plans and hire the different crafts eg. excavation, foundation, electrical, framing etc, directly you'd be enjoying the benefits and savings of being the owner/builder as it was meant to be. If your just going to turn the whole enchilada over to an architect and contractor to build it don't expect to save much compared to an existing home. Just as an example of doing alot of it yourself and with a fair amount of horse-trading and bartering we'll be finishing our 1440 sq. ft. house at about $28/sq ft. And that's to code. But being as rural as we are we didn't have any impact fee's on the permit and we have our own water and septic so there's no hook-ups. I hope that gives an example at one end of the spectrom.

[jberenyi]

Originally Posted by Aerorick

1440 sq. ft. house at about $28/sq ft.

I couldn't even get a porta-john built for that much on our lot. I'm looking more at $110-$115. If it's less...great.

[Socrates Muse]

There are several factors that will determine the cost per square foot. I AM a builder and moved here from southern California. Much of what Aerorick says has truth and much sounds colored by some bad experiences. I am assuming you aren't including the lot/land price or exterior hard-scaping and landscaping to be figured in - - just building costs.

Aerorick is correct when saying critically designed, engineered and constructed home components like a well poured and reinforced foundation over re-inforced footings on top of soil that has been tested and approved for construction IS tantamount to quality of the framing/structural, HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems that follow.

The kitchen, bathrooms, and master suite or bedrooms are the areas where you will likely spend more per square foot in contrast to the rest of your house. They are also the most important rooms that effect resale. When they are well designed and finished, the money spent keeping them up-to-date is reflected 3 or more times.

Utah uses more than the International code for compliance in residential construction. Energy codes are critical these days. Having low-E, insulated glass, excellent (better than the code) insulation - - is essential. You'll appreciate that fact every month when you pay the gas and electric bills. Green bullding is growing exponentially these days. Building with durable, non-damaging materials and good enduring more natural materials is absolutely essential in my business.

So, in the nutshell, more information about the finishes you choose as well as windows, roofing, lighting and prewiring (smart house components), cabinetry, flooring. heating - radiant or forced air - or any other types and a few others in order to give you a more accurate answer. But for now, $100/ sq.ft is a bit low. Write with more info and I'd be glad to give you a better idea. Thx

[Socrates Muse]

Forgot- building in a contingency for material price changes, drayage charges, possible theft or vandalism on smaller stuff (larger damage should be covered by insurance) Oh yeah, you have to have insurance. Often getting bids from at least two sub-or trade contractors is advisable. Then you have it is writing, you also have a tighter budget picture - - - but take note of the quote timeframe.

BTW - No attempt will be made to "sell" you anything. Not all contractors are out to rip you off.

[jberenyi]

Thanks Socrates for all your info. And you are correct. I was only talking about the house build and not the land/lot.