building a home on a lot - site work costs? (Arlington: mineral rights, sale)

[djplourd]

Tysonsengineer read both my posts. My contractor said he could tap the main for less than a $1,000. He charged me somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000 for the run to the house.

He's a one man crew although he occasionally brings someone in to help with the manual labor.

[djplourd]

And there was no road work or sidewalk involved. The water main is my side of the street and we don't have any sidewalks.

[paulbunyan]

Originally Posted by spencgr

TE, read the post again. The $13K was for the tap, alone, not the 300' run to the house.

After cleaning up all the coffee from the cup he threw at the computer after reading that someone had the audacity...the AUDACITY! To get something constructed without consulting educated professionals...I think he realized that. He looking like this right about now



lol

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by paulbunyan

After cleaning up all the coffee from the cup he threw at the computer after reading that someone had the audacity...the AUDACITY! To get something constructed without consulting educated professionals...I think he realized that. He looking like this right about now



lol

Me? I dont give a flying hoot if people do or don't, but I've seen a hell of a lot of people come crying to this forum for help when they don't. That kind of attitude doesn't make me very sympathetic. The lack of road is a significant factor left out, with that easily the costs escalate. The tapping fees you pay to the water authorities btw are not for physically making the connection. Its part of what they include for home sites but theres a lot more that goes into it than that, it pays for the treatment and capacity downstream per unit. If no one paid tapping fees, then capital projects for new towns and neighborhoods that develop rapidly would never be possible. It's impossible to have service to an area without properly attaining these tapping fees in advance.

Either way, my point was valid, no one can tap a main for $1000, you have to do a wet tap, you can't do that as a one man crew without disrupting your neighbors water supply.

As far as bunyon, I'm sure you think people should sign legal contracts for houses without a title company, pursue a legal case without a lawyer, and conduct self surgery whenever possible too. I couldnt care less if people get a PE on this kind of stuff or not, thank god I stopped working domestic 5 years ago. Worst soul crushing BS one could imagine because of podunk cut costs then complain about how crap fell apart later good ole boys.

[capn2]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Hiring a professional reduces the bureaucracy you deal with. Home building is a complicated business. Have a professional get you this information up front will help you reduce costs later, and especially reduce risks. The layman doesn't understand all of the things that go into making a house operable, it isn't as simple as the things you see above ground, theres a lot of studies, design work, and approvals necessary for everything from adequate sanitary outfall to stormwater calculations and erosion controls so you dont get multi-thousand dollar violation fees during construction.

The most common failure of a feasibility study, a person buys a lot thinking its plenty big only to realize that its encumbered by flood plain, outside of a sanitary watershed, has hydric soils which double foundation costs, and may have restrictions on building footprint/FAR and setbacks.

Don't risk hundreds of thousands going in blind to these kinds of things, honestly, I've seen it ruin a lot of small time builders. And if it makes you feel any better, I don't do a lick of private development work or consulting, this is from someone who used to work in the industry.

3000, why so much? probably I would hire someone before paying 100k+ for land to make sure there are no red flags.. but it seems those things such as flood plains, drainage, etc are rarely problematic, unless you are in a very low lying area, or there is some obscure law in the fairfax county zoning requirements and ordinances...

[capn2]

original title of thread: "building a home on a lot - site work costs?"

Ignoring cost of land, how much would 1500 square foot home cost in Fairfax county, excluding cost of land?

Estimate from online calculator gave this:
Material(106,374)+Labor(81,031)+Equipment(3,778)=1 91,183

And then to add to that the 13000 water hookup, other utilities, etc, throw in at least another 50,000 to that?

So it would be around 250K for "standard" house not including cost of land - does that sound nearly accurate?

[paulbunyan]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Me? I dont give a flying hoot if people do or don't, but I've seen a hell of a lot of people come crying to this forum for help when they don't. That kind of attitude doesn't make me very sympathetic. The lack of road is a significant factor left out, with that easily the costs escalate. The tapping fees you pay to the water authorities btw are not for physically making the connection. Its part of what they include for home sites but theres a lot more that goes into it than that, it pays for the treatment and capacity downstream per unit. If no one paid tapping fees, then capital projects for new towns and neighborhoods that develop rapidly would never be possible. It's impossible to have service to an area without properly attaining these tapping fees in advance.

Either way, my point was valid, no one can tap a main for $1000, you have to do a wet tap, you can't do that as a one man crew without disrupting your neighbors water supply.

As far as bunyon, I'm sure you think people should sign legal contracts for houses without a title company, pursue a legal case without a lawyer, and conduct self surgery whenever possible too. I couldnt care less if people get a PE on this kind of stuff or not, thank god I stopped working domestic 5 years ago. Worst soul crushing BS one could imagine because of podunk cut costs then complain about how crap fell apart later good ole boys.

No, sometimes, and HELL NO. I have a wife for that lol

I just hate it when someone tries to be the end all be all on a topic when I know for a FACT...there are other ways to get stuff done. You don't always have to pay somebody to do something. Why not do a bit of research then do it yourself? For example, contractors wanted $800 to do a sewer cap off LMAO

I went to the County, talked to the people in water management, then went to HomeDepot, spent $5 and capped it off myself. They make it seem like its all official when really you're just putting a rubber cap on a metal pipe.

Another example. Gas company wanted $1100 dig out my gas line. I paid my brothers $200 to do it. They said you have to be careful and all this other nonsense.

The point I am trying to make is that you dont always have to listen to what people are telling you when you are building a house. There is always more than one way to skin a cat and save some $$$$, especially when it comes to home building/renovating

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by paulbunyan

No, sometimes, and HELL NO. I have a wife for that lol

I just hate it when someone tries to be the end all be all on a topic when I know for a FACT...there are other ways to get stuff done. You don't always have to pay somebody to do something. Why not do a bit of research then do it yourself? For example, contractors wanted $800 to do a sewer cap off LMAO

I went to the County, talked to the people in water management, then went to HomeDepot, spent $5 and capped it off myself. They make it seem like its all official when really you're just putting a rubber cap on a metal pipe.

Another example. Gas company wanted $1100 dig out my gas line. I paid my brothers $200 to do it. They said you have to be careful and all this other nonsense.

The point I am trying to make is that you dont always have to listen to what people are telling you when you are building a house. There is always more than one way to skin a cat and save some $$$$, especially when it comes to home building/renovating

Because you don't own the infrastructure. I think thats the problem you aren't understanding. If you want to go guerrilla and put in your own water tap and think no one from a private company will realize you are stealing their resources, then by all means have fun with that. Hiring a professional on that subject matter will save you the inevitable massive legal fee and penalty you will pay when someone realizes you are stealing from them.

The tapping fee isnt about installation, its a fee for connection to their service. Feel free to put in your own well, go through the Health Department, hiring a well driller, and see if that makes more financial sense.

Yeesh, some people. Again, I don't care, I don't deal with private home builders and owners. But I would caution you with one lasting thing, KHov, Centex, and the other multi thousand unit inventory builders rely on professional services to get their site plans approved legally. So essentially what you are saying is you, as a layman who doesn't do this work, can do it better than a multi-million dollar company who has literally done it thousands of times.

Good luck, you will need it.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by capn2

3000, why so much? probably I would hire someone before paying 100k+ for land to make sure there are no red flags.. but it seems those things such as flood plains, drainage, etc are rarely problematic, unless you are in a very low lying area, or there is some obscure law in the fairfax county zoning requirements and ordinances...

I didn't realize there was so much prime land in Fairfax county going undeveloped. Well by all means, just start gobbling up land, you seemed to have discovered something in one of the country's hottest and most competitive housing markets that KHov, Centex, Ryan, NV all seemed to have overlooked.

Point is, if its empty, sitting next to other developments, in an area like Fairfax or NOVA as a whole, there's probably a reason for it, and you should probably invest some time and yes money looking into why that is, because theres is a very very slim chance that you by yourself as a first time builder have outsmarted multi-million dollar development companies that do this as their sole industry. Just sayin. Hate to be the bearer of bad news.

Good luck

<--- just some guy that from 2001 to 2008 helped build over 2700 units in this region.

[paulbunyan]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Because you don't own the infrastructure. I think thats the problem you aren't understanding. If you want to go guerrilla and put in your own water tap and think no one from a private company will realize you are stealing their resources, then by all means have fun with that. Hiring a professional on that subject matter will save you the inevitable massive legal fee and penalty you will pay when someone realizes you are stealing from them.

The tapping fee isnt about installation, its a fee for connection to their service. Feel free to put in your own well, go through the Health Department, hiring a well driller, and see if that makes more financial sense.

Yeesh, some people. Again, I don't care, I don't deal with private home builders and owners. But I would caution you with one lasting thing, KHov, Centex, and the other multi thousand unit inventory builders rely on professional services to get their site plans approved legally. So essentially what you are saying is you, as a layman who doesn't do this work, can do it better than a multi-million dollar company who has literally done it thousands of times.

Good luck, you will need it.

LOL

Why do you keep talking about hooking up to a sewer main? My main point is that sometimes experience (What I have) can make up for a education when it comes to building. I thought the examples I gave in my previous post would make that clear but obviously your anger is clouding your judgement.

And no I didn't say I could do ANYTHING better than a multi million dollar firm. The point I was trying to make is that you don't always have to go through these million dollar firms and keep enriching them to get a house built. Interview a bunch of small guys and pick the one that you feel most comfortable with. Now if you have money to burn...go for it. But if you are trying to find a reasonable contractor always get at least ten estimates in writing then pick one.

You can also learn a lot of going to the county and asking questions. Or go to a DPZ appeal meeting. (Hey TE do you even know what that is? You and your Engineering degree lol...)

You'd also be amazed what clerks who have been working for the county for years know. If certain types of SPs are allowed for a certain reason that is legal...but no one but the company that uses it to their advantage, the little clerks may share that with you if you are friendly to them. Ask me how I foundout about THAT little handy tidbit. Do you know what an SP is? a VC?

Do a bit of research and ask questions. Don't take anyones word for anything

And for the record what do I need any luck for? I'm doing pretty good so far kemosabee ;-)