Suggestions for a builder in Wapiti/Cody area

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by neoshaman

...
We've not had a chance to visit WY yet but it may be next year's vacation (two weeks). I'd like to retire in a state where a 'hands on' attitude isn't frowned upon.

Then you better go one more state North (MT). Some parts of rural SD are also very lax in building requirements. I can't speak for WY regs. never built there, BUT I suspect it to be more strict than lax.

I hope to build a rammed earth home if I ever get back to a dry climate. They are very pretty (walls look like a sand painting) and creative curves in forms can make a nice design. I also like the 2 systems of ICF that use Concrete in the foam (Rastra and Apex). Foam panel homes on grade can also be pretty cheap and fast to erect. similar to this Real People Homes - Super Energy Efficient Green Home Of The Future
I built one hexagon with tilt up concrete. It was nice to pour flat walls with conduit / / doors / windows in place, and raise it on one day, and weld the joints, then grout them. Poured walls on woodgrain forms, so stained the concrete, and NO Maint. I hope to never have another 'stick-frame' house. Unless it is an older bungalow.

BTW, you don't want to build using a loan. Finance it yourself during construction and then if you can get a cheap loan when finished (and you have a good investment for that capital (like buying a WYO mobile home park)), THEN get a mortgage. There are lots of ways to bridge the construction costs WITHOUT dealing with a bank. It is a PAIN to get inspections / draws / disbursements. Preferably build it out of pocket, and DON'T mortgage it. (and live happily ever after.)

Be Sure to check out 'YoungLisa' from TN forum. she has a whole narrated photo diary of building their off-grid 'basement' house on rural acreage. Very good DETAILED source of info.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by susansolin

... We have discussed being our own contractors, we'll have to think about it some more. Currently we don't live in the area but plan to move there (and rent) next month. If we had lived there for a while and knew anyone I would feel better about being a contractor.
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Better / nuther idea... build a nice shop / barn on your property, put in a nice apartment / or at least a bathroom. (this will give you some practice). Then live on site during construction. AND if you are really lucky / smart, you could just live in the shop and keep your taxes and capital expense to a minimum. (at least until you are sure you have found your SPOT).

I found it really handy to have a piece of equipment to help you in your projects. My favorite is my CASE Trackloader ~$7000. It can dig basements, lift trusses and beams, and do final grade. Trackhoes are nice too, but not as useful if you need to move lots of material very far. You can rent this stuff pretty affordably, usually from a contractor who has a spare, rather than an equipment rental joint. Trucks are nice too, but expensive to insure, license, and SELL. I have built many homes using my 50 mpg, VW Rabbit (and accompanying 'Snowbear' 2,000# GVWR trailer... it can haul 20' pipe, beams, and rebar) as a 'work-truck' and renting a semi or dump truck for a weekend or two. (This requires a CDL, so may be cheaper to hire this done).

[Ann the Artist]

My husband and I had Bill O'Mara of Clark, WY draw up plans for our new home. We're waiting on a home in another state to sell, so in the meantime had the garage built (it's oversized) and walled in the area where the garage door will go to keep it toasty warm for the winter. This allows us to insure it as a cabin and live in it until we can add the house later. All our appliances are there along with my husband's office and my studio. We have anchored down our 5th wheel RV trailer just outside, so have everything we need for now. Bill O'Mara builds in the Cody area and I'd recommend him to anyone for his integrity and quality of work.

[dori36]

Originally Posted by susansolin

My husband and I recently purchased land in Wapiti in a small development of modest homes. We now need to find a builder. Can anyone suggest a builder in the area? Does anyone know what the average cost per square foot is in the Cody area?

Any and all help/comments are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I lived in Cody for 4 yrs and, having a real estate license, also contracted spec homes. I had Spence Benoit do all of mine. He only builds high quality homes, regardless of the sq ft. Average price per sq ft varies greatly with the finishes you specify. Slate entry? Solid surface counter tops? A basement that's finished ....or not? Type of heat? Air conditioning? Etc., etc.

I'd be careful about jumping in to contracting your own. There are lots of builders in the area and it's hard to find subs willing to leave any of the established guys to come and work with an amateur "newbie". Filener has a good reputation as does Dan MacDonald. There are more, I'm sure, since I left.

If you want a contact who can steer you in the right direction, call Karl Butler at Prudential Brokerage West (307-586-6234). He's the most honest Broker I've ever met (I worked in his Brokerage) and has built lots of homes using various builders in Cody. He won't steer you wrong even if you already have your property and aren't looking to buy through him. Tell him "Dori" (now from Michigan) sent you! Good luck! Cody's a great area!

[plainsman48]

$200 sqft is the going price. Remember no building materiels are made in Cody. I think Celotex closed down. Everything needs to be shipped in from either Billings, Salt Lake or Denver and that adds to the final cost. Avoid log homes - though they look really good from the road, they are costly to maintain. Someone has to dust all that interior wood and seal the outside every year.

Call Louis Kousoulos 587-5266 for his recommendations - he's lived in Cody for decades. Far longer than Karl. Rita Lovell - who lives in Clark is the person I'd recommend speaking with about her area 527-7092.

When I moved along from there a skilled carpenter was getting $7/hr. Back in the real world same carpenter is $18/hr and if he's union even more. Beware of the fly by night contractors - the ones who arrive every Spring and leave every Fall - usually with your money and work not completed. Wyoming is very lax in enforcement. Outside the town-limits there's no rules exc UBC and state septic/water.

Check your HOA documents for min size and other requirements. Chief Joseph Estates in Clark allowed mobiles and modulars and because they were 20-acre parcels, you really couldn't see your neighbor. Of course if you built a two story mini-mansion then you would. I feel bad for those who bought in Line Creek only to have them drilling gas wells a year or two later. Be careful where you buy - like many did so in the 90's only to discover this part of Wyoming was so windy you couldn't keep anything except nailed down from blowing away.

And, if you're going with a concrete slab or wall foundation, don't let anyone set foot on it for at least 30 days - keep it wet so it will harden properly and not crack. When I did mine - the crack test results were 6000 psi (done in Denver of course).

[plainsman48]

First: Always build the shop/garage first - that's what I've always done with the seven homes I've built. This way you have storage, a garage for vehicles and a place to live while the home is being constructed.

Second: Do not attach to the home main building

Why? It's far cheaper to have it constructed than the house itself. Pole barns are most common out west. Most can be completed in a week after the corner footings are placed and cured. They can be foam insulated later.

[susansolin]

Again, thank you all VERY much for taking the time to answer my question. My husband and I plan to come to town the first week of November and look for a rental. Then, once we are moved in we will be contacting everyone suggested here. You guys are the best!

Sue