Costs

Started by mossie, May 31, 2005, 08:35:32 PM

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mossie

I would like to build a 28x48 building on a slab foundation with radiant floor heating and 2x6 walls. I would have to pay a builder to do the slab, put the heating and plumbing in, and frame the building and roof.  What would be a ball-park figure for this much sq. ft.

Amanda_931

It all depends!

More--if by "builder" you mean general contractor.  That person will take a big load off of you by finding and hiring the backhoe operator, the people doing the concrete, etc., but it is a trade-off.  General contractors get paid to do that kind of thing.  Pretty well paid.  After you've dealt with all the subcontractors, you may think that a general contractor should be well paid.

My elderly, soon-to-be-diagnosed as having Alzheimer's aunt acted as her own contractor for two houses back in the late 60's and early 70's.  With a background in [glb]nursing![/glb]
But I think she'd lived in the area for years, knew people, could get people lined up by herself.

Wiring, for a lot of reasons, is something you might want to add to that list, unless that is a skill you can count on.  Around here, it's the only inspection.

I have neighbors here who--three or four years ago--had a "shell house" built by Amish or Mennonites, not that much smaller than yours, but on a post and pier foundation, for about ten grand.  They hired the septic tank, the wiring, and the plumbing done.  But I think they put in the finish staircase, the insulation, paneling, and so on.

The story of their electricity, I'll leave for another time.

And then, they haven't been able to find a producing well.  Oops!

Where in the country you are, how far out of town, what the local codes people are like, what's under the land--all those can make a big difference in final cost.  It would cost me a lot less than it is costing someone on an island in Alaska--where everything comes in by boat--or air freight.


spinnm

Location is probably the most important thing.
See that you're in PA.  Too far for me to be of any help.

Amanda has a point.  Would you be acting as your own GC and getting subs to do each of the steps?  Or, hiring one guy to take it to the phase that you describe?

DavidLeBlanc

#3
Level of finish and what appliances etc. you'll have in the building will count too. Bathrooms and kitchens cost a lot more $/sq ft. than bedrooms and living rooms.

If you're just talking about a big shell with industrial wall covering and not much in the way of interior partitions, I'd guess $50-$75/sq ft. - towards the upper end if you hire a GC; towards the lower end if you manage your own project and do some of the grunt work yourself. Add kitchen and bath(s) and finished walls and ceiling and you're pushing over $100-$125/sq. ft.

jonseyhay

I thought this article might be of some interest to the forum, I would suspect that the cost of building in the US is much the same as here. From what I can see, your land and housing prices are similar to ours.
jonesy.

http://www.byohouse.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50



Amanda_931

Hi Jonsey

Nice article.

I do have friends--prime scroungers both of them, who built their house the really cheap way, and now, somewhere between 10 and 20 years (depending on what part of the house) later are putting in windows that both open and match, even store-bought curtains.

But the scrounging got them a broken billiards/pool table a few years back, so they have nice slate counter tops in the kitchen.  Those took a while to actually put in.