Cost Estimates: 20x30 1.5 Story

[Two Wheels]

I've been lurking on this site for a while, and getting closer to ordering the 20x30 plans.  Construction start date is tentatively planned for spring, 2014.  It's to be built on an 'in town' lot that already has all improvements in a small Colorado community.  The hope is for this to be built on a 'pay as you go' basis.

I suppose the most unanswered part of this project is going to be cost.  At this point, it looks like we can count on all labor being free with the the exception of a few smaller items.  Assuming all of that is the case, it would be helpful to me to find out what others have encountered on a 'per square foot' basis.

Some months back, a local banker told me to count on the lowest price at $125 a foot.  This seems high to me considering that we're only talking about materials costs here.  The plan is to build as basic as possible...I doubt we'll see much in the way of added costs with expensive upgrades.  The loft could be left to be finished at a later date.

Would it be possible to build it for under $75 a foot?  Materials would likely be sourced from Home Depot.  Any counsel would be appreciated.  I recognize there are a number of variables to consider, so I anticipate a bit of a range of answers.

[Don_P]

Not the easy answer you want but a more accurate way. Materials only makes it much easier. Prepare a complete materials list, post it here for forgotten items and shop the prices. For an example of how I do it, this is a list I made last week for a 16x20 storage building, $5200. I find it easier to draw the building stick by stick to think through the build and make the list as I go. I obviously quit short of a complete drawing but went far enough to think through the materials list. As it becomes more complex or with something unfamiliar go into more detail to think through everything. Then pad it, you'll forget something!  I didn't get the job, it went to an illegal but cheaper structure, maybe the effort can be of use for something  .


FOUNDATION:
175- 8" block, mortar & sand
3 yards concrete
8 pcs 1/2" rebar
24 rebar chairs
20- 1/2" x 10" anchor bolts
20 - 80# bags Quickrete

MUDSILL;
4- 2x8x10' PT
2- 2x8x16' PT
2 rolls sill seal

FLOOR JOISTS;
19- 2x10x16' SPF
3 boxes Bostitch 12d x.131 stick nails

FLOOR SHEATHING
10 sheets 3/4" Advantech
4 qt tubes subfloor glue
4 boxes 8d Bostitch stick nails

WALL PLATES;
15- 2x6x16' SPF

STUDS;
70- 2x6x92-5/8" stud SPF

WALL SHEATHING;
26 sheets 1/2" CDX
1 Roll Tyvek
1 box ButtonKaps

RAFTERS, BARGES, SUBFASCIA, RIDGE;
30- 2x6x14' SPF
2- 2x10x12' SPF

LOOKOUTS;
10- 2x4x12' SPF

FASCIA
4- 1x8x12' Cedar
4- 1x8x14' Cedar

CEILING JOISTS;
11- 2x10x16' SPF

GABLE STUDS;
16- 2x6x10' SPF

ROOF SHEATHING
21 sheets 5/8" CDX

ROOF PAPER
600 sf Tri Flex or Titanium

ROOFING METAL
600 sf, 22' ridge

WINDOWS & DOORS
1- 3-0 Entry Door
2- Narrow Windows (egress rated on at least 1)
Pull down stair

SIDING-  I'll get logs and saw~1500 BF ... ~$1200
25 lbs Galvanized hardboard siding nails
Stain- 5 gals

[Erin]

Would it be possible to build it for under $75 a foot?

I'm going to give a rough approximation and say, "Absolutely." 
That's $45K for a 600 s.f. house!  (Or was it the 1.5 story?  Though $45K is still probably plenty)

To give perspective, our 24x40 1.5 story over a full walk-out basement was framed for less than $10K.  Insulated, roofed, walls, but no doors/windows or plumbing/wiring.  Windows/doors are going to run us another $6-7K. 
Then we'll really start running up the bill with electric/plumbing/cabinets/flooring/etc. 

Really, Don's in the best way to do it. And, at this point in the process, you'll want something you can see anyway.

[rick91351]

My two cents is do not assume the big box stores will be the best cost price point.  Here it is lumber yards hands down.  Also if you swing your business there you most times get a builders or contractor discount.  Then at least around here - If you like your contractor discount - you keep your contractor discount     You know for the yard shed or wood shed or the dang I need to expand already.  I also find them to be the most knowledgeable and up on current product.     

[UK4X4]

The main clue in your question is the word Colorado !

Location and soil details are a prime concern, valleys have a lot of clay, your deep for the frost and if your on a mountainside....you can have a selection of issues
permits.....they quickly add up

prices vary a lot from state to state for both materials and services CO is on the high side

My build is in mesa CO, I have an expediture list somewhere on my thread, I have a GC and have been building in stages, materials are usually the same cost as the contractor to install it....

ie 10k in concrete costs 10k in labor.

Start your costing by first visiting your local permit office and find out the local requirements and norms...I had to have a site specific soil report and an engineer to sign off on the foundation design before they would concider my permit.

[Two Wheels]

Great replies...thank you.

Don P - Excellent info and suggestion.  I'm also a 'visual' person, so seeing the diagram is a good thing.  Curious as to what software you used to generate it...hopefully something that would work on a Mac.

Rick - Also good input.  We have a local lumber yard that will extend 10% discount.  Sometimes the travel to HD is not worth the savings.  Some things like OSB, though, are generally much cheaper at a big box.

UK4x4 - I read through your journey a few weeks ago...I appreciate what you've done.  I know exactly the area of your build...we're not too many miles from there.  You have nice proximately to Powderhorn.  Clay soil is the norm here.  One of the things that makes our build a bit easier, perhaps, is that it is in town where many other homes have been built.  The particular needs of our locale are well known.  Though my preference was initially for a monolith slab, many locals have steered me toward stem wall construction.  There are no HOA issues, etc.  Permit is issued through the town, which adheres to the IBC.

This project is the culmination of many decades of dreaming.  It started in the 70s with a subscription to Mother Earth News...giving birth to an innate desire to build my own small home.  During that time, there was land bought, and land sold, with the dream never materializing.  So here we are...staring retirement in the face, our backs against the wall, and a strong desire to take my minimalist mindset into old age and build a home.

[rick91351]

Looking forward to your build... 

My favorite lumber yard even buys OSB from the big box stores.  More or less as a pass through....

Our home we are currently building as well was a right of passage from gainfully employed to retirement.

[Don_P]

The drawing program is SketchUp, a freebie download. I'm not sure whether or not it is useable on a Mac.
OSB is one highly variable cost here, it can vary almost 50% in price over a few months time. If you have somewhere to keep it and can watch the price it might save some money.

I was reading TMEN during the same period back when the pages weren't glossy and you could use it to light the stove or take to the little shack out back when you were done reading it. It probably influenced our decision as much as anything to live where and how we do. Along the way I did get a better grounding in some areas, construction being one. During that period there was an article on a group of alternative builders in this county, their company failed but almost all of them are, or were, still carpenters and I've worked with most of them. One of them said "I can't believe people entrusted us with building their homes knowing no more than we did". There were a number of problems. I think they all became good carpenters but it took a better grounding than they got from reading a few articles on alternative methods written by starry eyed DIY'ers in the magazine, and the quality of information in that magazine sure hasn't improved with age. I guess the purpose of the rant is to acknowledge that while I do admire the spirit it does need to be tempered with more practical know how than they seem to realize most of the time. But one day I still plan on running a truck on chicken poop 

[hpinson]

Trimble Sketchup (various free and pay versions) is available for the Mac.

http://www.sketchup.com

[Erin]

Yep.  I've used Sketch-up on my various Macs for 7 or 8 years...

[John Raabe]

My experience with lumber yard vs big box store was that the local yard had the following:

• If you set up an account you got the builder discount.
• Free delivery, even for smaller orders. Also you could put returns on the truck after the next delivery.
• Better advice and more local information.
• They knew all the active subs and what kinds of projects they did.

[rick91351]

Another thing that usually the big box stores use as a call especially the orange one - sheetrock or drywall or gyp depending on where you are from.....  Sometimes it is sold cheaper than they buy it for.  So a truck driver told me one day that was unloading in Boise.  He was out of those plants near Vegas.   

[Erin]

Speaking of big box stores-- in my area, Menards is the only one and I discovered that while their 2x8s and larger lumber were quite a bit cheaper than my lumber yard could be, they were also milled smaller!

As an example, a 2x8 should be an actual 1.5x7.25 inches.  The 50+ that I got from Menards were 1.5x7"  Not a huge difference in a single board, but it changed my dimensions just a skiff for each subsequent step, as well as saving them just a bit of money on every single board.

[Two Wheels]

I've had that same problem with board widths before when I tried to mix lumber from two different stores.

Right now, the winter building slump seems to be holding lumber prices down somewhat.  1/2" OSB was a tad over 12 bucks a few months ago, and is now below 10 at the closest HD.  Thinking of warehousing some product.

[kenhill]

I just had this happen with cedar decking.  I used 2 x 6 from the lumber yard and then bought some 2 x 4  for architectural variety.  The 2 x 4 is thicker, so now I have a potential tripping hazard on my deck.

[rick91351]

I just had this happen with cedar decking.  I used 2 x 6 from the lumber yard and then bought some 2 x 4  for architectural variety.  The 2 x 4 is thicker, so now I have a potential tripping hazard on my deck.

If you have not nailed or screw it down see if any one you know has a planer.  I use to do that a lot for people. 

[Mike 870]

My shed, which was built with high quality materials was $38.50 per square foot.  This included pier foundation, interior finishing, electrical, door, window, skylights, cedar siding, pine paneling etc.  It did not include labor, plumbing, or appliances/cabinets.  I did source some stuff from craigslist.

[Two Wheels]

Good info...that helps to know sf costs.  Thanks.