Builders, cost per square foot?

[targabill]

Just curious the cost today per sq foot to build, and more important the price to build on the Lake, given all the permitting etc.

Thanks Much

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by targabill

Just curious the cost today per sq foot to build, and more important the price to build on the Lake, given all the permitting etc.

Thanks Much

I think today it's, whatever the customers can bare.
Most of the good builders are out 2 years and the ones that aren't, aren't for good reason.
One of my neighbors is having a new waterfront home built. He waited over a year for the builder to start and was told it would be another year to completion.
Sorry, that doesn't answer your question but whatever prices you get you can probably add another 20% to that as the final cost almost always overruns the estimate.

[John Mercier]

The lake as compared to inland other than land purchase and development costs really don't differ.

It is your expectations that add directly to the cost.

People tend to fall in love with certain ''in'' styles that add either additional cost or require a compromise in the quality of construction to stay within budget.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Biggd

I think today it's, whatever the customers can bare.
Most of the good builders are out 2 years and the ones that aren't, aren't for good reason.
One of my neighbors is having a new waterfront home built. He waited over a year for the builder to start and was told it would be another year to completion.
Sorry, that doesn't answer your question but whatever prices you get you can probably add another 20% to that as the final cost almost always overruns the estimate.

Some are actually a bit faster now...
But they have a system that keeps the customer on track.
Customers don't always realize the number of decisions that need to be made, and can some times fall into delay and stall a project.

Some builders just want to build, so the customer does the general contractor work... and that can really slow down a project, because they don't have a structure to force them into decision making.
Since they don't have the experience of a seasoned GC, they are unable to run multiple tracks at the same time or understand how lead times need to be scheduled to make a project go smoothly.

The better known contractors tend to be building larger projects with higher end finishes... so for windows or doors the lead goes from three weeks to three months. Those will generally get installed before other phases of a project, and a seasoned GC will have that all scheduled out.

[shifthappens]

I recently built a house in Lafayette, LA with Gatte Construction, a local company. The total cost for a home around 1000 square feet came out to approximately $130,000. This figure included all expenses related to construction, such as materials, labor, permits, and any additional fees.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by shifthappens

I recently built a house in Lafayette, LA with Gatte Construction, a local company. The total cost for a home around 1000 square feet came out to approximately $130,000. This figure included all expenses related to construction, such as materials, labor, permits, and any additional fees.

I wish we could do that here!

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by codeman671

I wish we could do that here!

Can't even come close to that in New England.

[John Mercier]

I would guess the labor costs in the south are a lot less.

[codeman671]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

I would guess the labor costs in the south are a lot less.

And the fact that many are built on slabs, don’t have full hvac and aren’t as well insulated.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by codeman671

And the fact that many are built on slabs, don’t have full hvac and aren’t as well insulated.

I think some of that is going away though as the industry standardizes...
They also have to deal a lot more with things like termite proofing than we do.

I know Florida was CBC with insulated interior stud walls.

But our higher labor costs go through the material supply chain and effect the on-site construction labor... so I think that labor may be the biggest factor.

Another item can be efficiency of the yard and contractor.
Contractor specific yards can be really efficient.

[sky's]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Some are actually a bit faster now...
But they have a system that keeps the customer on track.
Customers don't always realize the number of decisions that need to be made, and can some times fall into delay and stall a project.

Some builders just want to build, so the customer does the general contractor work... and that can really slow down a project, because they don't have a structure to force them into decision making.
Since they don't have the experience of a seasoned GC, they are unable to run multiple tracks at the same time or understand how lead times need to be scheduled to make a project go smoothly.

The better known contractors tend to be building larger projects with higher end finishes... so for windows or doors the lead goes from three weeks to three months. Those will generally get installed before other phases of a project, and a seasoned GC will have that all scheduled out.

totally correct another scenario is when the customer want to buy there own materials thinking there saving money.WRONG. its amazing how many people dont understand wholesale to retail.