Lisa,

I don't know if you tried Louis Reeper for windows. He got mine for me and installed them. I believe the price was about $200 per 3050 window installed. This was for vinyl single-hung insulated windows. You can email me and I'll give you his number.  He is in Groveland.

John

Annie,

I used Pike's Electric in Groveland for my 2 OB projects in Groveland.  Yes, they may be more expensive than others, but I did not have one single problem with them and they were there when they said they would be there.  If you contact them, ask for Ronnie Knight.  He was a tremendous help.  By the way, since things are slowing down, they might be willing to cut some costs.

John

(former OB in Groveland...awaiting the challenge in Lake City)

Has anyone considered using poured in placed 6-inch concrete walls that are formed using aluminum forms? I have seen it in the Orlando area homes and was impressed. Any feedback would be great.

John

Jason,

When you had your plans drawn up, how did you handle the exterior wall dimensions on the plans and did you have a hard time with the plumber laying out the house? I am looking at doing the same thing you did with the concrete walls, but I want to have brick on the outside-air space/6-inch concrete wall/3/4-inch Rmax insulation/3/4 inch furring strip/1/2-inch drywall. This comes to a wall thickness of about 12 inches. 

Any help would be great.

John

Nik,

That is a great question!  When we did our first O-B project, we did not know about this website and the book.  However, what we did was talk to a lot of people (everyone we knew and did not know) and ask them if they built their house.  After much discussion, we found three families in our area that went the O-B route.  We went to their house and met with them.  They were a great resource -- who to use, who not to use, what they would do different, etc.  They even offered to come over and help.  I believe this was the best resource for us. 

I hope this helps.

John

Trudy,

My wife and I have gone the O-B route twice and are getting ready to do it again. As for the square footage price, that is the magic number to the equation. The first time we did the house, it came in at $34 a square foot. This was in 2001. We did over 50% of the work ourselves. The second one we did was in 2004. This one came in at $43 a square foot and we did about 30% of the work. It is a hard number to come up with. However; it was worth it in both cases. If it were that easy to know the square footage cost of a house you wanted to build, then more people would be doing it.

The pros to the process are that you know what you are getting for the price. You hire, fire, and supervise. Another plus is that you have equity in the home. Now for the cons: if you do not have a very good marriage, then I would not do the project. You will find yourself in situations with your spouse you never have been before. You also need to try to plan and nail all the cost estimates down before you build. You need to have some room built into the budget for costs that you did not account for, or if material/labor prices go up because of demand. It is better to be overprepared than underprepared.

We are finding with materials that it is very close to what we paid in 2001. As for the 2004 prices, we had three hurricanes and a booming home market. I believe it is a very good time to do this project. I know several people in the construction industry who either have been laid off or have had their hours reduced. They are hungry for work.

Good luck with the project and it all really boils down to planning, commitment, and prayer.

John

Pat,

The county I just moved to, Columbia County, Florida, just instituted impact fees. Prior to February 1st, the building permits for a home were $1,200. The total fees (impact and building permit) now for a new residential home are $4,200 ($3,000 + $1,200). As for water, we will be on an individual well, which has no fee.

John

Phil,

Attached is a PDF document of bids I received back in 2000. They are from 84 Lumber and West Orange Lumber. I noticed several things were close in price to where they are now. However; I also noticed some things greatly increased (mainly steel). I just thought I would share this with the group and let them do their own comparison.

Sincerely,

John

  Click here to download attachment...

All the gloom and doom in the recent real estate market (or at least in my area), has allowed many subs (I know many) time to reflect on what they are going to do now, since they do not have the work flow as they once had in the past (lost income). Therefore, I had this thought last night to help solicit bids. Has anyone used a newspaper ad to solicit bids on their O-B job? 

I picture it as this: Run an ad in the local and regional newspaper in the classified section. It would read something like this: “Owner seeking subcontractors to assist in all phases in the construction of a custom home.  Reliable, licensed, and insured only to apply. To make an appointment to discuss qualifications and view construction plans, call XXX-XXX-XXXX. Project scheduled to begin mid-April.”

I wanted to run this past the group and get your thoughts. I figured the price of a newspaper ad is relatively cheap and once you get the word out, people should call. I know the first O-B project we did (prior to the building boom) we had many subs place cards in our permit box looking for work.  However; by that time, we had selected all of our subs and were in “construction mode.” 

Any advice, negative or positive, would be greatly appreciated!

John

Hi Lynnette;

I have done two O-B projects in the Orlando/Groveland area. For the first one in 2000, I used West Orange Lumber. At the time, they had great pricing, and on-time delivery, and they established an account for me to get my materials business. The second time in 2004, I used 84 Lumber, since I knew a sales rep (or at least I thought I did). The pricing was good at first, then it went downhill from there. Always late with materials or brought wrong quantity or wrong type. I disputed the price of material that was quoted one day and was delivered on the following weekend higher priced because costs supposedly went up. I have not used them since. This is just what I experienced.

John

Lisa,

This is John, formerly from Groveland.  I would be interested in getting some information on the person in Alachua also.  We are just waiting for the prices to settle in Lake City area.  They have come down, but not enough. 

Thanks, 

John

Good afternoon Joe,

As a former county employee who worked in the Environmental Department, I can honestly say that your tactic works. There is always a way around the issue. You just need to be creative. You may have to spend some time reviewing other permits that have been granted and the basis they were approved on. Once you have this information, you can approach the powers to be and lay out the facts. When you have information in writing, it speaks for itself. You may be surprised what you find. Especially if you find that someone in your same situation received approval and you didn't. You cannot make assumptions, you have to have the facts.

There were developers all over the county I worked in that impacted wetlands. They ended up mitigating (paying $$$) for the impacts. However; as a small homeowner, the powers that be think they have the upper hand, since you are not well connected, do not have a lot of money, and are not knowledgeable. 

This is just my two cents also...

John

David,

Have you found anyone to do your O-B financing? I was working with a local bank and then last week, they pulled the rug out on me by deciding not to do any more O-B financing. They said that it was too risky. I think that they may have some financial problems. I also understand that IndyMac is now being run by the Feds. I have researched the Internet and came up with someone called "Owner Builder Alliance." We have the plans finished and our in the process of getting quotes from subs. However, without anyone on board right now for financing, it very disappointing. Any help would be great.

Thanks,

John

Mark, I agree with you. When my wife and I did our first O-B project, we were scared ourselves. I worked in the construction industry for a few years and had seen what materials and labor costs would be. However; I wanted the final control over the project. We went through the process with some headaches, but the end product and savings were tremendous. Keep in mind, there is always someone out ho will do it cheaper, but not always better. That is where oversight comes into play. The second O-B project, our feeling went from scared to concerned. We finished that project up in a lot longer, but we had to deal with three hurricanes in one year. The project turned out very nicely.

Now, we are attempting our third O-B project and we are back to the scared phase. The reason is that we moved to another area of the state and do not know people. However; I keep reminding myself that good subs will support other good subs. In addition, I have seen OSB drop from $10 sheet to under $5. Other things are starting to drop since the market is essentially dead here in Florida. I think that "street value" of materials are coming down on some things and others are the same or higher.

I pulled my construction cost on my first O-B project and I was amazed that when you add everything up, it is about what it is now. It is hard to believe, but as they say, numbers don't lie. As for our second O-B project, materials were higher, but the building boom in Florida was going on. One lesson I learned is that if you can specify all the variables ("type of fixture - American Standard toilet/elongated bowl/model name - $229") you have a better chance of staying on budget.

Another lesson I learned is that all the "nickel and dime" stuff adds up quickly if you don't budget for it. I spent close to $1,000 for tapcons that I did not figure on spending. Therefore; on our next project, I am going to add a line item in my Excel spreadsheet - "nickel, dime, quarter." I am going to allow a 5% cost for this. If in the end you have it, great, if not, you should have it budgeted for. I just wanted to share my experience.

John

Randy,

Thanks for the information.  I just received my quote from IPO and I was very pleased - $200,000 for $640.  I agree that you will be onsite more than a contractor and and you don't have to sub all the work out.  My take on it is if the bank is willing to lend you the money to build, then the insurance company should write a policy.  The last BR I took out was in 2005 through my local agent and I it cost me about $900.  I didn't question it at the time; however; I believe my agent probably skimmed some profit off of it.

Just my 2 cents.

John

Cheryl,

My wife and I OBed this home in 2000.  It is block with hardiplank on the exterior.  In my opinion, one of the best ways to build a home.  I had builders coming on my job and asking me why I would ever do something like this (instead of frame built).  I told them I wanted a house I could live in and not worry about things.  If I had to do it over again (which we are soon but are going to use a concrete type wall and brick), I would use an ICF.  The furring strips are built in and you do not have to fur the exterior out with furring strips to attach the hardiplank.  We had the 3 hurricanes come through the Orlando area in 2003/2004 and we did not experience any damage.

Good luck with your project.  I will post a photo later.

John

We recently moved to the Lake City area and have went into several homes for ideas for our OB house.  What amazed me is that I have never seen the interior walls finished like I have here.  It looks like kids just smeared mud onto the wall.  I asked several of the builders and they all said it was blueboard.  I asked them about drywall with knockdown or orange peel and they just laugh.  Therefore; does anyone have knowledge on this type of interior finish.

Thanks, John

Phillip:

I am a newbie to the Owner-Builder Forums, but have done two O-B projects in the past 6 years. One way I found to save money on the septic system is to coordinate the delivery of the tank when you have the crane on site to set the trusses. It only took minutes to pull off the delivery truck and place in the hole. We had to pull it once to re-level the soil, but it was nice having the crane on site and not worry about any additional expense.

I did my septic system in 2001 for about $850. The infiltrators were $400 and the tank was $400 (the septic tank company sent a larger tank than ordered) and the piping was about $50. As for the trenches and septic hole, I got off easy in that a neighbor of mine had a backhoe and it cost me a case of beer to dig the hole and trenches. I hope this helps and is not too late.

John

First and foremost, I wish I knew this site (along with The O-B Book that I just ordered) existed when I did my O-B project in 2000. The information provided has been great! I am in the process of getting things together to start another O-B project. However; I have moved from the Orlando/Groveland area to the North Florida/Lake City area. With moving, you lose knowledge of reputable subs and other skilled trade workers in the area, along with good suppliers.

Does anyone have good contacts in this area of the state that I can get in touch with? I know some of the subs I used down south have said they would travel (signs of slow workload), but I believe the cost savings may be offset by travel time (two hours), gas, and lodging (if needed). I am excited to get started on the process again, but my wife is concerned due to the lack of knowing people (honest or dishonest). Again, I would appreciate any help. I know it helps when you call someone and tell them they were recommended by X (person's name) for the job. 

Sincerely,

John