Fabrik8
Overcomplicator
- Joined
- May 27, 2015
- Location
- Huntersville
Thread could be titled "I should have built in 2017, when I could afford it"....
Before getting TL;DR comments, I'm going to reverse my normal thread structure, and put the question first. Then the backstory second:
Knowing the amount of legwork that goes into finding and wrangling your own subs, and getting quotes, etc., is there a lot of cost savings by being a owner/builder for a garage-shop project? Basically, can I save enough to make it worthwhile?
Build costs are ridiculous in the Charlotte area, very inflated from 2-3 years ago. I know some of that is materials.
I got a recent quote for my 1200 sqft detached shop/garage for $120k-140k, as a rough quote because we don't have detailed/engineered drawings yet (just in case we got $140k quotes and therefore needed to make changes). Honestly, that's actually better than a quote a got a few months ago. Anyway, $100+/sqft isn't going to happen for a garage.
Builder who gave the quote is saying there is scope for cost reduction, and may be able to get closer to $100k, but the implication seems to be that it becomes less interesting. We have not yet discussed the cost impact of making it smaller. It's honestly not some complicated architectural flight of fancy, but it looks rather nice and that's what I hired an architect.
My options are likely the normal options. Make it simple and boring, make it smaller, some combination of those. I don't want to shrink it and still spend a shitload of money, then feel like I just built something that's a bad value.
So, I'm pondering building it myself, generally speaking, as an owner/builder. I would need to sub out probably much of the stuff for time/code compliance, etc.
The fun part: I might use urethane-core camlock SIPs with Zip System skins, because they're friggin' cool and that would take care of framing/insulation/sheathing/housewrap/wire chases, all in potentially one day. And they're produced fairly locally. I'm getting some updated info on how much SIP costs have changed in the last 3 years as well.
I might have some labor help from people experienced with SIP construction, if I was the owner/builder.
So that leaves all the other work: Concrete/grading/formwork, plumbing (minor), electrical (not minor), siding, roofing, windows, and eventually drywall.
I've got some good skills, but I'm not a house builder and don't know a lot of code because of that. My late father was a GC for almost 20 years, but did not build houses. So if it's stuff like siding or windows, I might do it myself. Drywall too, because it's a garage and even my slow ass can hang rock and eventually end up with good results. The point is, I might not sub everything out. I'm also not doing it all myself, because it's never going to get done.
On the plus side, I will have engineered drawings as a starting point.
On the down side, I don't have a known pipeline of pre-vetted subs that I can use for all this stuff, which is where the legwork comes in.
If I save like $5k, I'm not wasting my time. If I save like $20k, that's a lot more compelling.
Before getting TL;DR comments, I'm going to reverse my normal thread structure, and put the question first. Then the backstory second:
Knowing the amount of legwork that goes into finding and wrangling your own subs, and getting quotes, etc., is there a lot of cost savings by being a owner/builder for a garage-shop project? Basically, can I save enough to make it worthwhile?
Build costs are ridiculous in the Charlotte area, very inflated from 2-3 years ago. I know some of that is materials.
I got a recent quote for my 1200 sqft detached shop/garage for $120k-140k, as a rough quote because we don't have detailed/engineered drawings yet (just in case we got $140k quotes and therefore needed to make changes). Honestly, that's actually better than a quote a got a few months ago. Anyway, $100+/sqft isn't going to happen for a garage.
Builder who gave the quote is saying there is scope for cost reduction, and may be able to get closer to $100k, but the implication seems to be that it becomes less interesting. We have not yet discussed the cost impact of making it smaller. It's honestly not some complicated architectural flight of fancy, but it looks rather nice and that's what I hired an architect.
My options are likely the normal options. Make it simple and boring, make it smaller, some combination of those. I don't want to shrink it and still spend a shitload of money, then feel like I just built something that's a bad value.
So, I'm pondering building it myself, generally speaking, as an owner/builder. I would need to sub out probably much of the stuff for time/code compliance, etc.
The fun part: I might use urethane-core camlock SIPs with Zip System skins, because they're friggin' cool and that would take care of framing/insulation/sheathing/housewrap/wire chases, all in potentially one day. And they're produced fairly locally. I'm getting some updated info on how much SIP costs have changed in the last 3 years as well.
I might have some labor help from people experienced with SIP construction, if I was the owner/builder.
So that leaves all the other work: Concrete/grading/formwork, plumbing (minor), electrical (not minor), siding, roofing, windows, and eventually drywall.
I've got some good skills, but I'm not a house builder and don't know a lot of code because of that. My late father was a GC for almost 20 years, but did not build houses. So if it's stuff like siding or windows, I might do it myself. Drywall too, because it's a garage and even my slow ass can hang rock and eventually end up with good results. The point is, I might not sub everything out. I'm also not doing it all myself, because it's never going to get done.
On the plus side, I will have engineered drawings as a starting point.
On the down side, I don't have a known pipeline of pre-vetted subs that I can use for all this stuff, which is where the legwork comes in.
If I save like $5k, I'm not wasting my time. If I save like $20k, that's a lot more compelling.
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