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What should you expect from your General Contractor on a custom home project?
Services can vary greatly from a guy with a pick up truck and a cell phone, to fully staffed office with bookkeeping, design staff, and on- site Contractor/Builder, and staff carpenters and crew. What you need may depend on your time, personal experience and expertise, and budget.
Builder's overhead and supervision may seem like additional expense at first glance. However, this support staff may actually save you time and money in the long run.
One of the most critical aspects of a custom home project is scheduling and good subcontractors. A reputable, experienced General Contractor will have long standing relationships with the best plumbers, electricians, painters and other subs needed to build your home. These suppliers will respond best to a builder they know will give their company future on-going work rather than a one time homeowner build for both response time and rate.
Having office staff to do leg work, research, track bids, billing, payments etc. also makes the process smoother and communication better. This staff assures not only that the bids are in line for the work proposed, but also assure proper liability insurance is in place for the duration of the project. Lenders have specific protocol for inspections, draw requests and lien waivers that's full time bookkeeping and office staff will get done in a timely manner.
In- house design staff will have the expertise and product knowledge to get you the look you want without you spending time and energy running all over town and on-line to find the materials needed for your home finishes. These resources will also come at volume purchase savings in the form of designer or contractor discounts not offered to the public. This design staff can also keep you from making mistakes in your door swings, lighting plan and other space planning and lifestyle decisions. In- house design is typically tens of thousands of dollars less than hiring an outside firm and can make the communication to the contractor more efficient.
On-site Contractor and builder and staff carpenters assures the quality of construction from project to project. No risk that a low bid crew cuts corners, or fails to show up for days or weeks due to winter road conditions or other excuses.
When choosing your Custom Home Builder, take the time to visit previous homes built to see quality of construction. Follow up with references about the client experience, and meet the entire support staff. When you understand the roll of the entire Contractor Team, you will appreciate the work and services they can provide and feel good about the Team that has your back.
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A Timber Frame Home can be a good option when unsure about how much wood you want in your Mountain Home.
Like Log Homes, Timber Frame Homes, sometimes referred to as Post & Beam Homes, come as a "package" from the manufacturer and can save money on the Architect & Design Fees if you find a stock plan from a supplier you like with minor modifications. Timber Frame Homes can save construction time as much of the "skeleton" of the structure has been pre-cut and goes together quickly on site. They also offer more visual interest and beauty than a standard stick frame home.
Typically you will see these heavy squared-off beams and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs and mortise and tenon joints. The craftsmanship is apparent in the exposed beams. The best designs offer open floor plans and soaring ceilings. This building method has been used for thousands of years in many parts of the world, and is a trusted method of durability. Today's Timber Frame Homes use state of the art insulation or SIPS panels between the beams for high performance and energy saving.
There are several well respected Timber Frame and Post & Beam suppliers in both the US and Canada. Browse the floor plans of a respected manufacturer like Canadian Timber Frames to the see flexibility of design you can't always get with a traditional log home. Then contact us to help customize the plan to best fit your access, views, and lifestyle needs of your building site.
http://www.canadiantimberframes.com/designs
When comparing Timber Packages, take care to note what is included with the package. Some packages offer just the skeleton, others contain the full roof and wall framing system along with siding and other components you need to complete your home.
In the Colorado Mountain Ski Resort Region the building cost will be similar to a log home, starting at around $265/sf for a turn key home including plans, engineering, permits, site prep and construction.
This home was constructed by Mountain Log Homes of Colorado, Inc. in Keystone in 2016. The timbers came from Woodhouse in Pennsylvania. Visit our website to see more images.
http://www.mountain-loghomes.com/keystone-timber-frame-custom-home
Call us at 970-468-8683 to get started on your Timber Frame Home in Colorado.
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Location, Location, Location is always the mantra when purchasing a building site. Ski area access, views, and water make a lot more desire able.But, like the Rolling Stones song, you can't always get what you want. Many of the good ones are taken in a resort community, and the ones that are left, most likely have issues that can be overcome with a realistic budget and proper planning, but will take more work and money to develop.High country resort area land has a unique set of challenges including but not limited to:
1. Steepness or Slope...anything over 30% grade is almost impossible to get an approved residential building permit. Need for additional excavation, fill dirt, retaining wall and specially engineered foundation walls can add to site development cost and create design challenges on any steep lot.
2. Access to Utilities, Water and Sewer. The developmental cost of individual parcels can very greatly from site to site even within the same neighborhood. Having a power transformer nearby is helpful as the power company charges by the linear foot to bring electricity to the building site.
a. Do you need a septic? Soils reports will determine the design and cost which can rage form $20,000-$50,000. Tap fees in resort communities can vary for a 3 bedroom home from as little as $12,000 to as much as $50,000 if there are inclusion fees, line extension fees and other costs in the municipality.
b. City water vs. well can also vary. Depth and water quality can may vary greatly across different geographic regions. Be prepared for approx. $12,000 for a standard 200 foot depth well, more if it needs to go deeper or be steel lined. Make sure the lot is big enough for you to keep the sewer and well 100 feet apart. Per code.Expect to budget another $5-10,000 on a water purification system if you water quality has sulphur, iron or other minerals in it. Colorado has mineral rich soil can affect your water quality
3. Building for the Neighborhood. You don't want to be the most or least expensive home in the neighborhood or you wont get a favorable bank appraisal for your construction loan. Be sure you realtor has a clear idea of the home size and quality you wish to build as you find neighborhoods with comparable homes. Some HOA will have minimum and maximum requirements. Know before you buy.
4. Wetlands, Sun & Seasons affect not only the livability of a lot, but also the building envelope, how big the footprint can be, and where on the lot you can build. Wetland delineation may be required by the Building & Planning Department & Army Corps of engineers, and can add expense and months to your project.Lots at higher elevation, over 10,000 feet, or north facing land can have longer winters and shorter building season. That's why ski areas are built north facing! The ground needs to be dry to bring in heavy equipment for excavation. If there is still snow in June, it makes it difficult to get the home dried in before its starts snowing again in the fall, and may add additional expense for temp heat and snow removal during the project build. This will also mean more maintenance in snow plowing etc. While you own the home.
5. Work with an experienced Realtor. A good local Real Estate professional will save you money in the long run if they find out the history of the lot, secure topos, research utilities, and give you the comps for homes in the area prior to your lot purchase. Vacant land is not something you want to purchase without professional advice or assistance. Interview builders early in the process to find a General Contractor you trust to preview a building site for suitability for the kind of home you wish to build and any hidden costs that he will recognize from experience. The least expensive lot is not always a good deal. Don't be caught owning property you can't afford to develop.
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It's important for the smooth flow of your project that correspondence, requests, decisions and concerns are responded to in a timely manner.An average, a custom home has over 70 categories of purchases, subcontractors, and areas of decision. From cabinets, to flooring, to paint and stain...the further along the project is, the more timely " final answers" need to be addressed. Once drywall is in, things move quickly.Earlier phases of a project are dictated by things that the homeowner does not have as much control, but rather dictated by codes and engineering like roof lines, insulation, and excavation.Be sure that you keep open lines of communication by all parties by your agreed upon preferred method of communication determined at the beginning of the project. Pinterest, Houzz.com and other online resources are a great way to "show" vs. tell your contractor and designer what you envision. Terminology can differ, and a picture is worth a thousand words.Set up a weekly or semi- monthly time to walk through the project. Speak up when you have concerns before it's too late to make affordable adjustments.The beauty of a custom home is you get to choose everything to your taste and needs. Be sure that the communication goes both directions throughout the project.Take the advice of your builder or designer when your vision doesn't work with your architecture or budget, and be open to options presented.
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When interviewing potential builders for your Custom Home, make sure you come prepared with a written list of questions to assure you are making an accurate and fair comparison of both working habits and budget related concerns.Some builders have office staff and crew carpenters; others "do it all" from G.C. Supervision to bookkeeping out of their truck with a series of sub-contractors and no staff. Less overhead may mean less customer service. Too much overhead could lead to hidden fees and expenses. Find a builder you feel comfortable with that you believe will give you the attention to detail you require at a fair and transparent cost.Some suggested questions on first meeting could include:
1. Does your quoted cost per square foot include site development, blue prints and any permits or fees? Or, is that a separate budget?2. Can you help evaluate building sites and work with the architect for the most efficient design?3. Who is responsible for finish selections? Do you work with a local Interior Designer? Or do you have staff Design Consultants? How is this paid for? Is there an hourly rate or flat fee? Is it included with construction contract?4. How accurate can I expect my preliminary budget be to final building cost? What is your historical track record?5. How do you handle change orders?6. Do I pay for a hourly on-site supervisor? Or, is supervision included in my General Contracting fee?7. Who pays for insurance and overhead on my project?8. How often will you have contractor/ owner walk through and budget to date meeting?9. Will you see copies of all bids and final bills? If so, how will those be shared?10. How long will it take to build your home?11. Can you have a list of references/homeowners contacts over the past 2-5 years?12. Can we walk through/ site visit previous homes you built of similar size or style?13. Is the person you negotiate your home project with the same person on your job site?14. Have you ever been involved in a lawsuit or construction defects claim? If so, what were the circumstances and resolution?15. Do you guarantee all subcontractors have appropriate liability insurance?
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Watch us build this fabulous custom Englemann Spruce Log Home over the next year in Blue River Colorado. This home features 3800 square feet with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 1-car garage, media/rec room and covered deck on 3-levels.
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Watch this ADA designed Custom Log Home being built here. Check Back for Photos as this 2-story with elevator, 3200 sf. Englemann Spruce Home is built in Breckenridge Colorado. This custom home features 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, open concept plan, and fabulous outdoor living space.
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Summit County is experiencing predictably unpredictable spring weather. It has snowed here 4 of the past 7 days. While nice for skiing, not great for building homes.
We are thrilled to announce that the next two Mountain Log Homes Projects have passed design review, bank appraisals have come in higher than building cost, and clients are ready to see their plans turn into homes. Now, we are just waiting for the ground to be dry enough for the equipment to start excavation and tree removal.
Watch the blog for progress photos of the Coronet Drive Custom Home. This is being had Crafted by Blake Gearhart, and will have 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 1-car garage, and covered deck. This open floor plan has spectacular views in Blue River, CO just a few short miles to Breckenridge and World Class skiing. The log peeling and scribing started this week in Gypsum, CO and we got the Building Permit last week.
Brian Wray and Blake Gearhart at Gearhart Signature Homes Log Yard May 8, 2016
Screenshot created on Tuesday 15. November 2016
Screenshot created on Tuesday 15. November 2016