Q. I am curious if there is a way to figure how much it would be to build a home without the labor. Every sight I search shows the national average cost for home building but they throw in the national labor wage. How do I figure it out?
A. Average cost / 3 = materials cost only in general practice.
This was taught me, some 45 yrs. ago and seems to hold true today. The scope and size of contract when going the other way, as in pricing, "what to charge a customer" from a contractors point of view has a bearing on stipulated price, that in turn contains both material and labour. They seem to charge (material cost X 3.33 = contract price) on average. Maybe this is "Murphy"s Law" allowance
You can check it out simply by taking a set of drawings into "Big Box Store" for material take-off and pricing, Then take the same drawings to 3 contractors for Estimates, Subtract material cost from Estimates, average your results divide by material cost and see how close to "TWO" the result is, closer to "TWO" the better!
In residential construction I always say spend more on the materials and less on labour...
This was taught me, some 45 yrs. ago and seems to hold true today. The scope and size of contract when going the other way, as in pricing, "what to charge a customer" from a contractors point of view has a bearing on stipulated price, that in turn contains both material and labour. They seem to charge (material cost X 3.33 = contract price) on average. Maybe this is "Murphy"s Law" allowance
You can check it out simply by taking a set of drawings into "Big Box Store" for material take-off and pricing, Then take the same drawings to 3 contractors for Estimates, Subtract material cost from Estimates, average your results divide by material cost and see how close to "TWO" the result is, closer to "TWO" the better!
In residential construction I always say spend more on the materials and less on labour...
What are the major (and minor) risks in owning a home built in 1916?
Q. I came across a beautiful Craftsman style home built in 1916 and wonder how much of a task it would be to keep up a home that old.
A. Old homes can have character. I bought a home built in 1910 and my only apprehension was that I knew nothing about steam heat. But the boiler was only 1 year old and heatinghelp.com helped me tune that for comfort and efficiency, so I now actually prefer that over scorched air. The steel combo storm/screens are quite old, but seal the old windows up in winter for no drafts, and previous owner had insulated. Thermal mass of drywall over plaster holds the temperature, and residual heat from steam radiators makes a lower temperature comfortable. So my highest gas bill for 3 bedroom home in sub-zero F temperatures has been under $200.
Basically hire someone to do a good inspection to see if the home has issues or if it has had upgrades that would minimize anything major in the near future.
Basically hire someone to do a good inspection to see if the home has issues or if it has had upgrades that would minimize anything major in the near future.
How can i get home building materials at builders cost?
Q. all home building supplies at the best price and home blueprint
A. The idea of material suppliers giving wholesale or discounted prices has to do with perceived volume of business. If you are building a house, take the total material list to a couple of lumber yards for a bid on the total package. Most of the time, a lumber yard will bid a complete house material package at or near the wholesale price. Builders who buy half a million dollars a year from a lumber yard are going to get the best prices and likely have an assigned salesman to cater to him. Having an apartment building or a contractor's license is not going to give someone the right to demand any significant discount. If you are a high volume buyer with the money to pay, that will the only credential you will need for the best service and the best prices from any business you walk into.
If you are just wanting wholesale prices on small quantity odds and ends, your best bet is to go to a place like Home Depot. I have found the level of service at Home Depot to be in line with the volume of my business there, which is minimal.
If you are just wanting wholesale prices on small quantity odds and ends, your best bet is to go to a place like Home Depot. I have found the level of service at Home Depot to be in line with the volume of my business there, which is minimal.
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