Action
Builders, Inc. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why
do you have to pay for an unfinished basement?
Even
though a basement is unfinished, there are still construction
costs associated with an unfinished basement such as the concrete
slab, windows, doors, exterior wall insulation, rough plumbing
(if applicable), exterior brick, keyless lights in ceiling, interior
2x6 load bearing walls, etc. Most of the above items must
be done in an unfinished basement per Code.
2. Why
do you have to pay for unfinished storage space / rooms?
Unfinished
above-ground rooms are approximately 65-70% completed if not
more. The exterior wall framing, roof, subfloor,
windows, and insulation must be done to meet Code. All
that is left is the electrical, drywall, paint, trim, and flooring.
3. When
is the best time to start a home?
The best time to
start a home is in the Spring to late Summer. Once
daylight savings time comes, in general, most subcontractors
do not work as long of hours. The “rainy season” can
also become a factor. As long as the house is dried in
before this time, the delays are minimal with the exception
of finished concrete and landscaping. Finished concrete
costs more in the winter months as calcium and other quick drying
ingredients have to be added in the concrete. Typically
if a home is started in late October or during the winter months,
the builder will experience delays due to weather and it will
take longer for the home to be built…which results in
the customer having to pay interest for a longer period of time.
4. Can
you give me a square foot price to build a home?
Action
Builders Inc. is a custom home builder. Therefore,
we price your home based on what you want to put in it. If
you choose to put granite throughout the home and lots of hardwood
flooring, it will cost more than someone building the same house
and not using all granite and using carpet.
5. Can
you give me a price based on a print-out from the internet
of a house plan?
Internet house plans
are extremely difficult to price accurately because they do not
show the elevations, ceiling heights, special ceilings (treys,
barrel, coffered, vaulted) and trim, window and door dimensions,
and most importantly, they do not show any room dimensions. Many
times they do not show special features the architect has designed
for the outside of the home such as stone, shutters, special shaped
windows, arches, etc. I
can provide a potential customer with a ballpark figure for the
home based on an internet drawing with the understanding the
price will probably go up once the home plan is ordered and re-priced
based on actual plans.
6. Why
do you add additional square feet to the house for the brick?
Typically,
the square foot amount shown on the house plan does not include
the brick.
Because there is a cost associated with brick on your home, it
adds between 3-6% to the square feet of the house to include
the material (brick, sand, mortar) and labor.
7. What
is the difference between a custom builder and a tract builder?
As
a custom home builder, I sit down with my potential customer
with their house plan and find out what they specifically want
in their home based upon their budget for the home. Most
minor changes to the plans can be made with no problem.
A tract builder typically has a collection of house plans and
designs for the customer to choose from. They also have
standard and upgrade packages. Because they generally
build the same house over and over again, their plans are pre-priced
with standard options. The customer can then add upgrades
as they desire and can afford. Many times a customer will
find a tract builder to not be as flexible in making requested
changes. In most cases if the tract builder has actually
developed the subdivision they are building in, they don’t
have as much money tied up in the lot price (as would the custom
builder) and can, therefore, typically build one of their plans
at a lower cost. A tract builder tends to not be as flexible
as a custom builder.
8. Which
should I purchase first the house plans or the lot?
If
at all possible try to pick the lot and the plan at the same
time. In addition to looking at the width of the house
you must also factor in between 24’ and 28’ for the
drive and turnaround. Also the subdivision
set backs and easements must be taken into consideration. If
you have already purchased the lot and need to know what size
house will fit on the lot, call me and I will be glad to set
up a meeting with you to discuss your options.
9. Can
I finish some of the inside work myself?
We are certainly
glad to help the customer save money by letting them finish some
of the interior work. However, the problem
comes when the customer cannot do the work when the builder has
the work scheduled or cannot complete the work during the same
amount of time a subcontractor’s crew can get the job done. In
my experience, customers doing interior work has lead to delays
in schedule which ultimately costs the customer more money in
the long-run on interest payments.
10. Can
I use a discount company to purchase items for my home?
Discount
companies can certainly be used to purchase items for your home. We
do caution our customers to make sure they allow enough lead
time for the item(s) to come in by the time the work is scheduled
to be completed. Even by planning
ahead, if your item(s) is on backorder status, it still could
cause schedule delays. One potential problem is if,
for example, enough tile is not initially ordered to complete
the flooring in your home, it could take 2-3 weeks for the additional
tile to come in. By then the flooring subcontractor is
on another job and your job has to be fit in on his schedule. Another
thing to consider with the discount company is that they usually
ship/deliver to the trucking company. The customer is responsible
for paying for the items to be loaded and delivered to the construction
site. Also, should the items be delivered earlier
than is needed on the job, the customer is responsible for storing
the items at a location different from the construction site
(so they won’t be in the way of work being done) and then
having the items delivered when they are needed. Keep
in mind that any delays will cost the customer additional money
with interest payments.
11. Why is it difficult to get an accurate cost for excavating
when quoting my home?
If the lot is cleared or just a flat lot with no trees,
quoting the excavating costs is simple. It can become difficult
to quote the excavating for a basement home when the lot is fully
treed where you can’t determine the slope of the lot up front. By
not knowing how much the lot slopes, it is hard to know how much
excavating will need to be done.
12. Will it make a difference in price if I go from 8'
ceiling in my new home to 9' or 10' ceilings?
Keep in mind when you change the height of a ceiling from
8’ to 9’ or 10’ that you will first of all add
more framing costs in labor and material for the extra 1 or 2 feet
you are adding. This will also add more area outside the home
to be bricked which will affect labor and material. When you
get to the finishing phase of the home, you are adding more drywall
and paint labor and material. Also a larger hvac unit may be
required for the particular floor(s) you are adding the ceiling height.
13. When looking for a home plan, what features add more
cost to a house that I may wish to avoid if I am on a limited
budget?
Outside columns will add to the hard costs of construction
as they cannot be figured in the heated and cooled square foot price. Although
paladian windows do add to the exterior looks of the home, it also
adds to the cost. Large “southern-home” style front,
back, and side porches will add to your cost in framing labor and
material, handrails labor and material, and painting labor and material. You
also have to factor in the ceilings for the porches which will add
framing labor and material |
