Contemplating building

[bigdog]

Contemplating building new home, and would like 'ball-park' guesstimates on the following:

Lot clearing prep - $8-10,000
Septic $10,000-15,000
Concrete foundation $5,000-10,000
Drilled well $5,000-10,000

House may be modular or stick built so didn't put any pricing for that here.
House square footage will be 1200-1700, most likely a ranch, with attached or detached 2 car garage.

The number I placed beside each item is my ballpark guess, obviously, these are only guesstimates, as other variables may come into play.

Thanks for you feedback

[Doobs41378]

Is this for NH or MA? I ask because I assume prices are higher in MA but could be wrong on that. I know we had received quotes on a 2500 sq ft ranch with 3 car garage and screen porch and the price was right around $450k from 3 different builders. We already owned the land and did not need the lot cleared. This was in Southern NH.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by bigdog

Contemplating building new home, and would like 'ball-park' guesstimates on the following:

Lot clearing prep - $8-10,000
Septic $10,000-15,000
Concrete foundation $5,000-10,000
Drilled well $5,000-10,000

House may be modular or stick built so didn't put any pricing for that here.
House square footage will be 1200-1700, most likely a ranch, with attached or detached 2 car garage.

The number I placed beside each item is my ballpark guess, obviously, these are only guesstimates, as other variables may come into play.

Thanks for you feedback

I think you're low on all of those except for maybe the lot clearing. Although a lot of things can affect the prices.
Drilled well, how far down do you have to go to get a sufficient water flow per minute.
Septic, how many bedrooms and what is the saturation rate of the soil.
Foundation, what is the soil like and how far down do you have to dig to hit solid ground. I've built 4 homes over the years and those are the three most important things you don't want to cheap out on.
Many people have found out that their wells aren't up to what they thought this season because of the drought. Anyone with a dug well, forgetaboutit!

[Pineedles]

I have to agree with Biggd on septic. To replace a 1 1/2 bath system in LR will be around >$25,000. Can't help with costs of other items. Good luck.

[joey2665]

Way low in the foundation. The concrete alone, close to 50 yards of concrete for a home that size would be over 5k then add the labor materials and excavation necessary you are looking at 20-25k at least

[CGI3]

Those are the prices I paid 28 years ago....

[SAB1]

I just finished up building this spring and agree with others. You are definately low on the concrete but size determines that. The well you wont get done much under $9,000 including the pump/pipe/tank especially if you have to go over 350ft. Not sure what is in your lot prep work but my site work including the septic/foundation hole/stumping/backfill and loam was $30K.

[BroadHopper]

Lot clearing is about right if there are no drainage issues, level lot.

Septic depends on # of bathrooms, BR etc. There are codes to meet.

Foundation price is for a slab?, Possibly crawlspace?, Full cellar will cost a bit more.

Drilled well is site dependents. I think Gilford Well mentioned the average well is 250'. I've seen 100' wells and 500' wells.

Rarely have I seen new home construction break even. If you take a look at new developments, homes are built half decent and lot needs more work.

I think you will be surprised modular built is a much better value for the dollar than stick built. You will be lucky if a builder will guarantee their work for a year as required by law. Builders know most folks give up in court. There is another thread on that. Modular home builders have to rely on their reputation to survive. Builders, well they move on.

I purchased a modular home back in 1980. Berkshire Builders has a 10 year warrantee and they honored it! 7 years after it was built the sill rotted out under the sun deck. They replace the sill and rebuild the deck at no cost!

Once you got a plan. Get quotes from local contractors and make sure you have a statement of work. You will be amazed the number of contractors that won't give you a detailed SOW.

Take a look at the contractor list on the Lakes Region Builders site. Most if not all are fairly reliable.

Good luck!

[GraniteStateLandscaping]

Depending on how the lot is laid out you may be able to get away in the $10,000-$15,000 range. I just cleared a house lot for $18,500. This included clearing the lot, pulling stumps, re-grading and excavating the cellar hole. All stumps, brush and wood was disposed of on site and there was no added material hauled in. The lot was on a hillside which added some difficulty. This does not include the installation of a perimeter drain or back fill around the foundation.

The foundation for the same property was 40x28 and cost about $20,000 due to the need for a pump truck.

Hope this helps!

[dpg]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I have to agree with Biggd on septic. To replace a 1 1/2 bath system in LR will be around >$25,000. Can't help with costs of other items. Good luck.

Wow that sounds like a lot but I'm thinking you've recently done one?? My neighbor (in mass) just "replaced" theirs 3 BD home they came in right around 20-K a little under actually...

[SAB1]

That 25k. Does seem high. The number I had above for site work included the septic for 2.5 bathrooms. It did not include the design work. My stumps and bad fill was hauled away and the perimeter drain was in the price. Like anything else probably swings in price between contractors.

[Rattletrap]

Find a plan online that is close to what you want then start shopping it around, as long as it's close you can make adjustments a ranch is pretty straight forward he may even have a plan already that you can adapt remember, it's the complicated roof angles that = $$$. Make sure you tell him you want a "turn key price" meaning move in ready, A.K.A "occupancy permit". Have an good idea of what you want for options do you want granite countertops, hardwood floors etc. these things make a HUGE difference in the final price and can always be be added later to bring cost down. Ask him list out what venders he uses for everything find out what your allowances will be for things like kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring, bathroom fixtures electrical fixtures, then go to those venders, with some rough plans and see what that budget will get you. Look at the quality to make sure its what you want/expected..........Your out of pocket expenses start adding up quick if the "wife" blows your bath fixture budget on a Jacuzzi tub. Everything not listed on the final contract will probably be an extra so plan to spend 3%-5% more then you think, because inevitably things come up that you didn't think of, for us it was stuff like our front walkway the builder spec it out in rail tie steps and retaining wall, and an asphalt walkway, and we decided we wanted pavers and granite steps and a block retaining wall that was a 5K extra.
Make sure you get reference from other people who have used the builder and see if they will talk to you and maybe go look at their house and see the finish quality. My wife and I just had our current house built last year it's our second one so, I've made most of the mistakes. I'd be happy to give you some more advise if you'd like, just send me a PM.

[bigdog]

Thanks everyone for all the great feedback, much appreciated !

Certainly a lot to think about.....

BD

[DickR]

BD, before you go too far with your plans, you ought to give serious thought to having your house be much better than "to code." There is a wealth of information available on building houses in the "superinsulated" realm. One very good source on doing this is here: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/...tty-good-house. Other good articles may be found there on GBA and on www.buildingscience.com.

Basically, for this region, you want your house to have better-than-code insulation levels and great windows (eg. triple-pane) and be exceedingly tight with mechanical ventilation. Extra cost to achieve this usually is on the order of 5%. But for a mortgaged house the extra cost can be less than the yearly-averaged monthly heating savings, so that, strangely, it can be less expensive to build the more expensive house. Even without the long-term operating cost savings, a home built to be much better than code will be much more comfortable inside, winter and summer, and be more durable in the long run.

But to get there you need to do a lot of serious reading to understand the principles. It isn't rocket science, but it is building science. Finding a builder willing to do things differently from the way he always has built houses may be a problem. Many don't yet understand all the myriad things that must be done before and during framing and don't really want "different." If a prospective builder tells you not to tell him how to build, that he's been building houses for thirty years, find another builder. You don't want a house built the way it was done thirty years ago. It's your house, you get to call the shots, not the builder.

OK, off the soap box.

[Biggd]

A boat load of money solves all your problems. But we all don't have a boat load of money. You also have to be smart about your spending. You don't want to spend $450,000 on a house that's surrounded by $200,000 houses.

[bresett]

Ok, we have 5 acres outside of Meredith. We have had lot clearing done for value of the wood, base 300 foot driveway and site work for garage about 15000. Ambrose
Says about 40k more for house site work, driveway finished and septic. About 10k for well and 25k for basement. Prefab house http://riverwoodcabins.com 1700 sq feet, finished about 180k. It's been fun and we have learned a lot. Contractors have been very helpful. Hope this helps.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by bresett

Ok, we have 5 acres outside of Meredith. We have had lot clearing done for value of the wood, base 300 foot driveway and site work for garage about 15000. Ambrose
Says about 40k more for house site work, driveway finished and septic. About 10k for well and 25k for basement. Prefab house http://riverwoodcabins.com 1700 sq feet, finished about 180k. It's been fun and we have learned a lot. Contractors have been very helpful. Hope this helps.

Let us know how everything comes out, on schedule, on budget, quality of work, problems, and so forth. Good luck with your build!

[LIforrelaxin]

So as others have stated your prices are all low.... But what are the real prices, well as others have said, there is a lot that goes into that as well.

I would start by just getting a price quote for clearing the lot..... and making a driveway.... Of course this assumes you have a vision of what you want to do with the property.

While that step will set you back a few bucks just that little improvement will up the value of the land....

Remember sometimes a slow approach is the best approach... I myself am starting to look for land....

Slightly better would be to work with a surveyor that can help you come up with a site plan, and then of course do the lot clearing and Driveway....

When it comes to wells, talk to neighbors and see how far they have had to drill.... Once again, this is something you can do when the money fits, if you have a site plan....

You could even put up a small shed and bring electric onto the property...

Basic advice, start adding value to the property, don't feel like you have to go right to building the home.....

[bruinsfan]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

So as others have stated your prices are all low.... But what are the real prices, well as others have said, there is a lot that goes into that as well.

I would start by just getting a price quote for clearing the lot..... and making a driveway.... Of course this assumes you have a vision of what you want to do with the property.

While that step will set you back a few bucks just that little improvement will up the value of the land....

Remember sometimes a slow approach is the best approach... I myself am starting to look for land....

Slightly better would be to work with a surveyor that can help you come up with a site plan, and then of course do the lot clearing and Driveway....

When it comes to wells, talk to neighbors and see how far they have had to drill.... Once again, this is something you can do when the money fits, if you have a site plan....

You could even put up a small shed and bring electric onto the property...

Basic advice, start adding value to the property, don't feel like you have to go right to building the home.....

The water well drilling is hit or miss.. not so much based on neighbors depth.

My well is 103 feet and my neighbor's is 325. That's a big price difference with respect to labor and type of pumps/materials.

Just a friendly FYI

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by bruinsfan

The water well drilling is hit or miss.. not so much based on neighbors depth.

My well is 103 feet and my neighbor's is 325. That's a big price difference with respect to labor and type of pumps/materials.

Just a friendly FYI

Truer words were never spoken. My well, drilled in the mid 1970's, is 135 ft. Neighbor across the street, 1996, 131 ft. Next neighbor across the street and to the right, 1990, 150 ft. Next lot to the right, same owner, 2003, 345 ft. Total distance from my well to the furthest (345'), probably about 250-300 yards. One other down the street is over 600 ft!

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[Biggd]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Truer words were never spoken. My well, drilled in the mid 1970's, is 135 ft. Neighbor across the street, 1996, 131 ft. Next neighbor across the street and to the right, 1990, 150 ft. Next lot to the right, same owner, 2003, 345 ft. Total distance from my well to the furthest (345'), probably about 250-300 yards. One other down the street is over 600 ft!

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Do they still use Dousers, SP? I can remember a old timer coming to my property with that wishbone stick walking around trying to find the best spot for a well. That was many years ago.

[KennyFromBoston]

I saw a douser (sp) locate water using a tree branch. This man worked for the local water department. After he guessed where the water was he took out a meter to confirm the location before starting to dig it out. It was quite impressive not to mention quite accurate.

[NH.Solar]

When it comes time to drill the well, you might want to give Dave Kelso a call, he is one of the last installers using a pounder rather than a drill. Pounders work particularly well in NH because they fracture the veins in the stone open all around the well as they work. Dave also does a lot of work on wells that were originally spun and ran dry a few years later, I've had him restore two of mine with great success. He's down in Canterbury and the number is 783-0137.

[chasedawg]

Originally Posted by KennyFromBoston

I saw a douser (sp) locate water using a tree branch. This man worked for the local water department. After he guessed where the water was he took out a meter to confirm the location before starting to dig it out. It was quite impressive not to mention quite accurate.

I completely agree with using douser method. My neighbor's brother used dousing to locate my wells. He found three locations on my property using a tree branch. He could tell how deep and what level water could be found.
Sure enough he said this here is your best well. The tree branch was going crazy. He told me to hold it. I did and it almost was pulled out of hand. It was spooky. I believed him and besides he was a Priest. How could I not. The well produced 25 gallons per minute.

Good luck

[SAB1]

I drilled last year in Tuftonboro. A guy located the best of three spots by using a douser which had an ok vein at 126 ft and a better one at 250ft. I stopped drilling at 600ft With a mere 3/4 gallon per minute. I spent another $1200 to frac the well and that got me to just over 4 gallon per minute. I don't put much faith dousers.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by SAB1

I drilled last year in Tuftonboro. A guy located the best of three spots by using a douser which had an ok vein at 126 ft and a better one at 250ft. I stopped drilling at 600ft With a mere 3/4 gallon per minute. I spent another $1200 to frac the well and that got me to just over 4 gallon per minute. I don't put much faith dousers.

What rate of flow did you have at 126 & 250?

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[wifi]

I was looking for one a few years back, never was able locate anybody.

[HomeWood]

We just closed this week on an acre next to my parent's place in Sanbornton. We won't be building for a number of years as I have about 12 years left on the job here in North Carolina. We had a septic perc test done during the buying process that passed great. We are very interested in a modular build. We are thinking of starting the building process about 2-3 years out.

[Descant]

Congratulations. Building a house of dreams is very rewarding.

[NH.Solar]

Hello Homewood,
Here is a link to a well established modular home builder in Concord; http://www.epochhomes.com/
I have a good buddy that has a home on the New Hampton/Sanbornton border that was designed and built by Epoch about 10 years ago and he couldn't be more pleased with it! Be aware though that a modular home requires a wide driveway and lot opening for the trucks to be able to maneuver and place your structures.

[BroadHopper]

A great modular home builder. Specializes in green construction and energy efficiency. Finished a project in Tuftonboro using Benson Woods post and beam construction. You can not find a better quality builder!

Benson Woods can manage from start to finish. Extremely reliable contractors.

[URL="[URL="http://bensonwood.com/"Benson Wood"[/URL]"]

Just came back from Sugarbush from where I had a tour of the Clay Brook Hotel and Timbers Restaurant. It was so well constructed I thought it was brand new! It is actually over a decade old and constructed by Benson Wood!