SITE SELECTION
The site conditions can drastically affect the overall project cost. The topography (slope), the amount of clearing and the soil conditions are some direct items that can alter the overall cost. Whenever possible, have your builder analyze your site prior to purchasing the lot. Bad soils must be addressed in order to properly account for this condition. Many builders will simply add a small amount of fill and commence construction without bringing the condition to the attention of the homeowner and it won’t be visible to either the homeowner or the building inspector. But sooner or later the condition will cause major structural problems that are much more expensive to remediate after the fact rather than to account for ahead of time. The main problem in our area is caused by gumbo clay. This clay expands when wet and contracts when dry, this is the movement that causes the structural problems. The gumbo clay will also alter the requirements for proper installation of your septic system. The amount of clearing can also be a major cost and your builder should meet you at your home site prior to estimating your job so the cost reflects the amount of clearing you desire. On a heavily wooded lot this is not an exact science but your builder should be able to closely estimate the cost. Another cost related to your site is the utility costs, water and sewer verses well and septic, underground versus overhead electric, etc. If you are building in a subdivision with deed restrictions you should supply your builder with a copy so he can account for some of the specific requirements of your subdivision.
ROOM SIZES
Room size is very important and it may not be something that you can grasp. You can simply ask your builder to show you a home that has rooms similar in size to the ones on your plan. Your builder or a local office supply store should have a furniture template that is the same scale as your floor plan. You can use these furniture cutouts to arrange the furniture in your plan. By doing this you can determine if you need any floor outlets, if the windows are located in the proper places, and you can determine if the lights, cable TV outlets, phone outlets and other electrical outlets are located in the proper location.
FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION
The height of your finished floor can affect the cost of your home. The height is usually defined by the number of courses. A course refers to the height of each course of block (8”). You should communicate to your builder your desired floor height. It is not unusual for a builder to quote a lower price than another builder with the intention of a lower finished floor elevation. But be careful, it is expensive to raise the height of your home, especially after the fact with some builders. Be aware that if the clearing, floor height and fill are shown as allowances, you can be in for a surprise that can cost you thousands of dollars.
FRAME VS. BLOCK CONSTRUCTION
Block is the predominate type construction in our area. There is not much cost difference between block and frame construction, depending on the exterior finish. The perception is that the block home is stronger and more resistant to termites. Code changes have been implemented since hurricane Andrew that require both types of construction to be engineered to sustain the same wind loads. The frame home will use a pressure treated plate to protect against termites. Something that we promote is “tubes in the wall”. This is not for termites but rather for household insects. The tubes are installed inside the walls and are activated from a junction box on the exterior of the home. You don’t have to be home since the treatment is from the outside. The service is done quarterly and the annualized costs is the same as most monthly services. The biggest advantage to a frame home is the insulation value in the walls. A frame home will typically have R11 insulation in the walls where a block home typically has a foam insulation with an R4.3 value. However, most builders install the foam insulation first then install a ¾” furring strip over the insulation. This added air space gives the assembly close to an R8 factor. Frame construction makes changes in exterior walls easier. Most two-story homes will be constructed of block on the first floor and frame on the second floor. You will find that a lot of homes constructed of block will have the interior walls of the rear porch constructed with wood. Since the rear porch is where the majority of the glass is installed the wood framing allows for innovative designs.
INSULATION
We have already discussed the wall insulation in the previous paragraph. The ceiling insulation should be R30. Flat ceilings are typically blown while vaulted and cathedral ceilings should use batt insulation. The Florida energy code requires an infiltration package around all exterior wall penetrations and now requires fire caulking on all openings in the top plates of the walls. If you want your garage ceiling insulated you should let your builder know since this is not typically done. Also if you want sound insulation in any of your interior walls you should let your builder know. This is an item that we always discuss with our customers.
WALLS AND CEILINGS
Almost all homes use drywall for the walls and ceilings. But be careful, drywall can be different. We use a special ceiling board for our ceilings; this is made stronger and is more resistant to sagging. Most builders will use “greenboard” in the wet areas of your home; while this is the industry standard we use “durarock”. Durarock is a cement board and is a superior product to the greenboard. If wallpaper is going to be installed it is standard to leave those areas smooth. The normal ceiling finish is knock down while the standard wall finish is an orange peel texture. We encourage rounded corner bead to be used when it matches the home design. This is an added expense but it adds an elegant look to your home. Because of the excessive humidity we don’t encourage drywall on any exterior ceilings.
FOUNDATION
There are typically two types of foundations, footers and monolithic slabs. The typical footer is 8 inches deep and 16 inches wide with two reinforcing bars of steel. Our standard footer is 10 inches deep and 20 inches wide with three bars of reinforcing steel with additional footing added to the outside corners. We also extend our exterior footers two feet in each direction for additional support. Even larger footers can be required from time to time based on the floor plan or the supporting soils. When the lot is fairly level a monolithic slab can be used. This is a slab that is poured the same time as the footer. A monolithic slab costs almost the same as a three-course foundation cost but saves a few days time. We really have no preference as to the strength.
Explore Construction Topics Further:
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MAJOR DESIGN DECISIONS
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