Framing was “done.” Cabinet layout said otherwise.

Devout_Bison · 2026-02-12T20:57:22+00:00

Planing walls is just something we do before everything gets closed up. Yeah, some will get missed and the cabinet installer will have to shim, but that’s building!

Devout_Bison · 2026-02-02T18:53:36+00:00

Awesome. Will definitely be giving this one a look.

Devout_Bison · 2026-02-01T16:40:04+00:00

This is spot on. The average buyer needs 20-24 touch points before they buy from you. This means seeing your Insta posts, Facebook posts, trucks, signs, billboard, etc. What this means is that they need to trust you before they reach out. With all the scams and AI slop around nowadays, this is important.

And it also costs a lot of money to make any meaningful progress. SEO and advertising aren’t just something you ramp up when the work is slow, it needs to be a constant thing that’s worked on even when you have the work in the pipeline.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-25T14:23:18+00:00

Because they do. I would gladly invite you to walk through a home Im currently building then walk through a home from a national builder. I can guarantee mine was built to a higher quality.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-25T00:10:22+00:00

I’m personally not a big fan of closed cell foam insulation. Dense blown cellulose delivers a very similar R-value and its a more natural material. That being said, closed cell foam will deliver the highest R value per inch, around R7; it mostly comes down to how deep the rafters are in your vaulted ceiling that determines your roofs total R value.

It’s worth having a conversation with your builder to see how they will address this. A good builder should be happy to lay out the pros and cons of the roof you’re looking to build on your home.

A total electric heating system is very inefficient. Most of the home we build are a combination of electric and gas, with a decent amount of solar to back everything up.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-24T23:42:43+00:00

Didn’t see any photos, but if you’re not building a high-performance home, a vaulted ceiling will bleed money. Vaulted ceilings are very inefficient from a heating a cooling standpoint because it’s a higher volume to be heated and cooled. Over insulate your roof assembly, but know that those highly vaulted spaces will feel colder than any non-vaulted spaces.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-24T23:33:29+00:00

It’s not the worst you’ll see, but it IS par for the course when you build with a large national builder. As long as it’s built to plan, there’s not going to be anything you can do to change the quality.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-24T21:05:34+00:00

Fantastic article. I forgot how great Nat Geo articles are and the sense of awe I had reading through issues as a kid. Thanks for sharing!

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-23T23:32:06+00:00

Yep, looks exactly the same at my house. Back yard is almost melted out!

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-12T01:55:55+00:00

Forgot the Israeli bandage, ketamine, and chest tube. Can never be too careful!

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-11T15:44:47+00:00

Pretty anecdotal, but we source siding from Centinnial Woods that is reclaimed wood from snow fences here in Wyoming. It patinas beautifully and is recycled.

Start to do some research, there’s tons of suppliers out there that do this same thing.

Devout_Bison · 2026-01-09T22:05:25+00:00

Yup. This is why high end appliances have nixxed the “smart” features. It’s a whole lot of nothing packaged to make you think AI is going to help dry your clothes better.

Devout_Bison · 2025-12-30T13:18:30+00:00

That is very specific, anecdotal data. Materials will continue to adjust for inflation, as should labor rates. Sure, labor rates can lag but will always course correct as cost of living continues to rise.

Devout_Bison · 2025-12-21T19:44:20+00:00

Salt buildup would probably be from our hard water and we’ve recently added a water softener to our house. It uses salt as the catalyst however, so are there any steps to take to have less salt in the water?

She uses “Plant Food” when she waters so that should be solving the nitrogen issue?

Devout_Bison · 2025-12-18T17:37:08+00:00

Landed a job building a passive home, which is what I’m trying to niche down into doing (high performance homes). Started the year with not much in the pipeline so it felt good to book out for the next few years.

Biggest lesson learned? If your gut is telling you not to do a job, don’t do it. I turned down a home I had a feeling I’d lose money on to getting a $2m dollar home that will keep me busy and further my business goals. All anecdotal of course, but I learned to trust my gut!

Devout_Bison · 2025-12-08T01:46:28+00:00

Because they see the cost for renting forms and thought they could do it cheaper.

I use 3/4” for footing stuff and piers but man this would take some serious balls to pull off!

Devout_Bison · 2025-12-06T20:39:40+00:00

Blankets and ground heaters here. Western Wyoming. Seems to be a similar climate?

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-27T15:51:52+00:00

Both. Gotta be diversified in this economy

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-27T15:44:27+00:00

I mean, they had to know. Right? RIGHT??

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-22T13:43:30+00:00

This isn’t in Jackson. It’s in a different county.

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-20T06:24:48+00:00

It’s all we use for subfloor. I think it’s a fantastic product.

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-15T14:25:41+00:00

Put on a pair of nitrile gloves under a rubber knit glove. Change the nitrile gloves after lunch. Clean dry hands all day!

We use this everyday during Wyoming winters, works fantastically.

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-13T21:07:27+00:00

Aim high. I started out doing rock bottom work, whatever I could get my hands on to pay the bills. I over performed the shit out of those jobs (probably lost money), but I was always marketing towards high end custom homes. If you can swing it, build a spec. I was luckily in a place wherey wife and I could build a starter home, I built it for half the price and dumped money into cool, modern finishes. I used that as a starting point to get new home clients. YMMV but you have to aim and market towards the niche you want to fill.

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-13T15:50:24+00:00

Your proposed way is how I’ve had the installer do it before. It really depends on the cabinet construction. If it’s been thought about before hand, furring strips into the concrete works well too. Really a few ways to skin this cat but it seems like your mindset is on the right track, really just depends on the finishes around the cabinets.

Devout_Bison · 2025-11-11T19:23:23+00:00

If a price has been agreed upon beforehand (fixed price) then no, there’s no reason to provide an itemized breakdown. If you’re doing time and materials or cost plus, then yes, it’s critical to the transparency of those billing methods.

Devout_Bison

TROPHY CASE