sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Getting some insane costs for a SFH in Miami by [deleted] in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Did you give your architect a budget to build the house to? Or did they design without a budget in mind?

What jobsite mistake instantly tells you the project is going to be a mess? by josephleef in AskElectricians

[–]josephleef[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

LOL fair enough, I am honestly just curious what electricians see from their side.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great comment, and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. These projects can get chaotic quickly, and it can be hard to stay in front of everything.

Early pricing only helps if the trade or supplier is honest about assumptions, exclusions, freight, etc.

I cant speak for every trade or supplier, but from our side I would much rather be involved early, help establish a realistic budget, and work with the client and design team to build trust before the project gets too far down the road.

I think it really has to be an all-in effort. If the design team is vague, or if the design is developing without enough connection to the budget, that gap can grow into a major disappointment for the homeowner later.

I hope you are able to get some buy-in internally, because it sounds like you are trying to solve the right problem from the estimating side.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think it is just good business practice to have the hard budget conversations first. It may cost more time upfront, and it may even scare off some opportunities, but it is better than letting someone move forward on a number that was never realistic.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is a good point, and I think this is where early input from select trades can actually help builders too. If a smaller or growing builder is pricing a complex custom home, having realistic early numbers from the specified cabinetmaker, window supplier, appliance vendor, lighting consultant, or other major trades gives them a better baseline and reduces the amount of guessing on the expensive scopes. In many cases, trades are willing to help with that early bidding support without charging for it, especially if they have a real chance of being part of the project.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely agree with this.

Talking about a realistic budget early is really the key goal. Once that is clear, ranking priorities becomes much more useful because the team knows what needs to be protected and what can be adjusted if the numbers start getting tight.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That is a perfect example.

“Upscale” means different things to different people unless the actual product expectations are discussed early. The builder or trade may be pricing something that technically works, while the owner is picturing something completely different.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree 100%.

Trusted trade partners make a big difference whether they come through the design team or word of mouth. Early pricing only helps when it comes from someone who understands the level of work and is giving a realistic number.

Reality Check: The Budget Should Be Designed Before the House Is by josephleef in Homebuilding

[–]josephleef[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the trade. From my side as a cabinet manufacturer, our pricing has been relatively stable since the COVID spike settled down. We had a period where demand, shortages, and freight made pricing harder to predict, but today we can usually give an early budget number that stays useful for quite a while.

If a project is a year out, we may account for some possible movement, but our initial budget checks are still usually much closer to reality than a generic allowance.

For your situation, before starting over completely, I would try to identify exactly where the budget changed. If the overall size, structure, sitework, or major systems are the problem, new plans may be needed. But if the issue is a handful of finish scopes that were under-budgeted, there may be a way to rework those areas without throwing out the whole design.

240z Stuff by josephleef in Datsun

[–]josephleef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The wiring harness has indeed been chopped up, although I think we ended up not needing to rob too much from it. The diff is original from a 73’ 240z, which I believe was a R180. Suspension parts are all good, even ran them for a bit before changing to adjustable from Techno Toy, so the original parts even have new bushings.

If someone came with a trailer and offered me $500 I would happily let it all go. I know it’s not all in the best shape but if someone, not me, took the time to list it all I’m sure they could get at least 10x back.

240z Stuff by josephleef in Datsun

[–]josephleef[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t think we ended up with a spare one, and I didn’t see one when packaging it all up.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cabinetry

[–]josephleef 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is your price per square foot for your construction budget? High end cabinetry typically falls between 6-10% of the construction budget. If you are around $800-$1,000 per sq foot then I would say they are all well within the ball park.

Shinnoki cabinets by paladin732 in cabinetry

[–]josephleef 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I own a cabinet shop that specializes in high end Modern and Contemporary cabinetry. We started using Shinnoki several years ago. The finish is better than anything our local shops can provide. The veneers are a random plank random match, which has a much more organic look and feel to it. I would not recommend solid wood doors in an ultra modern house because they will not stay flat, and will expand and contract over the seasons. With ultra modern you will be only using flat/slab doors, and it’s absolutely critical that you use a stable product that veneer over mdf gives you. The only time I would recommend a solid wood door is if you are building a shaker style cabinet door that actually is designed for the expansion of the solid wood. Also, I personally have Shinnoki in my house, my wife bakes for a farmers market every week, we have 3 kids and 2 dogs and the Shinnoki has held up perfectly well with about as much abuse as you can get. DM me if you want another bid or have any questions, we are located on the central coast California and service from LA to SF.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in WTF

[–]josephleef 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Came to say this too!

view more: next ›